The Completely Revised Handbook of Coaching: A Developmental Approach (Jossey-bass Business and Management)

When the first edition of this book came out in 1999, the coaching profession was in its infancy. Now, a dozen years later, we're somewhere near the tween years. The field has grown, there are more practitioners (both good and less good), and coaching concepts and practices have spread throughout the private, government and nonprofit sectors, not just in the U.S. but worldwide. But we have a lot of room to grow. To achieve that, we coaches need intelligent, research-based books that show the path toward excellence in what we do. The completely revised "Handbook of Coaching" does just this. It really bears little resemblance to original volume, except perhaps in spirit. Whereas the original guide focused primarily on making practitioners aware of resources (appropriate for a field just starting out), Pam McLean's new version focuses on synthesis and challenge to excellence. Where does coaching come from? What research supports it? What does it have in common with other fields like positive psychology, adult learning, change theory, and organizational behavior? What major thinkers have influenced it? And most of all -- what works, and why? If two strengths of the coaching profession are passion and a willingness to experiment, two weaknesses of our field have been a flexible approach toward quality, and an unchallenged belief that a little bit of training is enough to get your career going. McLean's book challenges these weakness, by laying the skills that coaches need to keep developing and, in particular, how coaches need to manage themselves and attend to their ongoing learning. One special benefit of the book are detailed descriptions of frameworks and synopses of different approaches toward coaching. As soon as I got my copy, I dove in and read cover to cover but I know that will was just the first of many reads. The Handbook of Coaching will be on my shelf for many years to come.

As an effective coach, our mission is to help clients to "CHANGE" by using various "inside out or outside in" tools and process,it's all about client's focus. I was awakened after I joined Pam's latest speech titled " Building capacity as a coach" based her newly revised book "The handbook of coaching", this is exactly what I am looking for to advance my coaching competence. Beyond coaching methodology, the author build up a coaching model "working alliance" and significantly link coach to clients, it highlights coach's self-awareness is as significant as client's. Author highlights 3 key critical and effective strategies for coaching,these requires coach's self awareness. - Moving toward ( Connecting, Caring) - Moving away ( detachment, silence) - Moving against ( challenging, observing) Finally entering the core of this book on "self-as-coach : self awareness model", there are 6 dimensions, - Presence, - Empathetic Stance, - Range of feeling, - Boundary awareness, - Somatic awareness, - Courage to challenge. These are very essential and critical elements that we are coaches need to manage before coaching process. This is the right book that I will keep on my desk as "the handbook of coaching".

As an executive coach working primarily with lawyers (a deep and challenging market!), I am always on the lookout for works that demonstrate solid intellectual underpinnings, a logical approach to helping clients and their organizataions create the change they want and need in their lives, a clear structure that lays the proper groundwork for change, and a learning tool that helps me be "bigger and better" in this still emerging field. (The Self As Coach segments are truly invaluable.) Dr. McLean's new work does all of that for me and I feel like I have read absolutely everything there is to offer. It is a zero tolerance approach to excellence in coaching laid out in a step by step process and an amazing review of the work of those upon whose shoulders modern coaching stands! I know that its intellectual depth will help my clients - all avid researchers at heart - see that the change they want (and need) can (and will) happen if together we are committed to following this well-structured approach (with a proven ROI) to adult learning and change.

This book is a superb addition to my library of coaching books. The original handbook was an excellent source for coaching topics and related research; however, the revised version incorporates some more novel coaching approaches. For example, such coaching experts as Richard Maurer, Doug Silsbee, and Mary Beth O'Neill and their contribution to the coaching profession - be it dealing client resistance, leveraging presence, or a signature presence with executives - are incorporated in this excellent tome. Knowing the history of coaching, the disciplines that coaching is based on, and more novel approaches are all weaved together in a book that should be on every coach's shelf.

This book is quickly becoming my go-to book on all things coaching. It is comprehensive, well-organized and well-written. McLean lays out the key concepts for coaching as well as key skills for coach development ("self as coach"). She also discusses key theories and concepts in topics including change, resistance and human development. The book also lays out the Hudson Institute coaching methodology for coaching engagements and provides a useful framework for any coach, Hudson trained or otherwise. This book is an excellent resource for newer coaches wanting a go-to guide, non coaches looking to bring a coaching perspective into their work and experienced coaches on their own road to mastery.

This overview is superb. Very good history of development of coaching, theoretical bases, and current situation. The Hudson methodology is clearly described and is practically applicable.