Behavioral Change Process in Coaching Relationship

S Mukherjee International Journal of Coaching in Organizations 2008

Numerous books and articles are being published on the topic of coaching. These writings are based on practical experiences of coaches, research or studies conducted by individuals or organizations associated with coaching profession, or by coaches while promoting specific coaching practices. While coaching theories and practices borrow heavily on concepts and techniques from counseling and psychotherapy, it is critically important to realize the premise of coaching in behavioral terms. There is also a need for coaches to understand the coaching process in the context of the underlying concepts of behavioral change process, which ultimately will help the coaches to increase the effectiveness in many coaching situations. This article endeavors to examine certain concepts in the behavioral sciences that have direct relevance in the coaching process and also to illustrate why an understanding of these concepts is important for all coaches, irrespective of their niche areas of coaching or their academic or professional backgrounds.