Worldwide Coaching Magazine January 2017 by Ton de Graaf

Worldwide Coaching Magazine January 2017

In-depth Knowledge, Outspoken Opinions

Diversity How to Encourage Companies to Really Embrace It

Diversity Worldwide Coaching Magazine: In-depth Knowledge, Outspoken Opinions

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief: Ton de Graaf, Chartered Business Coach™ Write a Letter to the Editor

Art design: Milk & Cookies

Illustrations: Maaike Maas

Lay-out: Studio Maaiemui

Magazine Publishing:

The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect. It means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognising our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual.

Coaching is more than a set of tools and techniques. To be a successful coach you need a highly refined combination of advanced knowledge, technical skill, intuition, self-awareness, and business and entrepreneurial acumen. Our mission is to promote the powerful and positive impact executive, business and life coaches are having by educating and inspiring the coach and client community worldwide. We offer an inside view on the methods, techniques and theoretical underpinnings that put coaching at the forefront of best practices for achieving deep structural change in people’s lives.

In this edition we try to find an answer, and offer suggestions, to the question of how to encourage companies to really embrace diversity. We also take a closer look at our role as coaches. What can we do to embrace diversity? Is it our role to celebrate diversity or should we celebrate ‘sameness’, as Leon Vanderpol suggests? “Diversity management is getting to be a crowded field…but sameness awareness is our blue ocean”. I hope this edition offers you some food for thought and helps you think about what kind of world you would like to live in, and how you can help promote it. Enjoy!

Cheers, Ton de Graaf, Chartered Business Coach™ Publisher and Editor-in-Chief 2

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In this edition: The “Cs” of Diversity By Leanne Hoagland-Smith

The State of the Industry By Magdalena Mook

100 Coaches Project By Marshall Goldsmith

Tool Kit: Diversify Yourself – Three Ideas To Try By Lyn Christian

Let’s Celebrate Sameness! By Leon VanderPol

The Heart of Diversity By Grant Soosalu

Using the Diversity Awareness Ladder in Coaching By Prof. David Clutterbuck

Why Embrace Diversity? By Claire Lyell

The “Cs” of Diversity By Leanne Hoagland-Smith

In business and in life there are two “Cs.” The first “C” is at “Sea Level” where we can’t see the forest for the trees. However by climbing up the mountain to the 30,000 foot peak, we can “see” not only the forest, but also the surrounding rivers, fields and villages. 4

Diversity allows us that second “See Level” advantage. However if we insulate ourselves only at “Sea Level” because we are too busy working IN the business and not working ON the business we may lose incredible opportunities. Then the question is how does one leave the day to day “Sea Level” operations to be better able to embrace diversity? Maybe the starting point is expanding one’s definition of diversity. The Latin origin of this word is from “divertere” meaning to turn aside. When we turn aside our existing beliefs and actions, we can potentially create new and hopefully better results. Unfortunately, the word diversity has become very narrow in its scope. The emphasis, at least here in the US, is mostly on race and not on different ways of thinking, of doing things differently. In some cases, diversity has restricted critical thinking because of “group think” and political correctness. Einstein is quoted as “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again hoping for different results.” Today with the high velocity of change, organisations that want to stay ahead of the flow, to stay competitive must to look turning their heads aside and being aware of new opportunities unless they enjoy “hoping for different results.”

For all organisations to leverage the opportunity within this word of diversity begins with executive leadership. Are these leaders open to turning aside existing practices and are willing to sincerely listen to new ideas? Now some in executive leadership roles may actually believe they are diverse in their thinking. And yet, when examining their culture that being the sum total of existing beliefs, expectations and experiences held by all current and past employees, an entirely different story may emerge.

