Ontological Coaching
Summary:
In recent years coaching, in the form of Organizational Coaching and Life Coaching, has emerged as a professional practice.
The long- term public acceptance and commercial viability of any professional practice means that it must be grounded in a substantive discipline and rigorous methodology, which produces positive results for people.
The emergence of the discipline Ontology of the Human Observer provides the substantive basis for an ontological approach to coaching.
The discipline represents a new understanding of human beings and human interaction.
In this summary, the essence of the methodological framework of Ontological Coaching will be outlined.
According to Peter Senge, in The Fifth Discipline, "Real learning gets to the heart of what it means to be human.
Ontological Coaching is an approach to coaching that gets to the heart of what it means to be human.
The word "ontology" means study of being.
Ontological Coaching is about coaching a way of being, as a means of producing major shifts in perception and behavior.
In Ontological Coaching, way of being is regarded as the driving influence of behavior.
Performance and effectiveness is shaped by our way of being.
Way of being …three interrelated spheres of human existence.
- Language
- Emotions
- Physiology (Body Posture & Body Language)
Our way of being can be thought of as the internal reality we live in, and specifically includes the relationship we have with ourselves.
It is from this internal reality that we form our reality about the external world and how we participate in it.
The coaching methodology contains a set of tools for observing and shifting way of being.
These can be divided into the three "tool kits" of language, emotions and body.
The methodology is based on a new understanding of language and communication developed in the latter part of the twentieth century.
The essence of this new understanding is that language consists of listening into someone’s speaking and speaking into someone’s listening. That is accomplished by connecting to the emotion someone is speaking from.
There are times when someone shares a story we cannot relate to because it has never happened to us personally. However, if you listen for the sadness, shame, fear, anger or happiness we can connect to the feeling they are speaking from. When we do that a safe environment and trust is created and we are experience deeper human connection.
Language is fundamental in creating reality. It is important that we learn to make a clear distinction between concepts of reality versus an experience of reality.
Language is regarded as the foundation of human technology.
Language is used to produce outcomes and generate realities.
People act (behave) from their perception of reality.
Effective leadership, management, coaching, and team behavior depends heavily on how people use language.
What is done, and how well it is done, is shaped by how people do or do not use language.
Included in the methodology is a new interpretation and detailed model of the process of listening.
Listening is an ever-present part of human interaction in the workplace.
The model provides a deeper and more effective way of listening that enhances communication and relationships.
Listening is regarded as the crucial factor in communication and essential for establishing trust and rapport.
The methodology contains six precise linguistic tools (called basic linguistic acts) that humans use in everyday conversations to create reality and get things done.
Typically, people are not aware of how they use or, misuse, these linguistic tools.
The methodology provides distinctions for recognizing different types of conversations and how to utilize them in different circumstances.
Stories and narratives are often silent, invisible and in the background of everyday conversations.
Moods and emotions permeate everything people do, and constitute a core business process.
They are an integral part of the effective use of language for effective communication in leadership, management, coaching, and team building.
In summary, they form a crucial dimension of morale and organizational performance.
Recognizing and utilizing SIX basic moods of life as a deeper level of emotional intelligence, and how they impact our morale and performance.
This would seem to be an unlikely area of attention in the context of organizational performance and improvement.
In many subtle and powerful ways, body posture can keep people trapped in negative moods, and negatively impact on listening and speaking.
The essence of this framework is that, whilst ontological coaches are able to generate powerful interpretations from which people can benefit, the coach does not hold "the truth" about what is best, and always works within a linguistic, emotional and body space of "the legitimate other".
This occurs when there is deep personal respect for the coachee and appreciation for what they are committed to learning. The coachee will continually grant the coach permission for what the coach may suggest as the next level of conversation.
Ontological Coaching cost for services: Parenting, Personal, or Business
30-minute suitability session: Free
Three-month agreement
(9) Sessions $1,350
Six-month service agreement
(20) Sessions $2,650
Nine-month service agreement
(34) Sessions $4,350
Twelve-month service agreement
(46) Sessions $5,750
