The Mindful Coach, 2nd, New and Revised Edition
Seven Roles for Facilitating Leader Development

Praise for The Mindful Coach

?Success in business is predicated on eliciting the best from people. The Mindful Coach clearly articulates the essentials of how to do this. As someone who believes deeply in the potential of all people, I found Silsbee?s approach both practical and profound. This is a must-read for everyone concerned with people and learning.?
?ARTHUR M. BLANK, philanthropist; cofounder, The Home Depot; and owner and CEO, Atlanta Falcons

?The Mindful Coach is not just another coaching model. It is a frame of reference for anyone involved in developing people. This highly readable book should serve as a reference for anyone genuinely concerned about helping others. It has had a significant impact on the way I approach coaching and developing others.?
?JAMES N. BASSETT, M.Ed., employee development, Institute of Nuclear Power Operations

?The Mindful Coach digs deeply, offering a lens and structure for understanding the intimate and necessary connection between relationships and human development. No other skill set, knowledge, or awareness is more important to educators, leaders, and managers than what is presented in this precious volume.?
?ROBERT C. PIANTA, Ph.D., dean, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia

?This revised edition provides the structure for presence, through which new solutions become available. This book itself is a practice in the art of ?becoming,? while providing a clear action framework for powerfully engaging others with their own development. Silsbee has provided a gift to leaders, teachers, and coaches!?
?CONNIE MALTBIE-SHULAS, manager, V-22 Training Systems, Boeing

?This book has broad appeal not only for coaches, but also for managers, executives, and consultants. Leaders of all kinds can benefit from Silsbee?s clear and caring process for bringing out the best in people. This is a must-read book for anyone who wants to jump-start themselves and others on their journey to their potential.?
?DIANA WHITNEY, Ph.D., author, The Power of Appreciative Inquiry

?This is the guide for leaders committed to helping others learn. The seven roles will help any leader facilitate more meaningful development conversations. This new edition engaged me instantly, with immediate applications in key relationships.?
?DARELYN ?DJ? MITSCH, MCC, president, The Pyramid Resource Group; former president, The International Coach Federation

Exercises, Practices, Exhibits, and Figures ix

Foreword xiii

Preface to the New and Revised Edition xv

 Introduction: What Is Coaching? 1

A Working Definition of Coaching 4

Distinguishing Coaching from Other Aspects of Professional Relationships 6

Contexts for Coaching: Four Dynamics 9

Introduction Summary 14

1 The Being of Coaching: Mindful Service 17

Placing Oneself in Service 18

Mindfulness and Self-Awareness 19

Mindfulness and the Three Levels of Experience 23

Attachments and Aversions 25

Conditioning and Habits That Block Mindfulness 30

Coaching Habits 33

Chapter Summary 41

2 Cultivating Mindfulness 43

Self-Observation 44

Practices for Cultivating Mindfulness 48

Coach as Learner 54

Accountability in Service 55

Chapter Summary 56

3 The Seven Voices of the Coach 57

Learning the Voices 58

The Individual Roles or Voices 60

The Voices and Their Aspects 64

Placing the Voices in Context 64

Chapter Summary 72

4 The Master 73

Maintaining Self-Awareness 76

Listening with Focus and Presence 78

Modeling Learning and Growth 79

Embracing the Client with Compassion and Respect 82

Choosing Which of the Operational Voices to Use at a Given Time 84

The Mindful Master 86

Chapter Summary 89

5 The Partner 91

Establishing and Honoring an Explicit Structure for the Coaching Relationship 93

Advocating Shared Commitment to Competency-Based Coaching Outcomes 98

Offering Choice Points and Making Joint Decisions About the Coaching Process 103

The Mindful Partner 107

Chapter Summary 110

6 The Investigator 113

Asking Questions That Shift the Client’s Understanding of the Situation 116

Helping the Client to Articulate Desired Outcomes 120

Asking the Client to Generate Courses of Action 122

The Mindful Investigator 126

Chapter Summary 130

7 The Reflector 131

Providing Direct and Honest Feedback 133

Directing the Client’s Attention Toward His or Her Capabilities and Potential 137

Encouraging Self-Observation and Reflection 141

The Mindful Reflector 143

Chapter Summary 147

8 The Teacher 149

Providing New Distinctions, Information, and Knowledge 151

Challenging and Stimulating the Client’s Thinking Process 154

Explaining the Coaching Process, Theory, and Models Being Used 159

The Mindful Teacher 162

Chapter Summary 165

9 The Guide 167

Encouraging the Client to Take Some Action of the Client’s Choosing 170

Offering Options for Action 172

Recommending Specific Courses of Action 175

The Mindful Guide 178

Chapter Summary 181

10 The Contractor 183

Establishing Clear Agreements About Actions 186

Exploring and Resolving Client Doubts and Hesitations 190

Following Up with the Client About Agreed-On Actions 193

The Mindful Contractor 196

Chapter Summary 199

 11 Self-Development Strategies for the Coach 201

Self-Assessment Tools 202

Self-Observation as a Coach 205

Navigating the Model 210

Learning from Your Reflection 216

Reviewing Audio Recordings 217

Obtaining and Listening to Client Feedback 218

Planning Your Own Development 221

Chapter Summary 223

Epilogue: Coaching as a Journey Toward Mastery 225

About Fluidity and Intuition 227

Practice as Path 229

Selected Reading 235

Notes 239

Acknowledgments 245

The Author 249

Index 251

Doug Silsbee is a thought leader in the field of presence-based leadership development, coaching, and resilience. He coaches, teaches, and writes in Asheville, North Carolina. A master teacher, Silsbee has worked with leaders on five continents, taught top executives from corporations, nonprofits, and government, and is a frequent speaker at major conferences. He is a Master Somatic Coach with Strozzi Institute and the author of Presence-Based Coaching from Jossey-Bass.

Silsbee is an outdoor adventurer, grandfather, and owner of a carbon-neutral retreat center on 63 acres in the North Carolina mountains, where he offers courses in his groundbreaking approaches. He can be reached at http://dougsilsbee.com or ds@dougsilsbee.com.