Developing core coaching competencies using theatre-based techniques
Date
2013-08-22
Authors
Ketz, Arlene
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Abstract
Leaders in the 21st century face many challenges. To be effective they need to be visionaries and leaders of change, who realise their visions and goals through others. To do this they need to know who they are, be confident of their own abilities and lead with integrity and conviction, maximising the capabilities of their followers to realise their potential while achieving company goals. A coaching style of leadership could help them to do this. However, coaching does not necessarily come easily to leaders and coaching skills may need to be developed.
This research explores the use of theatre-based techniques to develop core coaching competencies in leaders who coach. These techniques, founded on the rigorous training that actors have to undertake, are simple, fun and engaging, yet provocative and transformational. They could help leaders to improve their communication skills, build their emotional intelligence and develop the trust and integrity needed for an authentic, credible presence, which is necessary in leaders who coach.
To determine whether theatre-based techniques do develop coaching competencies in leaders who coach, several international and local experts, who use these techniques in training leaders and coaches, were interviewed. In addition, theatre-based workshops were observed and feedback was obtained from delegates. Findings were analysed, using inductive content analysis, and these findings were compared to the relevant literature and to the coaching competencies outlined by international coach federations, to determine the relevance of theatre-based techniques for coach education.
The findings from this research show that theatre-based techniques develop key coaching competencies such as presence, emotional intelligence, effective expressive communication, trust and integrity, development and transformation, and creativity in leaders who coach and coaches. It is concluded, therefore, that theatre-based techniques do have a role to play within the context of coach education, and combined with other more formal methods of training that include coaching models, could be useful in developing core coaching competencies in leaders who coach and coaches.
Description
Thesis (M.M. (Business Executive Coaching))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Graduate School of Business Administration, 2013.
Keywords
Leadership, Coaching, Executives