Coaching for Change: Practical Strategies for Transforming Performance

Neil Currant (University of Bradford, Bradford, UK)

Industrial and Commercial Training

ISSN: 0019-7858

Article publication date: 1 May 2005

302

Keywords

Citation

Currant, N. (2005), "Coaching for Change: Practical Strategies for Transforming Performance", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 37 No. 3, pp. 160-160. https://doi.org/10.1108/ict.2005.37.3.160.1

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2005, Emerald Group Publishing Limited


With many organizations realising the potential benefits to be gained from introducing coaching as one means of keeping a competitive edge, this book should appeal to a broad audience. It is targeted at managers and trainers who are planning to implement coaching in their organizations as well as those going into personal coaching.

Chapters 1 to 3 stress the importance and the practicalities of creating the right climate for coaching to be successful. This includes areas such as motivation for change, assessing the readiness for change and the strategic implications. The book takes a step‐by‐step approach to the actions you will need to take to bring about meaningful change through coaching.

Chapter 4 looks at the organization specific issues particularly focusing on the importance of leadership in developing and retaining talent. It draws upon previous work by the author on world class organizations and training. The reader may not find anything radical or new here, just good, sensible advice that works.

Then follow three chapters on the role and process of coaching which start with the role of the coach and finish by looking at how to best help learners learn through coaching. Included is a useful model of personal development that could form the basis of a good coaching session, or conversation (using the authors term)

Chapter 8 has five case studies which look at the different practical applications of coaching in a range of different organizational contexts. Included are case studies from major commercial organizations such as Vodafone UK, educational institutions and non‐governmental organizations.

The final chapter provides a neat summary of all the key stages of the process in the form of a series of checklists.

This is a short, practical book which is well worth purchasing if you are at all interested in coaching. Whilst it is light on theory, it does provides a clear, readable guide that covers all the key steps to creating a successful coaching environment.

In trying to appeal to both the individual and the organization, the book has a tendency to flip between sections dealing with the individual and sections dealing with teams or organizations; with the balance slightly towards the individual side. It is also predominantly written with the assumption that the reader is a coach or is going to be a coach in some capacity. The book however has broader appeal than this undersells itself in reflecting that appeal.

That said, these are minor criticisms and the usefulness of this book far outweighs any negatives.

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