1. Awareness & Communication as Facilitative,
Executive Coaching Competencies:
Reviewing Literature to Inform Practice and Future Research!
Symposium 51: 3C’s Enhancing Organizational Learning Culture,
Trainers’ Creative Role Identity & Facilitative Executive Coaching
Competencies.
Terrence Maltbia, Rajashi Ghosh & Victoria Marsick
Saturday March 3, 2012: 3:30 – 5:00 PM

2. Outline
Problem, Purpose and Research Questions
Conceptual Framework
Findings from Integrated Literature Review
Conclusions and Implications
2 Learning from Experience Through Executive Coaching
© Maltbia, Ghosh and Marsick (2012)

3. Grounding Coaching Practice in Theory
& Research
ICF Core Coaching Competencies…
Meeting Ethical Theoretical and/or Empirical Basis…
Guidelines and
Professional Standards
Establishing the Coaching Conversational (2010)
Agreement] Questioning
Establishing Trust & Listening
Structural (Future)
Intimacy w/ the Client
Coaching
Coaching Presence Agreement
Relational (2011)
Powerful Questioning Planning & Goal
Trust Setting
Active Listening Presence Designing Action
Creating Awareness Monitoring
Direct Communication Progress &
Facilitative (2012) Accountability
Designing Actions Awareness
Planning & Goal Setting Communication
Managing Progress &
Accountability
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© Maltbia, Ghosh and Marsick (2012)

4. Problem, Purpose, Questions
The problem this paper addresses In what ways are the concepts of
grows out of the lack of a clearly awareness, communication, and
documented theory and research to learning from experience defined in
support the use of 2 commonly- selected literature?
espoused, core coaching
competencies of awareness and
communication. In what ways does the available
literature:
Our aim is to understand what – (a) inform the practice of executive
evidence exists that support claims of coaching (with an emphasis on
the centrality of awareness and developing the core competencies
communication as faciltiative of awareness and communication)
coaching competencies used by and
practitioners to help clients learn – (b) suggest implications for further
from, and through their experience, in competency research in the area of
executive and organizational
order to achieve desired results. coaching?
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© Maltbia, Ghosh and Marsick (2012)

5. Conceptual Framework
Goal, Reality, Obstacles/Options, Will/Way Forward (GROW)
(Topic/Focus: of Coaching Conversation)
Coaching Competencies:
• Listening & Questioning Concrete
• Trust & Presence Experience
• Awareness & Communications
• Others?
Active Reflective
Experimentation Observation
Theoretical Basis:
• Kolb (e.g., 1984, 2005a, 2005b)
• Roberts & Jarrett (2006) Abstract
• Whitmore (e.g., 2002, 1996) Conceptualization
• Gallwey (1971, 1980, 2001)
Goal Progress, Attainment, Outcomes
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© Maltbia, Ghosh and Marsick (2012)

6. Facilitative Competencies
Applying the complementary skills of multidimensional reflection and effective communication in
the service of the executive coach’s commitment to enhancing client awareness, understanding, and
choice with the ultimate aim of helping people achieve the results they truly desire.
Awareness Communication
 Modifier focus attention on form Conceptual Differentiators…
 Thorndike (1920) – “social intelligent”  1. Level of Observation; 2. Intentionality;
part of broad set of intelligences 3. Normative Judgment
Integration
 Katz (1955) – performance linked to
3 skill categories (technical, human Fundamental Properties
interaction & conceptual)  1. Effectiveness & 2. Appropriateness
 “Focusing ability” (Kolb & Boyatzis
1970) Combination Strategies
 Emotional Intelligence (Goleman  1. Maximizing, 2. Sufficing, 3. Minimizing,
2001) 4. Optimizing
 Multidimensional construct (cognitive,
Relational Rules of Interdepend-
motivational & behavioral – Maltbia &
ence
 Sender & Receiver Dynamics
Power, 2009)
 Measures (e.g., ECI; In-session self- 6 Learning from Experience Through Executive Coaching
Importance of Context Ghosh and Marsick (2012)
© Maltbia,

7. Reflection as Facilitator…
Single-loop Learning
(Process Reflection or Skill-based Coaching )
Governing Intentions Action Strategies Consequences Match
Variables (Goal/Desired, (Behavioral (Outcomes)
Mismatch
(Values & Beliefs) Future State) Tactics)
Double-loop Learning
(Content Reflection or Performance Coaching)
(Premise Reflection – Developmental coaching
Source: Authors’ adaptation from concepts in C. Argyris’ (1993), Knowledge for Action (pp. 50-66); J. Mezirow’s (2000), Learning as Transformation (pp. 19-24); T. E. Maltbia & A.
Power’s (2009), A Leader’s Guide to Leveraging Diversity (pp. 173-199).
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© Maltbia, Ghosh and Marsick (2012)

8. Conclusions and Implications
 Theoretical and empirical support (definitions, taxonomies, types, levels and
types) for the inclusion of awareness and communication as core
competencies in coach preparation programs
 Document important connections between the awareness and
communication literature combined with “experiential learning theory” (i.e.,
facilitative competencies support clients in developing insight through increased
levels of awareness in both the client and coach leading to effective
communication between the two)
 Awareness & effective communication skills have been catalogued in both
descriptive and operational terms that can serve as a resource for: (a) coach-
training providers in inform learning design; (b) researchers to use of
“observational indicators” for future studies; and (c) practicing coaches to deepen
understanding of the conditions that facilitate productive coach-client working
relationships.
 Reflection serves as an integrating heuristic for informing coaching and
dialogue sessions in that it parallels Kolbs’ (1984) experiential learning cycle,
Argryis et al.’s (1985) theories of action stages to test assumptions, &
Jackson’s (1991) strategic learning framework to guide the coaching process
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© Maltbia, Ghosh and Marsick (2012)