Relational Coaching Conference

Chris Edwards

Consequent to a persisting series of reported investigations and inquiries in the public domain, I believe we are witnessing an unabated contagion of abuse of power and public trust in many of our major institutions.

This workshop will explore what is needed to transform the leadership culture of these organisations: and how as coaches and supervisors we can help break down defensive barriers and promote systemic, sustainable change.
This workshop will draw from an illustrative Case Study, and then jointly explore key themes arising both from it, and from others’ experiences. Themes will include the relationships between accountability and learning, power and powerlessness, and the impact different supervisory lenses can have in promoting our own ethical practice and leadership.

James Gamgee

“There are different kinds of trust” my research participants told me. A kind of tit-for-tat trust where the coach shows up on time and does what they say they will. This seems essential to help both parties want to continue. But there is another kind. One that makes people feel it is OK to bare their souls and explore areas where they feel vulnerable to shame or embarrassment. When they do that, they get clearer about what is going on and can envision a new future. Join me on an interactive journey through my grounded theory research into trust, from the stories of my participants to the striking resonance with empirically tested theory like social exchange theory, self-determination theory and synthesised models of trust.

Jan Baptiste-Grant with Charlotte Sills and Judith Bell

We have been interested in the experiences of coaches and coachees who have worked in coaching partnerships where there is a visible difference between coach and coachee. This would usually mean a coaching pair of different racial heritages.
We conducted a questionnaire survey of coaches and coachees about their experience of working in such configurations, which focussed particularly on whether the racial differences between coach and coachee were talked about in the coaching and if so, how this affected their contributions in the coaching relationship, the impact of their work and the outcome. We then interviewed in depth a small sample of coaches and coachees about their experiences. Our participants offered rich and varied material linking their experiences as a coach or coachee and their life experiences of racialisation. Data from these interviews was analysed for themes using grounded theory techniques. Central to these narratives was the profound importance of contracting, authenticity, and building trust in the coaching relationship.

We will present initial findings from our interviews and invite our audience to consider their own experience of working with racial difference.

Andreea Nicolau

In my research, trust isn't just about the information we share but the compelling "why" behind it. In other words, trust occurs if the clients believe coaches can help them, which is “why” they are in the coaching conversation. My findings point to trust as an essential element of the coach’s perceived support that predicts coaching effectiveness. Moreover, trust can impact differently on the coaching outcomes based on how the coach perceives the client's effort in the session.

This workshop is an exciting journey into the heart of coaching dynamics! You are invited to discover what fosters trust by exploring different perspectives, unraveling how our perception of the client shapes our coaching interaction, and unearthing actionable steps to elevate our practice and better support our clients.

Liz Price

Are you ready to get uncomfortable with the stories and values you hold in your head and in your heart? Are you ready to get uncomfortable listening carefully to others’? Do you want to use your coaching skills to the best of your ability by sharing power with someone else? If so, then this is your invitation into radical hospitality.
We will explore what it means to be ‘me’ in coaching conversations. This will be a dive into exploring differences in contracting conversations, genuinely and deeply, and considering the impact that this has on our coaching relationships.
We will also look at what is an Unlearning Circle and how Liz has used it within an anti-racism context. We will apply that to an area of difference so that your own unlearning can begin and deepen.

Ann Knights & Dr Alexandra Stubbings

Many of us are bringing the natural world into our work – thank goodness! The bizarre, centuries-old separation in the West between humans and nature, between the rational and the poetic, has not served us well.

We hold the view that we are part of nature, that the Earth is animate and self-aware and that everything living is in communication with us all the time – if only we can notice and trust what they are showing us.

In this session we will draw on practices we have developed in our own deep inquiries with nature in the company of eco-philosophers, rewilders and reformed academics.

We invite you to join us in an embodied encounter with the non-human beings at Ashridge – to experiment at the edge of what you trust and is familiar, and what feels intuitive, edgy, or even risky.

This session is outdoors, so please bring appropriate clothing and footwear. We welcome all to this session, so please let us know if you would like some support with getting out and moving outdoors.

Maria Gray

How can we support our clients in building their self-trust, so that their self-doubt serves as a platform for learning and growth?

We will explore the protective side of self-doubt, its positive purpose and the role it plays in creative reflection. We will engage the collective wisdom in the room to inquire into ways of evolving the protector into a trusted advisor, leading to self-trust, and the development of robust and resilient internal resources.

Rachel May

Imposterism has become a hot topic – the sense of not belonging, or feeling unworthy of a role or opportunity. Rather than trying to ‘solve’ or ‘overcome’ imposterism, is it time to think about this experience differently ? I have been researching how top coaches think about the topic with clients, and the creative approaches they use.

Based on my findings, this interactive workshop will explore how our own relationship to imposterism shapes our approach with clients. imposterism will be viewed from personality, transition or social perspectives, reframing it as a positive spur for learning and change. I will also discuss strategies and assumptions about imposterism held by coaches working in different traditions, and the importance of coach flexibility in response to a client’s framing of their imposter experience.

María Cañete

Our two PM keynotes will run the same workshop in parallel. Participants may choose to attend the workshop hosted by whichever speaker compels them.

We expect people to actively engage in reflection and discussion (as per the group-analytic approach), based on the keynote talk, which will provide delegates with plenty of food for thought. Members will have opportunities to make their own links and bring their own experiences, regarding the process of fostering trust and confidence in oneself and others, whilst bearing personal and professional development in mind. We aim to create a safe, confidential space for members to feel free enough to firstly, reflect on the themes and learning points of the keynote lecture, and secondly, to consider the relevance of interpersonal and group-attachment experiences for the study of their personal and professional development, particularly the process of building trust and confidence in their work with clients.

Arturo Ezquerro

Our two PM keynotes will run the same workshop in parallel. Participants may choose to attend the workshop hosted by whichever speaker compels them.

We expect people to actively engage in reflection and discussion (as per the group-analytic approach), based on the keynote talk, which will provide delegates with plenty of food for thought. Members will have opportunities to make their own links and bring their own experiences, regarding the process of fostering trust and confidence in oneself and others, whilst bearing personal and professional development in mind. We aim to create a safe, confidential space for members to feel free enough to firstly, reflect on the themes and learning points of the keynote lecture, and secondly, to consider the relevance of interpersonal and group-attachment experiences for the study of their personal and professional development, particularly the process of building trust and confidence in their work with clients.

Robin Shohet

The Indian scriptures, the Upanishads, say where there is another there is fear. If I believe that I am only a separate individual, separated from you and all that is, then I will want to protect this separated self from you and apparently dangerous others, thereby reinforcing the separation. We buttress up our separate identities with roles, qualifications, courses, but might there be a nagging feeling underneath that perhaps something is not quite right?

Might we be like Emperors, donning the clothes of our separate identities? From this perspective we would feel imposters, regardless of our impeccable ethics and credentials. This puts the idea of building trust into another paradigm; a willingness to surrender a belief in separateness to a presence that will guide us to what needs to happen.

Glen Stewart

A circus artist is willing to risk life and limb to do their job. They must trust that their equipment is manufactured correctly, that the rigging lines that they are hanging from have been installed properly and that their own body and mind won’t let them down when the pressure goes on. Most of all they need to trust their colleagues can be relied upon.

The National Centre for Circus Arts will be running a practical workshop where you will discover if your mind and body are trustworthy when the pressure goes on. Can you trust yourself and colleagues to complete the task and do their job correctly to affect your ability to be successful?

In this fun workshop, you will play with some basic physical tasks that require trust, communication and coordination with a partner or group of people. You will literally be leaning on others, build your confidence and learning to juggle your life without feeling overwhelmed.