To help those in leadership begin to be more diverse, here are eight statements within key business areas as defined by Baldrige that help to reveal what is limiting diversity in any organisation. These statements have been taken from the D.I.A.L.O.G. (Mini-Version as published by Resource Associates Corp. and used with permission.) 6

#1 – Business Results: I feel as though I have personal responsibility toward this organisation achieving business results. #2 – Customers and Market Focus: I am personally aware of what our customers think about our products and/or services. #3 – Human Resource Focus: Very seldom do we hear of one department within the organisation pointing the finger of blame at another. #4 – Measurement Analysis and Knowledge Management: Everyone is kept informed with data to show how well the organisation is performing financially. #5 – Leadership: Senior management understands the importance of employee morale and motivation in satisfying customer expectations. #6 – Process Management: All departments work together to get the job done and to keep the work flowing. #7 – Strategic Planning: I have written goals and objectives which support the organisation’s overall objectives. #8 – Sustainability: While our organisation has taken some actions to generate environmental awareness, no real objectives around sustainability have been communicated.

The D.I.AL.O.G. (Data Indicating ALignment of Organizational Goals) cultural/organisational assessment allows employees to rank each statement from 1 to 10 with 1 being not good and 10 being outstanding. Results are tabulated and executive leadership can quickly get to “See Level.” One of my favourite quotes is by Marcel Proust who I believe understood diversity when he wrote “The true voyage of discovery is not seeking new landscape, but seeing with new eyes.” Diversity is truly about seeing the same landscape by moving up the mountain and seeing what was not seen before.

By trailblazing through conventional learning and business practices, heurist, writer and speaker Leanne Hoagland-Smith quickly demonstrates through ACE© how to advance people (talent) and operations (management) to that next generation of revenue growth for individuals and SMBs. She seeks forward thinkers who are stuck in the current status quo and want to stay ahead of the flow. Call her at 219.508.2859 CST or visit www.processspecalist.com to learn more. 8

Special offer by Leanne Hoagland-Smith for readers of the Worldwide Coaching Magazine! People are the greatest asset of any organisation. When they understand what they can do, how they do what they do and why they do what they do, they can become much greater contributors to organisational success. Until February 28, 2017, take this opportunity to better understand yourself or your people. Experience all three (3) assessments in just one assessment for the investment of $77 USD plus any applicable taxes and includes a complimentary 30 minute coaching call. Contact sales@processspecalist.com or call 219.508.2859 CST USA.

The Attribute Index is a revolutionary way to measure 78 key organisational talents.

The DISC Index reveals the how of human performance through the work of Dr. William Marston.

The Values Index is a powerful assessment to understand what drives, motivates and inspires an individual.

More info: http://processspecialist.com/talent-assessment.htm 9

The State of the Industry Key Takeaways from the 2016 ICF Global Coaching Study By Magdalena Mook CEO and Executive Director, International Coach Federation

In 2016, ICF commissioned its third global coaching study, conducted in partnership with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. The 2016 ICF Global Coaching Study is the most extensive and ambitious industry research project to date, providing an updated picture of the coaching professional worldwide. 10

As more individuals and organisations realise the effectiveness of coaching in achieving their goals, the coaching profession itself continues to thrive in many ways. The International Coach Federation (ICF) has been on the forefront of the industry for more than two decades, committing itself to understanding how coaches work and how coaching ultimately impacts individuals, businesses, relationships and overall quality of life. In 2016, ICF commissioned its third global coaching study, conducted in partnership with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. The 2016 ICF Global Coaching Study is the most extensive and ambitious industry research project to date, providing an updated picture of the coaching professional worldwide. The study captures detail from more than 15,000 professional coach practitioners and managers and leaders who use coaching skills, contributing valuable insights into a growing population on the coaching continuum.

Size and Scope of the Coaching Profession ICF commissioned the first global study of coaching in 2006 to determine a baseline understanding of the coaching profession. As a follow-up, ICF released its second study in 2012 to measure the growth of the industry worldwide and to determine major opportunities and obstacles that coaches face. In this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s far-reaching study, a key objective was to determine the size and scope of the coaching industry on a global level, including responses from individuals from 137 countries, while also gathering information about the profession in specific regions. The 2016 ICF Global Coaching Study finds the coaching profession is growing at a rapid pace throughout the world, and the size of the market and overall revenues from coaching display an upward trend. According to data from the study, it is estimated that there are about 53,300 professional coach practitioners worldwide; Western Europe (35%) accounts for the largest share, followed by North America (33%). Among coaches with active clients (90%), average annual revenue from coaching alone equals $51,000.00 USD, and by combining the average annual income generated by coach practitioners with the number of coaches with active clients, the estimated global total revenue from coaching in 2015 was $2.356 billion USD, a 19% increase from the 2011 estimate found in the 2012 ICF Global Coaching Study.

