Co-Active Coaching: New Skills for Coaching People Toward Success in Work and, Life [Paperback]

Laura Whitworth (Author), Karen Kimsey-House (Author), Henry Kimsey-House (Author), Phillip Sandahl (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 10, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0891061983 | ISBN-13: 978-0891061984 | Edition: 2nd

Discover what's new in this classic work that helped define the field of coaching.

With the first edition of Co-Active Coaching, Laura Whitworth and her pioneering co-authors set the stage for what has become a cultural and business phenomenon, and helped launch the professional practice of coaching. Their flexible Co-Active Coaching model has stood the test of time as a transformative communication process that co-workers and teammates, managers, teachers, and students can use to build strong and collaborative relationships.

In this new edition, the authors reflect today's reality of how coaching has moved beyond its initial focus on life skills to become an integral part of an organization's toolkit for developing leaders. Already used as the definitive resource in dozens of corporate and professional development programs, Co-Active Coaching has been updated to include the latest terminology and a variety of fresh coaching examples drawn from the authors' firsthand experiences with thousands of international coaching trainees and clients. The power-packed Coach's Toolkit has been expanded to include more than 35 exercises, questionnaires, checklists, and reproducible forms. And a CD containing sample audio coaching sessions, and printable forms from the Toolkit, have been added to make these proven principles and techniques practical.

Editorial Reviews

Review

". . .ushered in the age of professional career coaching, can give you some ideas on how to help that budding executive blossom." — Triangle Business Journal

"The book provides a recipe for the necessary ingredients to serve as a business coach." — T&D

From the Publisher

Discover what's new in this classic work that helped define the field of coaching.

With the first edition of CO-ACTIVE COACHING, Laura Whitworth and her pioneering coauthors set the stage for what has become a cultural and business phenomenon--and helped launch the professional practice of coaching. Durable and flexible, their Co-Active Coaching model has stood the test of time as a transformative communication process that co-workers and teammates, direct reports and managers, teachers and students can use to build strong, collaborative relationships. Now, in this new edition, the authors bring current their original work to reflect today's reality: how coaching has moved beyond its initial focus on life skills to become an integral part of an organization's toolkit for developing leaders, working with teams, and building individual competencies essential for success.

Already used as the definitive resource in dozens of corporate and professional development programs, CO-ACTIVE COACHING has been updated to include the latest terminology and a wide-ranging set of fresh coaching examples drawn from the authors' firthand experience with thousands of international coaching trainees and clients. The power-packed Coach's Toolkit has been expanded to include more than 35 exercises, questionnaires, checklists, and reproducible forms. And a CD containing sample audio coaching sessions and printable forms from the Toolkit has been added to make these proven principles and techniques both practical and immediately actionable.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Nicholas Brealey Publishing; 2nd edition (January 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0891061983
• ISBN-13: 978-0891061984
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 0.9 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (98 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #119,820 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #50 in Books > Business & Investing > Management & Leadership > Teams

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

283 of 286 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Model for Coaching Success in Others November 13, 2000

By Les Lauber

Format:Hardcover

"Co-Active Coaching" is written for the coach or prospective coach. The authors, Laura Whitworth, Henry Kimsey-House, and Phil Sandahl, share their model and ideas for coaching others in three parts. They then provide a toolkit for coaches.

Part I is "Coaching Fundamentals." Here they outline the model which places the client squarely in the center. The model focuses on the coach using his or her skills to focus on the client's fulfillment, balance, and process. The intake session is discussed here sufficiently to create the context of the later coaching sessions.

Part II is "Co-Active Coaching Skills." The authors detail in this section five skills key to the coach's success: listening, use of intuition, exploration of curiosity, action and learning, and self-management. There are activities to practice each skill at the end of each chapter--anyone wanting to coach should not skip these exercises, which are carefully designed to get to the heart of the skill described.

Part III is "Co-Active Coaching Processes." This section explains "the three core principles of coaching:" fulfillment, balance, and process. Especially helpful here is Chapter 11, "Tips and Traps," a valuable addition that warns and prepares the coach for things that may not go quite right....

The last section is "The Coach's Toolkit," and this alone is worth the price of the book. It includes Action Plans, Client Activities and Worksheets, Intake Checklists--everything a coach needs to begin a successful coaching program. A wise coach will undertake the exercises and worksheets for himself or herself, and thus will better understand what the client is asked to do.

126 of 130 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Whole-person coaching...a powerful approach. February 28, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

Co-coaching is distinctive in that it involves both the coach and the client; it is also referred to as personal/professional coaching because it addresses the whole person (the whole of their life).

Many books we have reviewed on this subject, while of value within the workplace, do not strive to address the multidimensional nature of the individual. In contrast, the approach presented here is distinctly holistic.

The authors' offer a model plus a set of skills and techniques. The book is filled with specifics and excellent insights, and gives extensive guidance about how to be highly effective in coaching. About 75 pages are devoted to "The Coach's Toolkit," consisting of forms, checklists, exercises, resources and a glossary. This book offers a potentially powerful approach to coaching. It is, in our view, requisite reading for anyone involved in, or considering, coaching. Highly recommended.

87 of 91 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent resource! March 25, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

As a professor of Organizational Psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology, I've seen a lot of interest expressed by psychologists in the process of personal and executive coaching. Conventional training in psychology is not necessarily a very good preparation for this work. Rather, what is needed is the sort of empathetic and careful relationship building, informed by but not restricted to psychological approaches, that comes through in this book. I heartily recommend it to all who are interested in developing a greater sensitivity to the coaching process!