Freshest thinking...

This morning I started my latest CPD: a 6-month programme on Psychology for Coaches, run by Marie Stopforth for the Curious Coaching Company.

One of the points Marie made in this introductory session was the importance of holding theories lightly, engaging with them with curiosity, and always as a means to an end - the client's increased self-awareness. As an example, she mentioned Self Determination Theory (SDT), and how an understanding of the three components of motivation that it suggests (perceived autonomy, perceived competence, and perceived relatedness) might inform the questions one explored with a client who declared he or she felt unmotivated; but also that one should not be so wedded to the theory that one believes one knows what is going on for the client.

And of course that makes sense; it might be a useful framework in that context, and holding it lightly is a good approach. 

But what also occurred to me, as we reflected in small groups, was that SDT might additionally offer an insight into the effectiveness of Kline's Thinking Environment - an approach I favour.

Famously, this involves a much less directed approach to questioning (so the questions would not be informed by SDT). However, I think the Thinking Environment process is designed to strengthen all three of these areas.

In terms of perceived autonomy, the Thinking Partner's (ie Coach's) belief that the Thinker can address their own issues without any input or directive questions from the Thinking Partner maximises the Thinker's autonomy. The same is true of perceived competence: the Thinking Partner champions the Thinker's ability to resolve their own issues, believing in it even when the Thinker may start to doubt it. And the experience of being listened to with the quality of attention that the Thinking Environment is famed for, along with the other components of Appreciation, and Encouragement, tends to result in the Thinker feeling valued, which speaks to the heart of the Relatedness aspect. 

And that's one of the reasons I am doing this programme; to help me to think afresh about what I do and why it works, as well as what might be the limitations of my approaches, and what else I might do.

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(Image from Wikipedia: Creative Commons Licence)