Why Coaching?

We, COACH A, have been leveraging coaching for the development of individuals and organizational transformation. Clients often share with us their goals of coaching like below;

"In leadership development, we want leaders to think with ownership rather than passively."
"We want to promote a shift in perspective and encourage individuals to expand their horizons by engaging with open-ended questions.."
"To transform organizational culture, we aim to shift the mindset of all the members in our organization."

I strongly feel as a coach that there is a growing trend towards adapting coaching for such purposes. But why do they leverage coaching now? This year marks my 10-year work anniversary at COACH A. Prior to joining here, I viewed coaching as a form of communication strategy. While coaching indeed enhances communication dynamics and holds its allure in this regard, the motivation of my decade-long commitment to coaching lies in its capacity to stimulate our learning processes.

In the various goals from our clients, it implies they want to generate "change" in their organization. When change actually happens, it is accompanied by learning. Change without learning is not only a state of force or endurance, but also not sustainable in the long run. What I find most attractive about coaching is its ability to trigger and facilitate this learning process.

Gregory Bateson's Three Stages of Learning

In his paper "Logical Categories of Learning and Communication" the British anthropologist Gregory Bateson summarized the three stages of learning in reference to logical types theory. As the original text might be complex to understand, I will introduce Bateson's definitions along with my interpretation.

Learning I: Involves learning the object itself. Through trial and error, one selects the appropriate response from a given set of choices. Essentially, it is "becoming able to do something."

Learning II: Involves learning the context in which the object is placed. Based on experiences of trial and error, the set of choices itself is modified. Essentially, it is "recognizing patterns and becoming proficient effortlessly."

Learning I provide individuals a correct answer. In schools and society, individuals search for the correct answer while facing tasks, and gradually come to the conclusion, "This is the correct answer". As proficiency in obtaining the correct answer is improved, Learning II follows. Instead of finding the correct answer for each individual task, one learns to identify common patterns, leading to quicker and more accurate solutions. The "correct answers" become internalized, eliminating the need to search for them. This state is considered "competence."

In stable environments with minimal changes, expanding Learning II and accumulating correct answers serves a purpose. However, modern environments present a stark contrast. It is said that there are plenty of talented individuals for operations, but very few leaders who can tackle complex problems without a clear answer. This statement highlights the limitations that Learning II can reach.

Learning III: In Learning III, one re-examines the premises acquired through Learning II, leading to a shift in the framework itself and connecting to a broader context. Essentially, it involves embracing contradictions which one faced and gaining a wider perspective.

Bateson suggests that Learning III is a perilous stage for humans. Through the process of the accumulated correct answers from Learning II, one's perspectives and ways of thinking are fundamentally challenged at this point. However, from a different perspective, Learning III can be seen as the gateway to the leadership expected in modern times and an opportunity for further personal growth. Having said that , coaching plays a significant role in encouraging Learning III.

Re-examining What Has Been Learned

Here I share with you one of my coaching journeys with Kenji, who leads a business at a certain company.

Soon after being assigned as the department head, Kenji began to feel a sense of challenge towards the department members who awaited instructions without thinking proactively. He had always achieved results by thinking and acting on his own, and strongly desired for the team members to do the same. Despite setting a vision, clarifying strategies, and repeatedly explaining in simple terms to the team, the situation remained unchanged. In his eyes, the members of the department seemed to lack motivation and capabilities.

As a coach, I perceived that he has been  interpreting the external world through the lens of what he had learned and internalized in the past, denying aspects that did not fit and striving to change them. Given that, I continued to encourage him to see the bigger picture, including themselves in the whole organization, through various interventions. In other words, I aimed to prompt a perspective which Kenji had learned to see things that, as part of Learning II, could be connected to the immediate reality and understood from a larger context.

I asked him a few questions: "When you did your best in the past, what helped you succeed even if things weren't set up perfectly for you?" "Do you think people are born with all the skills they need to succeed?" I also mentioned, "It seems like you often compare yourself to others in terms of who's better or worse.

People often think that "Aha" moments could be triggered by edging questions or feedback, but literally, such instances are not as common. Instead, each coaching session often ends with unresolved thoughts and emotions. However, towards the end of several months of such interactions in coaching, a critical moment occurred when Kenji said, "The bottleneck might be within myself", showing a significant change from that instant onward.

During a reflection on the coaching sessions with him on a later occasion, he also expressed:

"Throughout each coaching session, I didn't fully respond or reflect properly on the questions or feedback I received each time. However, within that process, I gradually detached from my own biased perspective and began to see things more objectively. Thinking about it, not digesting and resolving everything in one session might have led to gaining such a perspective."

It was a moment when I realized that the ongoing presence of a coach could lead to Learning III.

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As Bateson says, letting go of one's previous way of thinking, perception of things, and beliefs is a frightening prospect for individuals. Consequently, unconsciously, we tend to cling onto our former selves. There is a possibility of resistance emerging if attempts are made to forcibly relinquish these aspects.

A coach serves as a facilitator who provides the client with opportunities to pause and think continuously. While each individual stimulus may not be significant on its own, the ongoing engagement can gradually help the client break free from the shell they have wrapped themselves in and soar into a new world. In this sense, a coach is indeed a catalyst for triggering Learning III. Finding this process incredibly intriguing, I have chosen to continue working as a coach.

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Language: Japanese