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As an academic coach as well as a supervisor of academic coaches, I am often struck by the ever-changing nature of coaching work. This is not a unique situation in a modern workplace characterized by rapid and unpredictable shifts, where many jobs require workers to be flexible and willing to learn new things regularly. But I find that effective coaching demands an exceptionally high level of adaptability and openness to change.
Multiple factors result in the need for coaches to be flexible in their approaches and continually learning, including:
- the person-facing and person-first nature of the work
- the wide variety, and rate of change, of student needs and situations
- the rethinking of curricula and requirements
- the ongoing restructuring of higher ed institutions
A recent article in Inside Higher Ed highlights a lit review of coaching studies that finds "success coaching can improve student persistence—but only when institutions invest in training and supporting the coaches themselves." Papers cited in the lit review (published by the International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education) support the value of ongoing professional development. For example, a study by Atad & Grant in 2020 indicates that training builds developmental skills in both new coaches as well as experienced ones, and a study by Erdös et al in 2020 emphasizes how coach self-awareness and training affect coach-coachee relationships, and subsequently, the effectiveness of the work.
Professional development is a part of the package that drives success for students engaging in coaching. How can you make it a part of your work, your team, and your institution?
- Build mutual evaluating and peer learning into your workflow through periodic mutual observations, intentional reflections during staff meetings, and/or rotating mini-lessons from team members.
- Invite both new coaches and experienced practitioners to advance their practice through a training or certification process.
- Talk with other stakeholders at your institution about the value of offering coaching training to faculty and staff outside of the coaching team, in order to expand the culture of coaching.
- Recognize that by engaging in ongoing learning, coaches are modeling what they hope to promote in their coachees.
LifeBound stands ready to resource you as you support ongoing training that, in turn, drives the overriding goal — student success in college and beyond.
Explore which course is right for you at www.lifebound.com.
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