The substantial growth shown in revenue demonstrates that the coaching profession continues to create opportunities for individuals around the world to flourish in this deeply impactful industry. Growth of Coaching Cultures Within Businesses and Organisations ICF understands that the binary view of coaching, which focuses solely on traditional coaching engagements, is no longer sufficient or effective to measure the industry. The broad scope of the 2016 ICF Global Coaching Study represents the growing number of individuals and organisations that apply coaching skills and approaches outside of the context of traditional coaching engagements.

To that end, this study portrays the â&#x20AC;&#x153;coaching continuumâ&#x20AC;? for the first time. The coaching continuum accounts for a wider range of modalities in which coaching approaches and competencies may be applied. On one side are managers and leaders who apply coaching skills and approaches in the workplace. On the other end are trained, professional coach practitioners. Among survey respondents, 16% self-identify as managers/leaders who use coaching skills. Of these, 54% describe themselves as managers and leaders within their organisations, while the remaining 46% said they use coaching skills in their roles as human resource or talent development managers. As a complement to internal and external coach practitioners, organisations are leveraging managers and leaders within the organisation to provide a strong coaching culture. With almost three in four (73%) having received accredited or approved coach-specific training, and more than one in four holding an ICF Credential, the expectation exists for these individuals to be highly qualified in applying coaching skills. Understanding Future Trends In addition to reflecting on and providing insights into the growth of coaching within businesses and organisations, the 2016 ICF Global Coaching Study showcased the biggest opportunities and obstacles for coaching over the next 12 months.

The main concern expressed by surveyed coach practitioners (44%) and managers and leaders using coaching skills (45%) includes untrained individuals who label themselves coaches, followed by marketplace confusion (28% and 32% respectively).

On the other end, both groups listed the increased awareness of the benefits of coaching as the greatest opportunity for coaching in the next 12 months (38% and 35% respectively), a notion that makes perfect sense as the coaching industry continues to develop rapidly. In addition to opportunities and obstacles, coach practitioners (51%) and managers and leaders using coaching skills (49%) believe to a large extent that coaching will be able to influence social change in the next year, which is a significant finding given todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s need for positive influence on cultural norms.

To learn more about the 2016 ICF Global Coaching Study or to purchase the final report, please visit coachfederation.org/2016study

Magdalena Mook is CEO and executive director of the

International Coach Federation (ICF). She previously held positions with the Council of State Governments. She is a trained coach and a frequent speaker on subjects of coaching and leadership. Mook received M.S. in Economics and International Trade from the Warsaw School of Economics, Poland. She also graduated from the Copenhagen Business Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Advanced Program in International Management and Consulting. You can contact Magda here: magda.mook@coachfederation.org

Greetings from Rancho Santa Fe! Our 100 Coaches 'pay it forward' project has officially started! In December 2016, one of the great leaders of our time, former CEO of Ford Alan Mulally, and I spent two extraordinary days with our first 25 Coaches. They were chosen from over 12,000 applicants! The response to thisÂ 'Pay It Forward' - mentoring program produced such an incredibly positive reaction that I have expanded the program to include 100 Coaches from around the world! I am currently working on the selection of the next 25 coaches and will make the announcement in the next month or two. There are so many wonderful and talented applicants it is not an easy process! While I'm working on the selection of the next group of coaches, I'll stay in touch with updates about the program and also share with you my latest articles, books, and blogs. This week I'm inviting everyone to check out my latest LinkedIn blog and comment with ideas and suggestions about how pretending to be an expert when you are a leader can be disastrous! I'm looking forward to hearing from you on LinkedIn! Life is good. Marshall For more updates and the list of the first 25 coaches, please visit MarshallGoldsmith.com.

