Use of perception in coaching to help
managers/leaders achieve
their goals and be more perceptive
Fiona Williams
coach and mentor at inspiration365 Ltd
Oxford Brookes University
10th Annual Coaching and Mentoring Research Conference
TM
© inspiration365 Ltd
January 2014
Setting the scene
"I see nobody on the road",
said Alice.
"I only wish I had such
eyes", the King remarked
in a fretful tone. "To be
able to see Nobody! And at
that distance, too! Why,
it's as much as I can do to
see real people, by this
light."
(Carroll, Through the
Looking Glass)
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January 2014
Perception: complex, debated & unknowns
Adelson, Checker Shadow Illusion. Available from:
<http://web.mit.edu/persci/people/adelson/checkershadow_illusion.html>
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January 2014
Initial coaching themes developed
External Focus Internal Focus Perceptual
Drawing
Filters
Together
• What are we • What are we • What are our • How can we
sensing sensing
internal
draw
external
internally?
filters to
together and
events,
• What are our
perception?
action what
people,
internal
• How do we
we've learnt
environment?
thoughts,
perceive
on
• Meaning of
meaning
ourselves?
perception?
perception
making?
As underpinned by literature review
Strengthening Moving away
Emotional
Reducing
crucial skills
from grey
intelligence
perceptual
filters
e.g. listening
e.g. soft
e.g. facial
e.g. selfthinking
language
deception
(Claxton)
(Ekman)
(Bachkirova)
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January 2014
Methodology
3
Action cycles
7
Managers/leaders
(co-researchers)
42
Direct contact
hours
lots
Thematic analysis
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January 2014
There's more to perception than I thought…
• Co-researcher: "…you all know the theory of the
different senses of perceptions but I wasn't
really conscious of the signals, um, that I could
pick up on or the effect that they could have"
• Mezirow (in Fostering Critical Reflections in
Adulthood) "habits of expectation that
constitute our frame of reference"
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January 2014
Joining the dots
• Co-researcher: "…I think I feel much more
comfortable now with my preferred working
style that can be appreciated by other people
so I'm not trying to change or assume I had to
adopt certain, different behaviours. So that's
been a big shift which will be very helpful for
me in the future"
• Beliefs held which defined co-researcher’s
sense of self and acted as conditioning
perceptual filters (Bachkirova, Developmental
Coaching)
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January 2014
Flying by the seat of one’s pants
Action research was messy
(Herr and Anderson, The Action Research
Dissertation)
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January 2014
Conclusion
• Themed coaching approach helped coresearchers achieve their coaching goals /
synthesise learning and be more perceptive
• Perception: valuable coaching topic and
seemingly, in part, a mechanism for change
• Apt for all managers/leaders at all times?
(limitations/further research)
• Transferable to other coaching practices via
Perception's PrismTM
and more…
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© inspiration365 Ltd
January 2014
Perception’s PrismTM 1
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January 2014
Perception’s PrismTM 2
Perceiving stuff
1 • How do you read other
people?
• How do you take in
external info.?
Perception
theme
1 Opening
intervention
2 • Sensory inputs? Intuition?
• Picking-up body language?
• Mindfulness, meditation,
focusing
• Illusions
2 Areas to
explore
3 Filters to perception, being
perceived, self-perception
4 Some
literature
links
4 Ekman, Emotions Revealed.
Claxton, 'Beyond Cleverness:
How to be Smart Without
Thinking'. In: Henry (ed.)
Creative Management and
Development
3 Links to
other
themes
Filters to perception
1 • What assumptions are you
making?
2 • What is another
perspective of X? What
assumptions are relevant
now?
• Influencing beliefs?
Culture?
• What are clients avoiding
talking about?
3 Self-perception, perceiving
stuff, being perceived
4 Bachkirova, Developmental
Coaching
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January 2014
Perception’s PrismTM 3
Self-perception
1 • How do you describe
yourself?
• I noticed/heard/sensed
you saying…
Perception
theme
1 Opening
intervention
2 • How would someone else
see you?
• Self-perception of
emotions (emotional
competence)?
2 Areas to
explore
3 Filters to perception, being
perceived
4 Some
literature
links
4 Harter, The Construction of
the Self
3 Links to
other
themes
Being perceived
1 • How do you think other
people perceive you?
• How do you want to
influence others?
2 • Personal branding
3 Filters to perception, selfperception, perceiving stuff
(esp. other people)
4 Trichas and Schyns (2012)
'The face of leadership:
Perceiving leaders from
facial expression', The
Leadership Quarterly. Vol.
23, No. 3
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© inspiration365 Ltd
January 2014
Questions
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January 2014
Final thoughts…
• Why not explore perception and ask yourself:
how do I perceive?
• A seemingly simple question yet I wonder where
the question will take you. Feel free to let me
know…
Fiona Williams
Twitter: twitter.com/fionacoach
LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/fionawilliams
Website: www.inspiration365.org.uk
TM
© inspiration365 Ltd
January 2014