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January 18, 2007

Structure and Methodology

I've just been reading about structure in coaching/mentoring relationships.

The comment that jumped out at me was:

You know, I think [structure]'s a bit of a security blanket for me because I am a person who likes a bit of structure. And for those people who do like a bit of structure it means that we start with something.

The quote is from Julian Lippi's PhD thesis (p149 if you want to look it up).

It made me think about my own attitude to structure. I always feel a bit tentative about admitting this publicly, but I have never liked structure very much.

My absolute best work has always been done when there was no structure. When I ad lib. To put this into context, it (good work) doesn't happen without preparation. In fact it requires intense preparation. Two kinds of preparation. The first kind of preparation is around content. What do I know that might be useful in the situation I am going into - whether that be a coaching/mentoring role, a consulting role or any other activity that anticipates some sort of an outcome.

This type of preparation is absolutely necessary for good work to occur but it isn't sufficient. The second type of preparation is of myself. I have to know how I am feeling. I have to know that I am fully available for my client. I have to be present for my client.

This preparation is awful. During this phase, I go through all sorts of self doubt. I ask myself why I do this. I feel a fraud. I feel I have nothing to offer. My mind goes blank. I consider calling in sick – or making some excuse that I have been unavoidably delayed and can't make the meeting. If I am already there, I think about fainting or suddenly developing appendicitis.

When all this happens and I feel absolutely awful when I start, my client almost invariably tells me that my work was brilliant (or at least very good.)

This has been a consistent problem throughout my professional career. I look at other people and see their fantastic methodologies and wish I had a methodology as good as theirs. I wish I had great diagrams and a process. I look at other methodologies and try to adapt them to be my own. This is always a mistake. When I offer to work with my clients, I offer me — not a poor imitation of someone else.

But I have developed a methodology — or rather I have developed a description of what I do. Finally, I have something that fits me. It looks like there are distinct stages of the coaching/mentoring process/session which in one way there is. In overall my clients start by Perceiving (their current situation), Connecting (with themselves and their enduring purpose) and then Acting (or planning action, or preparing for action). While this is the theoretical form of the process they can, like in a Beethoven sonata, happen in any order.

Unlike Zoe, in Julian's story, I don't limit myself to particular interventions in particular phases of the session. Anything can happen at any time. However, like a Beethoven sonata, you can recognise a recurring theme, you can also recognise a beginning, a middle and an end — although sometimes the end is to a movement rather than the sonata itself.

Like the process itself though, I come in and out of my comfort with it. I have doubts. I have a moment's yearning for something more defined.

For better or worse though, I am who I am and bring who I am to my work.

Posted by chriscurnow at January 18, 2007 1:30 PM

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