Toolkit An in-depth opinion about a gadget, device, strategy, etc. suggested as support for coaches to do their work even better. By - Lyn Christian MCC, CFCC, CCmBIT Coach

Diversify Yourself – Three Ideas To Try As Coaches, how well do we appreciate and value differences? I found this article to be a quick and fun read on the topic. It offers a few ideas of how to “up” one’s diversity game. I hope you find the Coaching Questions and Diversity Check-List useful:

CHECK OUT COACHING CULTURAL AWARENESS CHECKLIST.

Probably one of the best things a Leader can do to make their business a success is to diversify how they lead. I like to challenge Leaders to diversify WHO gets to speak up, speak out and lead within certain aspects of their businesses. To this end, let’s point you toward Inc. Magazine’s list of 8 Things Exceptional Bosses Constantly Tell Their Employees to see why I issue such challenges:

READ THIS ARTICLE ON INC.

Here’s a coaching challenge I’d love to extend you: Many of us are passionate about the work we do. Fewer of us are as passionate about the topic of Law and Ethics. Sometimes this leaves coaches living in an “Echo Chamber” of knowledge reading only what is of interest. So the challenge is to diversify what you learn this year. Here’s a good place to brush-up regarding related Ethics and Law. In fact, this year’s Toolkit will include a tool, guide or strategy related to this very topic each month, so stay tuned!

BRUSH UP ON ICF CODE OF ETHICS HERE.

Lyn Christian has been called a “woman of courage”

and “the coach’s coach.” She holds a degree in education from Brigham Young University, Master Coach Certification from the International Coach Federation, and coaching certificates from Franklin Covey and Marshall Goldsmith’s elite executive coach training. Lyn also is a CCmBIT coach. She is the founder of SoulSalt and can be reached here: lyn@soulsalt.com

BE FOCUSED TO LIVE A SUCCESSFUL LIFE Research shows that we over estimate how quickly we can do tasks. It also tells us that our brain can indeed only focus on one thing at a time. Yet, how many of us go about our day, even our week without fully grasping the gravity of these two statements? Everyday conversation includes chatter about how busy we are. But the deeper question in my mind is this: Is it really our goal to be busy or would it feel better to simply know that we are being productive? SoulSalt developed a course that will help you do just that! How can a course help you be more productive? Keep reading!

Pricing The Basic Membership: In her coaching practice, Lyn Christian helps people ‘BE FOCUSED’ and if you were to do this one on one you could get the training for $2500 or you can register for the BE FOCUSED course and get the same training for only $597. PLUS, because we believe in Worldwide Coaching Magazine's mission, you can save

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The VIP Membership: If you want to have special access to Lyn, you can register for the VIP Be Focused program, which gives you everything of the basic membership, PLUS:

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Let’s Celebrate Sameness! By Leon VanderPol

Many years ago, after graduating from university, I strapped a backpack to my back and set off for a year of travel ‘round the world. As you can imagine, I came back in awe of the wondrous and diverse world we live in. Naturally, we want to celebrate that diversity, and acknowledge how all cultures and people contribute to the tapestry of life. However, the biggest insight I brought home from my travels— so great it underpins the work I do today—was not the recognition of what makes us different, it was the recognition of what makes us the same. 23

I admit, when I read about diversity management initiatives in organisations I don’t get excited. One reason is, and let’s be honest here, for most organisations diversity management is a strategic business move. The architects of the programs are aware that a high-performing, effective workplace is based on mutual acceptance and trust, where all employees are recognised and valued, and where differences in talent, background, and thus ways of thinking can be leveraged to support achievement of the organisation’s goals. It’s more of an obligatory nod to diversity than a genuine celebration. The other reason I don’t get excited is because diversity programs focus on “what makes us different” and rarely, if at all, on “what makes us the same.” In my humble opinion, any attempt to bring the spectrum of humanity closer together would far better serve our collective integration if more attention was given to exploring what we all have in common. I am not advocating for a homogenised workforce, but to encourage people to view each other less at the surface level of differences, and to start viewing each other at the deeper level of our common humanity.

