The Time has Come for Coaches to use Workplace Psychology

Even tough coaching is a very valuable profession, even Master Certified Coaches sometimes overlook the latest science that should be the foundation for their approach. Professional coaches have a responsibility to stay up to date with the latest research and techniques in order to provide the best possible service to our clients. This blog post will outline a few relevant, highly reliable, areas of psychology that are important for most coaching engagements.

One of the key concepts in organizational psychology is the "Big Five" model of personality, which identifies five broad dimensions of personality: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Research has shown that these dimensions are relatively stable over time and are predictive of a wide range of important outcomes, such as job performance, job satisfaction, and leadership effectiveness (Goldberg, 1990). As coaches, we can use this model to better understand our clients and tailor our coaching interventions to their individual needs and personality traits.

Another important finding from educational psychology is the importance of practice in-between coaching sessions. Research has shown that people learn best when they have the opportunity to practice and apply what they have learned (Klein, 2018). This means that, as coaches, it is important to provide our clients with opportunities to practice and apply what they have learned during coaching sessions in order to maximize their learning and progress.

Finally, Robert Cialdini's seven principles of persuasion can also be useful for coaches. Cialdini identified six principles of persuasion: reciprocity, liking, unity,, social proof, authority, consistency and scarcity (Cialdini, 1984). These principles can be used to influence behavior and improve the effectiveness of coaching interventions. For example, all coaches must begin their engagement by cultivating their relationship with their clients. The first three of his principles - reciprocity, liking and unity are the core psychology of relationship development. By proactively identifying things you sincerely like about the client and praising them, you can activate both reciprocity and liking in a totally ethical way. Similarly, Cialdini’s newest principle, “unity” suggests that you use collaborative, inclusive language as you co-create the coaching engagement together with the client.

In conclusion, coaches will improve the odds of their engagements going well, with delighted clients, and referrals by learning to systematically apply the science of psychology to their practice. The "Big Five" model of personality, the importance of practice in-between coaching sessions, and Cialdini's principles of persuasion just just a small set of examples of valuable tools for coaches. By staying up to date with the latest research and techniques in organizational psychology, coaches can provide their clients with the best possible service and support.

References:

Goldberg, L. R. (1990). An alternative "description of personality": The big-five factor structure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59(6), 1216-1229.

Klein, J. D. (2018). The psychology of learning and motivation, 67, 1-53.

Cialdini, R. B. (1984). Influence: The psychology of persuasion. HarperCollins.