Being present is the magic ingredient in all coaching conversations, and mindfulness practice can further develop it. In fact, there are so many overlaps that it’s sometimes hard to distinguish between the two concepts, says Roland Spencer, associate lecturer at the Sheffield Business School
Anyone actively and passionately involved with coaching and mentoring will have read about the continuing ascendancy of mindfulness and associated techniques used by practitioners. I am intrigued by this phenomenon, and it raises a question in my mind: in a client conversation, is there any significant difference between ‘being present’ and ‘being mindful’?
In order for any coaching conversation to be valuable to the client we have to ‘be present’, ‘be in the moment’ or ‘be aware’ of what is happening around us and between us. Hall (2013) defines this as the magic ingredient in coaching. It is making sure that the coach/mentor is truly focused on the need of the client in order to ensure there is a shared sense of active community, openness and engagement.
Siegel (2010) suggests that “the way in which we are grounded in ourselves, open to others and participate fully in the life of the mind are important aspects of our presence at the heart of relationships that help others grow”.
He goes on to say that “presence (being present) is a learnable skill”.
Hall expands by suggesting mindfulness practice further develops this multifaceted skill.
The Oxford Dictionary defines mindfulness as “the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something. A mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment”. Mikulas (2011) gives us further food for thought by proposing that there are a number of different types of approaches to mindfulness:
- as a system of beliefs
- as a deliberate process or set of behaviours
- as a cognitive phenomenon
- as a habitual predisposition toward experience.
Cavanagh and Spence (2013) offer us a different perspective by observing that mindfulness literature does not distinguish nor differentiate itself adequately enough from the current working definitions of being present.
Findings from an MSc student study suggest that mindfulness is not so much about being present throughout the conversation, but more to do with how the coach/mentor prepares him/herself into the next session so that they can be present and client-focused from the start.
So who feels the benefit more from some form of mind and body preparation – client or coach/mentor?
Passmore and Marianetti (2007) suggest that training in mindfulness can help coaches/mentors in the following ways:
- Preparing for a client conversation
- Maintaining focus during the session
- Remaining emotionally detached
- Teaching mindfulness to clients.
With the exception of the last point, isn’t this essentially the same as what we understand as being present?
The data from the dissertation came from professional online forums and concluded that mindfulness was of far more value to the coach/mentor than the client. Selfish, you might say, but surely professionals that operate in high-speed, high-tensile situations need to recharge themselves emotionally and physically if they are to give themselves to the next conversation?
Mindfulness certainly has a number of positive attributes. It invites people to look at themselves, helps to generate action and it builds where once there was destruction. It is a proven and
well-perfected technique and therefore should be recognised as a useful addition to the coaching and mentoring toolkit.
Is mindfulness the same as being present in the coaching /mentoring conversation? Reading and research suggest that any observed differences are minimal. However, research does suggest that the use of mindfulness techniques by the coach/mentor tends to be during preparation of the next client conversation.
One final challenge from Cavanagh (2006): “How well are we preparing ourselves and our clients to face those challenges and respond in intentional, thoughtful and creative ways?”
Mindfulness vs being present? The debate continues.
Roland Spencer holds an MSc in Coaching and Mentoring and Marketing Management, from Sheffield Hallam University. He is an active member of the Coaching and Mentoring Research Unit.
References
M J Cavanagh, ‘Coaching from a systemic perspective’ in D R Stober and A M Grant, Evidence Based Coaching Handbook, Hoboken, NJ: Wiley & Sons, 2006
M J Cavanagh and G B Spence, ‘Mindfulness in coaching: philosophy, psychology or just a useful skill’, in The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of The Psychology of Coaching and Mentoring, Chichester: Wiley & Sons, 2013
L Hall, Mindful Coaching: How Mindfulness Can Transform Coaching Practice, London:Kogan Page, 2013
W L Mikulas, ‘Mindfulness: significant common confusions’, in Mindfulness, 2, pp1-7, 2011
J Passmore and O Marianetti, ‘The role of mindfulness in coaching’, in The Coaching Psychologist, 3, 3, pp131-7, 2007
D J Siegel, Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation, New York: Bantam Books, 2010