What do we all share? What are the underlying needs that we all have? How do we recognise the essence of another person? How do we connect at our deepest level, the ground of being we all share? The ultimate aim of diversity management is to bring us into better relation with each other by recognising and valorising what makes us different. And I understand the necessity and benefit for organisations in doing so. It’s just that it’s not the only means for bringing people closer together, and possibly not even the most effective, because what makes us different is surface level stuff. The color of our skin is surface level stuff. Our age difference is surface level stuff. Our sex or sexual orientation is surface level stuff. Since what we focus on grows, when we focus on differences, even if the intention is to value and celebrate those differences, it strengthens the thought that “we are different.” As a result, diversity management programs function to maintain the image that “we are different” in our minds. Of course this does not mean we should end diversity management programs, but it does mean we can acknowledge this inherent limitation and consider a way to move beyond it.

What if that way lies in learning to see past the surface level stuff that makes us different into a deeper reality? What would happen if we shifted the lens to focus on celebrating what we share as human beings, right down to our most essential level? Well, I’m happy to tell you: the barriers of perception that maintain the belief that “we are different” would dissolve slowly in the light of this truth: in essence, we are the same. If we could create a workforce (or a world) in which that perceptual truth prevailed in our minds and hearts…well yes, that potential gets me excited. It is a truly powerful means for integrating a workforce, nurturing effective relationships, for resolving conflicts, and is the basis for a genuine celebration of our differences.

Unfortunately, I haven’t heard of any “Sameness Management” programs popping up, or the rally cry, “Let’s celebrate what makes us the same!” I’m going to advocate for this though, and encourage organisational leaders to consider including “sameness awareness” in diversity management programs. And coaches can play a valuable role in the development of this, because coaching has the potential to strip away the layers of mind which keep people locked into certain attitudes and perceptions so that greater truths can be revealed. Diversity management is getting to be a crowded field…but sameness awareness is our blue ocean. Let’s dive in and make it happen!

Leon VanderPol is the founder of the Center for Transformational Coaching.

He is the creator of the Deep Coaching Intensive coach training program, a personal and professional development program designed to help coaches and holistic practitioners have the depth of skill needed to support people through periods of inner transformation and awakening. Visit him at www.centerfortransformationalcoaching.com to learn more about this life-changing program. Visit the Center to download your free report: How to Make a Living As a Transformational Coach— 12 Key Considerations as You Build Your Practice

The Heart of Diversity By Grant Soosalu

In this current article I’d like to explore the application of mBIT to the subject of diversity and how we can begin to honour and value the difference in us all. In previous WCM articles I’ve shared ideas and insights from mBIT (multiple Brain Integration Techniques) Coaching and how Neuroscience has now uncovered that we have complex, adaptive and functional neural intelligences, or ‘brains’, in both the heart and gut regions. 29

I’ve also described how we can work with and coach these brains to help align them and guide your Clients to tap into their innate intuitive wisdom. All of which is detailed in our books, ‘mBraining – Using your multiple brains to do cool stuff ’ and ‘The mBIT Coaching Workbook and Facilitators Guides’, which are in effect the text books for the new field of mBIT Coaching, and in which you can find numerous examples, case studies and step by step instructions for the mBIT Techniques. (see www.mbraining.com). You can also read our new book, 'Coaching Wisdom' which brings together all the mBIT articles previously published in WCM along with some additional new material.

Valuing Difference We have three key neural intelligences or ‘brains’ in our bodies, one in our head, one in our heart and one in our gut. And neural networks are, by their very nature, patterning systems. They look for patterns in their environment and then attempt to hold those patterns constant. If they didn’t do that, they wouldn’t be patterning systems, instead they’d be chaotic. But brains ARE patterning systems. So they form patterns and habits, preferences and tendencies. And when you have three brains, you naturally end up with habitual and preferred ways of using those brains. Indeed, in research conducted over the last 2 years in collaboration with my colleague, Assoc. Prof. Susan Henwood, we have found that we can measure a person’s head, heart and gut brain preference in decision-making. We’ve developed and psychometrically validated an instrument for determining patterns of brain preference and started utilising this in coaching and leadership practice. We’ve found for example, that some people have a strong preference for using their Head brain followed by their Heart brain. Others prefer to focus on their Gut intelligence in conjunction with their Head. And others habitually use their Heart followed by their Gut brain. Of course, all of the combinations of the three brains are possible, producing a wide diversity in the way people make decisions and orient to their world. 31

