Coaching in-the-Moment
Penny Tompkins and James Lawley
Contents
Part 1 |
Background - how we got here |
Part 2 |
Our model of Vivian Gladwell directing in-the-moment |
Part 3 |
An explanation of Part 2 using Systems Theory |
Part 4 |
Adapted model for coaching Symbolic Modelling in-the-moment |
Part 1: Background - How we got hereThe
history of our interest in this topic can be
traced to a ‘how to become a clown’ course
recommended to Penny by Carol Thompson. Her description
sounded so interesting that last year Marian Way and Penny attended a
5-day introduction called
The Courage to Be presented by clown Vivian
Gladwell of Nose to Nose (
www.nosetonose.info). This is not
pie-in-the-face, circus clowning, but rather about participants
discovering and portraying their own ‘clown within’
through improvisation.
Marian
and Penny loved the clowning and they were also intrigued with how
Vivian directed, coached and facilitated people in real time while they
were on stage learning to clown. Two things resulted: Marian
decided to model Vivian’s general approach to facilitating
people to learn clowning, while Penny decided to focus on
Vivian’s real-time ‘in-the-moment
directing’. So in true Penny fashion, James was
‘persuaded’ (along with Phil Swallow) to attend a
two-day
Introduction to Clowning course. (Just for fun, take
a moment to imagine James with a red nose on!)
Apart
from observing Vivian during the course, he kindly agreed to be
interviewed (by Marian with us present) so we could get more idea of
what went on ‘behind the scenes’ in
Vivian’s mind.
As
a result, we created a prototype model of Vivian’s
‘In-the-Moment Directing’ which we adapted to
training/learning applications other than clowning — starting
with developing Symbolic Modelling skills. We have trialed
our model at two West Country Clean Language Practice Groups, and are
presenting it at The Developing Group to give the group a chance to
experience it for themselves and for us to get feedback on the model we
are creating.
To summerise the modelling process we went through involved:
- Being facilitated by Vivian and observing others being facilitated by him.
- Interviewing Vivian using Clean Language (conducted by Marian Way).
- Analysing of our memory and notes of (1), and an analysis of the transcript of (2).
- Creating a prototype model of Vivian 'directing in the moment' (in conjunction with Marian).
- Creating a prototype model for 'directing a Symbolic Modelling session in the moment'
- Testing (4) on ourselves with Carol, Marian & Phil.
- Testing (5) at two practice groups.
- Modifying models as a result of (6) and (7)
- Presenting results to the Developing Group.