Theory and Practice of Coaching

A growing number of WLP professional coaches argue for what is termed evidence-based coaching. “The term evidence-based coaching was coined by Grant (2003) to distinguish between professional coaching that is explicitly grounded in a broader empirical and theoretical knowledge base and coaching that is evolved from the ‘pop psychology’ personal development genre” (Stober and Grant 2006).

Adapted with permission from Bianco-Mathis, Nabors, and Roman (2002, 5).

Perhaps the most powerful cognitive tool in coaching is the mental model. Mental models are our beliefs about how the world works and how people operate. Mental models can be useful, or they can get in the way of our progress toward our goals because they may limit us to habitual ways of thinking. Some examples of mental models are, “People can’t be trusted,” “If I graduate, I’ll get a good job,” “Only technical people get ahead here,” and “Being controlling is the only way to get things done.” Coaches can have a powerful effect on their clients by questioning mental models in the coaching dialogue. A process for addressing mental models during a coaching conversation would include recognizing the mental models at play, understanding how unexamined mental models are affecting the client’s decision making and behavior, learning how to slow down and reflect on mental models, and engaging in conversations that test assumptions and inferences (Auerback 2006, 114).

Another useful tool that can be used in helping clients become aware of their thought processes and the effects on their behaviors is the ladder of inference, as shown in table 1-2. The ladder of inference is a tool you can use to help your clients see how they often make subjective interpretations or inferences from an observation that leads to an inaccurate conclusion or behavior. When you use the ladder of inference in your coaching, you help your clients discover errors in their reasoning and ways to prevent and re-evaluate resulting behaviors and actions—in essence, ways to stop the unconscious mind from falling into the same conclusions again and again.

You can see how this works by studying the example in table 1-2. Given Susan’s one experience with a working mother, Susan assumes all working mothers are the same. This affects her behavior to the point that she does not reward nor hire working mothers. Whenever she encounters a working mother, Susan immediately climbs her ladder of inference and reinforces her original belief—despite any information to the contrary.

"Ladder of inference" adapted from Peter Senge et al., The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook (New York: Doubleday, 1994), p. 243; see also McArthur, Putnam, and Smith (1999).

All of us climb up our ladders of inference hundreds of times every day, usually unaware that we are going through the process. During coaching conversations, we can help our clients slow down their thinking long enough to reflect on their reasoning and the effect their choices have on themselves and others.

These two cognitive tools—mental model and ladder of inference—represent the kind of theoretical underpinnings that support the organizational coaching model outlined in chapter 2. The use of these and other cognitive models presented in this book will help you create a strong coaching base, move beyond superficial coaching practices, and produce evidence-based results.

Moving Ideas to Action

Refer to table 1-2. Think of a workplace conversation or situation that did not go as you would have liked. Fill in table 1-3 with your own example of the ladder of inference, applying your reasoning from the example you have chosen. Then consider the questions below.

1. Did you achieve what you wanted out of this conversation or situation? Why or why not?
2. What might an alternative be to the reasoning you had at each rung? How would the outcome have differed if you had used that alternative reasoning?