As a simple example to bring this to life, I’m sure we’ve all known someone who is ‘all heart’, the person who always leads with their heart-based emotions, who focuses primarily (either positively or negatively) on connecting with others, or on dreams, values and their hearts-desires. We say that people like this are ‘people people’ and they often ‘wear their hearts on their sleeves’. Their lives, decisions and actions are always heartfelt. On the other hand, I’m sure you know someone who is ‘superlogical’, who lives through logic, through always over-thinking, through language and through their head brain. Such people are often very dissociated from their emotions and from their heart, and also disconnected from their gut-based intuitions. If it isn’t logical, then they just won’t do it. Then there’s the gutsy people, the ones connected with their visceral feelings of deep gut intuition. They take action and think about it later. They’re gung-ho. Logic isn’t their strong point, and often neither are the sensitive emotions of love and compassion. They are the action heroes. They have no fear. Their motto is ‘no pain, no gain!’ While the above descriptions are characterisations, and very few people fit those descriptions in all contexts of life, they nevertheless resound, because we’ve all met people who fit the moulds and patterns we’ve just described.

And these strong differences create diversity in teams and in organisations. Each person has their own strengths and habitual patterns and tends not to value the opposite of how they do their own preferences. People with head-based preferences tend to see heartbased people as not being sufficiently logical and instead perceive them as being overly emotional. Gut preference people on the other hand, equally shun head and heartbased people because they don’t seem to take gutsy intuitive action quickly enough. I’m sure you get the idea. People value people who are like themselves and who have similar strengths and preferences. However organisational research shows that strengths overused can become a weakness. And when we don’t embrace diversity and appreciate the differing strengths in others we can end up with groupthink. There’s also now a strong, robust and growing body of research in leadership decision making, backed up by our own action research with mBIT, which shows that the wisest, most effective decisions are made when all three brains or intelligences are used together. Decisions made purely off the logic of the head brain miss out on important emotional and intuitive aspects that the heart and gut bring to the table. Equally, decisions made purely emotionally or intuitively are strengthened by data and logic. This is why it’s so important to value and honour diversity. We want our teams and the decisions they make to be made from a wide and diverse mix of multiple-brain preferences.

We want our decisions to be negotiated and formed using the strengths of heart, head and gut-based individuals; each honouring and respecting the skills and strengths of the other. Wisdom comes from multiple perspectives and multiple distinctions. And diversity is the key to embodying this in our organisations, our teams and our lives. The Compassionate Heart Each of the brains (head, heart and gut) also has a ‘Highest Expression’ – a competency that is the most adaptive, ecological and integrative. For the heart it is Compassion. When people operate from wise compassion, they connect with and care for others. The research shows that compassion is a key driver of organisational and personal success. It leads to increases in innovation and creativity. It builds resilience in teams and in the mindbody system. It makes a profound difference. Compassion also supports diversity. When you align your decisions and actions through the lens of compassion you embody an attitude of CARE – you Connect, Appreciate, Respect and Empathise with others. In other words, you value people regardless of how different they are to you. And this is the operating strategy for diversity. It starts with a sense of compassion in the heart and a desire to truly care for others. From this place you honour each human’s individual differences and appreciate them for who they truly are. You recognise that through difference, working together, we are all stronger. Compassion is the glue that binds true wisdom.

From our modelling work on multiple brain integration (mBIT) we have found that the majority of peoplesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (and organisationsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;) issues arise from how they are using or not using their multiple brains. Issues and problems appear to be largely due to a lack of appropriate utilisation and integration of the three brains (head, heart and gut neural intelligences misaligned, missing or fighting each other) or an inappropriate use or sequence in how the neural networks are used to generate the issue.

