Mindfulness for Coaches: An experiential guide

251 Pages·2017·5.224 MB·English

by  Michael Chaskalson, Mark McMordie

‘As this book demonstrates, mindfulness can transform your coaching. It can
punctuate, highlight and lift your attending to the other. It can lead to
experiences of great value where you hold your own stillness and quiet
observation, in the midst of engagement. It can lead to the near rapture of
attending as fully as you can to the other.’
—Erik de Haan, from the Foreword
‘The beating heart of coaching is generative attention. Silken. Serene.
Seamless. Michael and Mark understand this. They embody it. And they are
offering to us all, eloquently, the knowledge that inhabits it. This book is a
coach’s long-needed teacher.’
—Nancy Kline, Founder and President of Time To Think
‘I believe mindfulness training should be a vital component of all coach
training, and that all coaches would benefit from having a regular mindfulness
practice. So this book is the equivalent of music to my ears. Not only very
well researched, it’s very practical, laying out a clear map to follow for any
coach who wants to incorporate mindfulness into their coaching practice, and
their lives. If you really want to make a difference, read this book!’
—Liz Hall, Coach, Author of Mindful Coaching
and Editor of Coaching at Work
‘A must read for any coach committed to personal mastery, Mindfulness for
Coaches offers us a wonderful route to a truly embodied coaching presence.
This is an important book, created with heart, soul and dedication. We – and
all those we coach – will benefit from the gifts that it brings.’
—Trudi Ryan, Executive Chair, Coachmatch
‘Mindfulness for Coaches weaves together the wisdom of reflection, the
beauty of art and years of practical clinical application. The wealth of ideas
and practice presented in this illuminating work will be of great benefit and
has the power to change individual and collective lives.’
—Shauna Shapiro, PhD, Professor, Santa Clara University, USA;
author ofThe Art and Science of Mindfulness and Mindful
Discipline: Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child
‘The book dovetails beautifully into Gestalt practice with lots of exercises that
I’ll adopt for myself, my students and coachees. Their explanation brings
mindfulness practice to life. It is ideal for coaches to develop self-awareness
and inner presence, which deepen their relationship and attunement with their
coachees.’
—John Leary-Joyce, Founder, Academy of Executive Coaching
and author of Fertile Void: Gestalt Coaching at Work
‘Mindfulness for Coachesis an excellent contribution to the coaching literature,
offering coaches an experientialguide to develop their mindfulness practice,
while underpinning the material with links to mindfulness research and
examples from the wide experience of these two hugely experienced authors.
The book is essential reading for those who want to enhance their presence,
focus and ability to be with the client in the present moment.’
—Professor Jonathan Passmore, University of Evora, Portugal
and Henley Centre for Coaching and Behavioural Change
Mindfulness for Coaches
Mindfulness for Coaches accessibly presents theory and research on the
benefits of mindfulness training and explores how mindfulness can feature in
coaching work. Michael Chaskalson and Mark McMordie explain how coaches
can use mindfulness to become more deeply attuned to themselves and to
clients, and to create transformational resonance.
The authors present a systematic methodology to cultivate and embody a
way of being that enables growth and transformation in oneself and in others.
The first book of its kind, Mindfulness for Coaches provides an experiential
guide, inviting and supporting coaches to engage with the programme included,
sharing new qualitative research into the potential impact of mindfulness on
coaching process and outcomes, and explicitly linking mindfulness practice
to global standards of coaching mastery. Presented in two parts, the bookfirst
outlines a unique eight-week programme, Mindfulness for coaches, and goes
on to clarify the links between mindfulness, coaching mastery and different
coaching approaches, share insights from the fields of psychotherapy, leade -
rship and organisation development, and provide guidance for further learning.
Mindfulness for Coacheswill be insightful and inspiring reading for coaches
in practice and in training, coaching psychologists and academics and students
of all coaching modalities.
Michael Chaskalson is the CEO of Mindfulness Works Ltd., a leading
provider of mindfulness training in the workplace. With over 40 years of
personal mindfulness practice, he taught for many years at Bangor University’s
Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice, UK and is a Professor of
Practice, Adjunct at Ashridge Executive Education.
Mark McMordie is Director of Coaching for Coachmatch, a global organ -
isational development consultancy. Mark is an ICF accredited executive coach
and has been coaching for 15 years. He has also had a personal mind fulness
practice for over 10 years and trained as a mindfulness teacher with Bangor
University’s Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice, UK.

Mindfulness for Coaches
An Experiential Guide
Michael Chaskalson
Mark McMordie
First published 2018
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2018 Michael Chaskalson and Mark McMordie
The right of Michael Chaskalson and Mark McMordie to be
identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in
accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Chaskalson, Michael, author. | McMordie, Mark, author.
Title: Mindfulness for coaches : an experiential guide / Michael Chaskalson,
Mark McMordie.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2018. | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017028481 (print) | LCCN 2017040283 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781315697307 (Master e-book) | ISBN 9781138841055 (hardback) |
ISBN 9781138902688 (pbk.)
Subjects: LCSH: Personal coaching. | Mindfulness (Psychology)
Classification: LCC BF637.P36 (ebook) | LCC BF637.P36 C43 2018 (print) |
DDC 158.3 –dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017028481
ISBN: 978-1-138-84105-5 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-90268-8 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-69730-7 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Florence Production Ltd, Stoodleigh, Devon, UK
For Annette
Michael Chaskalson
For Thay, Kundun, Otis and Zachary
Mark McMordie

Contents
About the authors xi
Foreword: an awareness of now by Erik de Haan xiii
Acknowledgements xviii
Introduction xx
PART ONE
Mindfulness for coaches: The eight-week programme 1
1 Session 1: Introducing mindfulness 3
2 Session 2: Embodiment 30
3 Session 3: Working with thoughts 52
4 Session 4: Empathy 68
PART TWO
Joining the dots 81
5 Further development 83
6 Mindfulness and coaching approaches 107
7 Mindfulness and psychotherapy 128
8 Mindfulness and coaching mastery 145
9 Mindfulness, leadership and organisation development 181
Appendix A: Research methodology 209
Appendix B: Our mindful coaches 211