Co-creating an optimal coaching alliance: A Cognitive Behavioural Coaching perspective

Abstract

This paper reviews the coaching relationship from a Cognitive Behavioural Coaching (CBC) perspective. Using empathy as one example of a key relationship component it identifies how building, establishing and maintaining an optimal coaching alliance for the specific coachee, through an explicit process of negotiation and renegotiation epitomises ‘the collaborative relationship’ a central tenet of the Cognitive Behavioural framework. It also highlights how extending to the relationship itself an emphasis on the cognitive-behavioural dynamics of the coachee and the coach, individually and in interaction can potentially assist in fostering, maintaining, and where necessary managing disruptions in, the coaching alliance. Power dynamics and time constraints are highlighted as themes possibly differentiating the coaching alliance from the therapeutic alliance. The broader-based explicit stance of the coach resulting in a reciprocal requirement for greater adaptability to the coachee’s needs are tentatively proposed as further differentiators of the coaching alliance from a CBC perspective.

The empathy factor: An important aspect of success in every coaching session.

“…Therefore, it is no surprise that the empathy a client receives or perceives from their coach is an effective coaching success factor (Baron & Morin, 2009; Gregory & Levy, 2011; Jowett et al, 2012; O’Broin & Palmer, 2009; Passmore, 2007a; Santor, 2003). For instance, the client’s positive perception of the coach’s empathy makes the client feel understood (Will et al, 2016) and facilitates positive coaching outcomes for the client (de Haan et al, 2011; Diller, Mühlberger, et al, 2021).…”

“…Although empathy is an essential coaching success factor (Baron & Morin, 2009; Diller, Mühlberger, et al, 2021; Gregory & Levy, 2011; Jowett et al, 2012; O’Broin & Palmer, 2009; Passmore, 2007a; Rekalde et al, 2015; Santor, 2003), the question arises of whether empathy is helpful in every coaching phase. At first glance, there seems to be no argument why empathy should not be helpful at all stages of the coaching prosess, because it could help in various situations, such as simplifying conversations, enabling social skills, and identifying an untrue statement (A.…”