As the field of mBIT Coaching has shown, when people are aligned at the head, heart and gut levels, are operating from a place of calm Autonomic balance, and are living through the Highest Expressions of their multiple brains (Compassion for the Heart, Creativity in the Head, and Courage in the Gut) then an emergence of wisdom occurs. This allows teams to embrace and value diversity. And working together, in a way that brings to the table every individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strengths in brain preference, a higher level of decision-making begins to emerge that leads to transformational change in the team and their ultimate impact on the world.

The mBIT Call to Action Ultimately, the field of mBIT is about systemic transformation; about creating a world that is worth living in. And to do this we need to work together and honour and value diversity in wiser and more generative ways. With the methodology of mBIT we can easily coach, educate and facilitate people across the planet, individually and collectively to live more compassionately, more creatively and much more courageously. From this way of being, of highest expression, we can all begin to live wiser lives. Lives that are filled with an appreciation and valuing of our natural diversity and difference. For more information, free articles and mp3â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, please visit www.mbraining.com And for even more in-depth details about mBIT Coaching, check out our new books (Both available at amazon.com):

You can also read about the application of NLP, Positive Psychology and mBIT in: ‘Avoiding the Enemies to HAPPINESS’ at http://www.ae2h.com

Grant Soosalu (M.App.Sc., B.Sc.(Hons), Grad. Dip. Psych, NLP Master Practitioner, Certified Master Behavioral Modeler)

Grant Soosalu is an international leadership consultant, trainer and writer with backgrounds and expertise in Leadership, Coaching, Psychology, NLP, Behavioral Modeling and Applied Physics. Grant can be reached at grantsoosalu@gmail.com For more information, free articles, whitepapers, interviews, exercises and mp3’s, please visit www.mbraining.com To purchase a copy of the book mBraining, please visit amazon.com 37

Using the Diversity Awareness Ladder in Coaching By Prof. Dr. David Clutterbuck

The principle behind the diversity awareness ladder is that, when we avoid talking to someone we see as different, there is still an internal conversation taking place, mostly unconsciously. 39

Like so many tools and techniques in coaching, the diversity awareness ladder comes from the world of mentoring. Now widely used in diversity training, the ladder was created in the mid-1990s to support large scale diversity management programmes in the UK National Health Service and other, mainly public sector organisations, including the police. In the police forces of Northern England, I and colleagues identified through interviews that a barrier to the career advancement of minorities and women lay in the nature of the conversations they had with more senior colleagues. Part of the problem was that political correctness had created a climate of fear, such that to avoid criticism or even discipline for saying something that a female or minority colleague might object to, managers and leaders tended to limit conversations with these colleagues to transactional matters. Other research has shown that the more people try to be politically correct in what they say, the more stilted the conversations they have with people, who they see as different from themselves and the more the other person feels patronised. A particular issue was quality of feedback â&#x20AC;&#x201C; people seen as different received less feedback and the performance feedback they did receive was more muted and therefore less impactful.

We see these same issues being played out – often unawares – between line managers acting as coaches, professional coaches supporting clients and even in coach supervision. Our desire not to offend makes us cautious in what we do and don’t say. Research into coaching and mentoring of people with disability or of different racial background found that coaches and mentors often either over-emphasised the difference (for example, ascribing too much of what was happening to the client to racial prejudice by others) or avoiding it altogether (like the mentor, who never once in a 12-month relationship alluded to the fact that the other person was in a wheelchair). Both extremes have the effect of making the client feel undervalued and uncomfortable. The principle behind the diversity awareness ladder is that, even we avoid talking to someone we see as different, there is still an internal conversation taking place, mostly unconsciously. To give a personal example, quite a few years ago, I was at an HR conference, with a large exhibition attached to it. In a prominent place within the exhibition was a stand for a publisher for the LGTB community. I made a mental note to talk to them about a mentoring project I had learned about in the US, involving professional people, who were also gay. I had walked through the hall several times before I realised I was about to do so again without stopping at this stand – indeed, I had unconsciously chosen routes that would not bring me immediately past it. 41

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when I asked myself what was the inner conversation I was having, that was influencing my behaviour. I quickly understood that my internal voice was telling me that if I were seen on that stand, other people might make assumptions about my own sexuality. And that was enough to make me walk straight up there and have the conversation I had planned. The more aware we are of our inner conversations about difference, the easier it is to change those conversations. And that gives us greater choices about the conversations we have with those people or groups. The diversity awareness ladder helps us understand both the conversations we have and those that we could have, if we have the courage. Defining where we are on the ladder gives us a starting point for addressing the assumptions and concerns that prevent us having fully open conversations that genuinely value difference.

