NLP Coaching: An Evidence-Based Approach for Coaches, Leaders and Individuals

250 Pages·2010·1.46 MB·english

by  Susie Linder-Pelz

N L P
COACHING
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N L P
COACHING
AnÊevidence-basedÊapproachÊforÊ
coaches,ÊleadersÊandÊindividuals
SusieÊLinder-Pelz
Publisher’s note
Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this book
is accurate at the time of going to press, and the publishers and authors cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions, however caused. No responsibility for loss
or damage occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from action, as a result of the
material in this publication can be accepted by the editor, the publisher or any of the
authors.
First published in Great Britain and the United States in 2010 by Kogan Page Limited
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or
review, as permi�ed under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication
may only be reproduced, stored or transmi�ed, in any form or by any means, with the
prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction
in accordance with the terms and licences issued by the CLA. Enquiries concerning
reproduction outside these terms should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned
addresses:

120 Pentonville Road 525 South 4th Street, #241 4737/23 Ansari Road
London N1 9JN Philadelphia PA 19147 Daryaganj
United Kingdom USA New Delhi 110002
www.koganpage.com India
© Susie Linder-Pelz, 2010
The right of Susie Linder-Pelz to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted
by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
ISBN 978 0 7494 5452 4
E-ISBN 978 0 7494 5907 9
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Linder-Pelz, Susie, 1948–
NLP coaching : an evidence-based approach for coaches, leaders and individuals / Susie
Linder-Pelz.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-7494-5452-4
1. Neurolinguistic programming. 2. Employees–Coaching of. 3. Executive coaching. 4.
Personal coaching. I. Title.
BF637.N46L57 2010
158’.9–dc22
2009035458
Typeset by JS Typese�ing Ltd, Porthcawl, Mid Glamorgan
Printed and bound in India by Replika Press Pvt Ltd
Contents
Acknowledgements vii
Introduction 1
What is NLP? 2; Questions this book addresses 5; Who is this
book for? 8; My researcher-practitioner perspective 8; Mind the
gap 9; Outline of chapters 10
Part 1 NLP and coaching
1 What is NLP coaching? 15
A bit of background 16; The goal of NLP coaching 17; Modelling
is the key 18
2 Catching a coach at work 21
The skills an NLP coach uses 21
3 The ‘magic’ of NLP 40
Invisible glue 40; Five faces of organizational coaching 41;
Coaching issues 43
4 Meeting industry standards 52
NLP coaching vs NLP practice 52; Packaging NLP coaching 53;
Meeting professional coaching standards 55
5 Shi�ing paradigms 58
Science and post-modernist inquiry 58; Humanistic and positive
psychology 60; Convergence of neuroscience and psychology 62
vi CONTENTS
Part 2 An evidence-based approach to NLP coaching
6 Best practice is evidence-based 67
What does evidence-based mean? 67; Theories, principles and
presuppositions 68; Nine systemic principles 70
7 Systemic principles with psychological overlay 73
Roots in psychology and support from neuroscience 74;
Unsubstantiated aspects of NLP 93
8 Links to psychology 95
Links to other coaching psychology approaches 95; Distinctive
and shared practices 99; More on mindfulness 101; Is NLP really
‘atheoretical’? 102
9 Empirical evidence 103
The historical role of research in NLP 103; The verdict so far 106;
Yin and yang in coaching research 108; The case for mixed
methods 111; Conclusion to Part 2 112
Part 3 Towards best practice
10 Building on NLP coaching 117
Symbolic Modelling and Clean Language 117; Theoretical
origins 120; Principles 122; Methodology 123; Practice 125;
Meta-Coaching 127; Meta-level principles 128; The Meta-States
model 129; The Axes of Change Model 131; The Meta-Coaching
methodology 133; Case study in career development 135; What
do these approaches add? 137
11 Working as a practitioner-researcher 139
Findings from a small practice 139; Calling for good research
questions 141; How NLP coaching works 142; Impact studies:
Does it work? 143; Comparisons with other approaches 145;
Visioning the ‘gold standard’ 147; Rigour and vigour 149
12 Benchmarking and evaluating competencies 151
Competency-based NLP coach training 151; From modelling to
benchmarking 152; Benchmarking NLP skills in organizations 156;
Research-mindedness 159
Conclusion 162
Endnotes 165
Bibliography 213
Index 228
Acknowledgements
Several colleagues provided valuable information and insights for this book
and I acknowledge each of them in the body of the text. In addition, I thank
Andrew Bryant, Michelle Duval, Joseph O’Connor, Paul Tosey and Lisa
Wake for their wri�en contributions. And I am very grateful to Lisa, Michelle
and Paul, as well as to Michael Hall and James Lawley, for taking the time to
give me feedback on parts of the manuscript.
I dedicate this book to my wonderfully supportive partner, family and
friends.
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Introduction
Coaching is big business because of its potential to change people and
organizations. To achieve personal fulfilment and organizational effective-
ness, people and teams o�en need to change existing behaviours and take
on new ones – such as greater flexibility, ability to deal with conflict and to
renew creativity. Individuals and teams need not only to see and feel the
desire to change, they need to actually know how to change.
Many organizations try to reduce or control [the complexity that is a fabric
of our working lives] and this simply isn’t possible. It’s not about tackling
complexity but more a case of understanding what it means for how we
work to develop people and organizations.1
Traditional notions of learning – to define outcomes and then design content
and processes in order to get there – no longer work with personal, leadership
and organizational development. Meaningful learning occurs when human
resource professionals step back and make space for people to make sense of
their own experience.
Coaching is a collaborative process of facilitating a client’s ability to self-
direct learning and growth, as evidenced by sustained changes in self-
understanding, self-concept and behaviour.2