Gordon B. Spence

Professional and peer life coaching and the enhancement of goal striving and well-being: An exploratory study

Few studies have investigated the impact of life coaching on self-regulated behavior and well-being. A limitation of past studies has been their reliance on peer rather than professional coaches. The present randomized controlled study compared peer with professional life coaching over a 10-week period with 63 participants. Results indicated that, compared to peer coachees and controls, coachees of professional coaches were more engaged in the coaching process, had greater goal commitment and progression, and greater well-being in terms of environmental mastery; other facets of well-being did not change. The results suggest that the presence of a supportive person may be a necessary but insufficient condition for enhancing goal striving and highlight the importance of expertise in coaching. Recommendations are made for future research and for using life coaching as a methodology for applied positive psychology.

Towards a positive university

This article explores the concept of a ‘positive university’. Whilst positive education is becoming a better known concept, particularly applied to secondary schools, and positive organizational scholarship is further assisting the understanding of positive institutions, it is useful to examine the university as a special institution, in its entirety beyond a circumscribed focus on student academics (e.g. student motivation) or student well-being (e.g. well-being of medical students). In this article, we will sample the relevant evidence to date from positive psychology and positive organizational scholarship and apply it to five key environments of the university: Classroom and formal learning environments (e.g. curriculum, academic achievement), social environments (e.g. student relationships), local community and external organizations (e.g. volunteerism), faculty and administration work environments (e.g. employee stress) and residential environments (e.g. student well-being). Specific recommendations are provided for each context with reference to five routes to well-being: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment.

The integration of mindfulness training and health coaching: An exploratory study

Abstract Coaching has attracted much attention from health professionals interested in collaborative, person-centred approaches to motivating behaviour change. Whilst initial research supports the efficacy of coaching in health contexts, more theoretical and empirical work is needed. Based on recent work demonstrating the important role that mindfulness plays in self-regulation, it was hypothesised that the efficacy of health coaching could be enhanced through the inclusion of Mindfulness Training (MT). To test this, 45 adult were randomly assigned to three health programmes for eight weeks. Using a crossover design, two groups received an alternative delivery of MT and cognitive-behavioural, solution-focused (CB-SF) coaching, whilst the third group participated in a series of health education seminars. Results showed that goal attainment was significantly greater in the facilitative/coaching format than the educative/directive format. No significant differences were found for goal attainment between the two MT/CB-SF conditions suggesting that the delivery sequence had little bearing on outcomes. After reviewing the results, the implications for health professionals are discussed.

Further development of evidence-based coaching: Lessons from the rise and fall of the human potential movement

Although several authors have argued for the development of an evidence-based approach to coaching practice, few attempts have been made to draw support for these arguments by examining events of the recent past. This paper seeks to learn some lessons from history by exploring events surrounding the rise and fall of the human potential movement (HPM), which occurred between the 1940s and 1970s. The demise of the HPM is of relevance to the coaching industry because it powerfully illustrates how the promise and potential of innovative practices can be easily lost when its practitioners become disconnected from theoretically sound rationales and solid research. It is argued that the longevity of the coaching industry will be dependent upon the degree to which it embraces the evidence-based practice ethos, and concludes by outlining recent contributions made by psychologists to the advance of evidence-based coaching practice.

Development and validation of the solution-focused inventory

Solution-focused coaching and solution-focused therapy are strengths-based approaches which emphasize peoples resources and resilience and how these can be used in the pursuit of purposeful, positive change. The Solution-focused Inventory (SFI) is a 12-item scale with three subscales: Problem Disengagement, Goal Orientation and Resource Activation. Three studies in this article provide support for the validity of the SFI as a measure of solution-focused thinking. The SFI negatively correlated with psychopathology and positively correlated with measures of well-being, resilience and perspective taking. Test–retest reliability over 16 weeks was 0.84. Cronbachs α for the 12-item scale was 0.84. It also demonstrates sensitivity to purposeful change in that participation in a leadership development coaching intervention was associated with significantly increased scores on the SFI, whilst scores for the control group did not change.

Contributing to coaching knowledge whilst learning how to research: a review and discussion of four student-coaching studies

ABSTRACT This article showcases four student research projects focused on forms of internal and external coaching, and coaching supervision. The studies were selected from a pool of unpublished studies that were grouped according to their general interest and relevance to each other. After briefly describing the studies, key findings are identified for each and integrated into a combined discussion. More specifically, the discussion focuses on the perceived challenges that HR practitioners face in respect of providing an internal coaching service (i.e. HR coaching), along with an examination of more general factors that appear to influence employee receptivity to employer-sponsored programmes (like internal coaching). Also explored is the niche area of maternity coaching, with evidence presented about its efficacy and questions noted about current prevalence and the importance of research to its long-term viability. Finally, several issues related to coaching supervision are considered, particularly in regard to the relatively unexplored area of supervision within internal coaching contexts. Recommendations for future research are provided for all research topics.

Changing workplace habits: from lunch a-la-desk to meetings on the run: a pilot initiative at the University of Wollongong, NSW

Abstract of paper that presented at the Occupational Therapy Australia, 25th National Conference and Exhibition, 24-26 July 2013, Adelaide Convention Centre.Abstract of paper that presented at the Occupational Therapy Australia, 25th National Conference and Exhibition, 24-26 July 2013, Adelaide Convention Centre.Abstract of paper that presented at the Occupational Therapy Australia, 25th National Conference and Exhibition, 24-26 July 2013, Adelaide Convention Centre.