Presence-Based Coaching offers coaches a hands-on resource for developing the capacities and skills needed to be reliably present in all situations, and shows how to let go of habitual—and often ineffective—ways of responding. As author and leadership expert Doug Silsbee explains, once a coach has mastered the inner moves of directing their own attention, they can work to develop the same capability in their clients. The ability of a coach to facilitate lasting, sustainable development in leaders rests on the presence a coach offers to the coach-client relationship.
Table of Contents:
Exercises, Practices, Exhibits, and Figures ix
Foreword xi
Acknowledgments xv
The Author xvii
Introduction 1
Core Assertions 3
How to Use This Book 4
My Promise 6
Reading as Experience 7
Part One Presence, Self-Generation, and the Role of Coaching 11
1 Presence 15
Presence Demystified 16
So, What is Presence? 19
Implications of Presence 22
Presence and the Products of Coaching 25
Challenges to Presence 28
Chapter Summary 34
2 How Humans Change: Conditioning, Identity, and Self-Generation 37
Conditioning 38
Identity 43
Becoming Self-Generative 49
How Coaching Supports Self-Generation and Sustainable Change 57
Living in Self-Generation 63
Chapter Summary 66
3 Coach as Development Partner 69
Performance Versus Developmental Coaching 70
Principles of Developmental Coaching 73
Three Integrated Structures for Development 75
Presence-Based Coaching: Foundations into Methodology 77
Chapter Summary 92
Part Two Inner Moves for Presence-Based Coaching 93
4 Orienting 95
A Coaching Model 97
Your Client 100
Purpose 105
Coaching Outcomes 108
Expanded Contexts 109
Chapter Summary 113
5 Holding 115
The Relational Field 116
Silence and Possibility 122
Chapter Summary 127
Part Three Generative Practices for Presence in Mind, Body, and Heart 129
6 Mind 133
Building the Observer 135
What ’s to Observe? 137
Working with Habits 140
Designing Self-Observations 142
Engaging in Self-Observation 145
Coaching Implications 147
Chapter Summary 148
7 Body 151
Assertions of Somatic Literacy 153
Centering 155
Building Somatic Awareness 157
Somatic Self-Observation 159
Working with Urges 161
Body Practices 161
Coaching Implications 164
Chapter Summary 165
8 Heart 167
Developing Compassion for Self and Others 169
Experiencing the Heart 171
Deciding Through the Heart 173
Gratitude 174
Connecting Through the Heart 175
Longing 177
Coaching Implications 179
Chapter Summary 180
Part Four Relational Moves for Presence-Based Coaching 181
9 Coach for Self-Observation and Realization 185
Reflect 186
Invite Internal Awareness 189
Focus the Field 193
Challenge Identity 198
Chapter Summary 201
10 Coach for Reorganization 203
Shift Perspective 204
Reorganize Around Center 208
Build Competency in Self-Regulation 212
Mobilize Commitment 216
Chapter Summary 218
11 Coach for Stabilization 221
Design Fieldwork 222
Work Jointly 237
Create New “Facts on the Ground” 239
Chapter Summary 241
12 Milestones: Entry, Continuation, Completion 243
Entry 244
Continuation 254
Completion, and Beginning 260
Chapter Summary 266
Coda 267
Appendix A: Table of Moves and Practices 271
Appendix B: Purpose Exercise 275
Appendix C: Annotated Bibliography 277
Appendix D: Web-Based Resources 285
Notes 287
Index 293
About the Author :
The Author
DOUG SILSBEE is a leader in the field of presence-based leadership development. He is an executive coach, retreat leader, speaker, and author based in Asheville, North Carolina. In addition, he is an adjunct faculty member at the Federal Executive Institute, a Master Somatic Coach with Strozzi Institute, and an affiliate of the Pyramid Resource Group. He is also the author of The Mindful Coach and can be contacted at http://dougsilsbee.com.