The five rungs of the ladder are: Fear – characterised by low self-awareness and low awareness of others. At its extreme, the fear stage becomes bigotry – the deliberate avoidance of examining one’s own beliefs and perspectives, for fear of undermining them. Having the inner conversation is essential in moving people on, allowing them to confront and understand their fears. The outer conversation is a stepping stone to doing so, but equally the inner conversation may stimulate more productive outer conversations. Wariness – when the individual is sufficiently self-aware and aware of others to recognise that their fears are irrational, but lacks the confidence to be truly open with people, who they perceive as different. At this stage, for example, managers are often reluctant to give clear and open feedback to black or opposite gender direct reports, because they are overly concerned not to offend, or worried that they will be accused of bias. This isn’t helpful for the team or the direct report. Tolerance – people, who express tolerance of other groups, often can’t let go of their own feelings of superiority. Tolerance involves no attempt to understand issues and events from the other person’s perspective. It assumes that the tolerant person is right and the other person is misguided, sinful, or in some other way less worthy. Acceptance – involves an understanding that the other person’s perspectives are valid, well-intentioned and reasonable, in their own context. Acceptance creates the possibility of working together in a truly collegiate manner, with differences put aside as simply part of the wallpaper. Appreciation – takes the relationship and the conversation into the realms of mutual learning. The very fact of difference becomes a valuable opportunity to explore new perspectives and ideas, to test assumptions and to create a new, more powerful sense of reality. Difference becomes a driver of change, selfawareness and the creation of a wider, healthier and inclusive community.

Stage

The inner conversa0on

The outer conversa0on

1. Fear

What do I fear from this person? What do we have in common? What do I fear learning about myself? What concerns do you have about me What might I be avoiding admi;ng to and my inten>ons? myself?

2. Wariness

What if I say the wrong thing? Is their expecta>on of me nega>ve and/or stereotyped? How open and honest can I be with them?

How can we be more open with each other? How can we recognise and manage behaviours that make each other feel uncomfortable/ unvalued?

3. Tolerance

What judgements am I making about this person and on what basis? What boundaries am I seeking/ applying in dealing with this person?

How can we exist/ work together without fric>on? How can we take blame out of our conversa>ons?

4. Acceptance

Can I accept this person for who they are? Can I accept and work with the validity of their perspec>ve, even if it’s diﬀerent from mine?

What values do you hold? How do you apply them?  How can we make our collabora>on ac>ve and purposeful?

5. Apprecia>on

What can I learn from this person? How could knowing them make a beNer/ more accomplished person?

What can we learn from each other? How will we learn from each other?

Using the Ladder with a client: Key steps in using the Ladder with a client are: 1. Helping the client recognise their instinctive, often unconscious assumptions about groups of “others” (how they categorise a group may vary considerably). Simple ways to do this include recalling times when they have had (or avoided) conversations with people from that group. How did they feel? What inner conversation was going on for them? 2. Recognising the benefits of adopting a different inner conversation, which might lead them to a different conversation with people from that group. 3. Helping them gradually replace the existing internal and external conversations with new, more inclusive conversations that show greater appreciation of difference 4. Helping them embed these new conversations – and the new ways of thinking that underlie them – into their day to day responses to other people. 5. Helping them develop and implement strategies for gradually shifting up the ladder, by creating opportunities to engage in conversation with people from these groups.

Using the Ladder for our own development Our conversations with clients will be much more credible, if we can empathise, by virtue of our own relevant experiences. We may or may not choose to share these with the client, but they can inform how we establish context â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and the perceptiveness of our questions. Within supervision, I have found it helpful sometimes to review with a coach the complex interfaces between the internal and external conversations of the client, the coach, and the diverse third parties, who the client encounters. A frequent lesson is how easy it is to reinforce each othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; assumptions that trap us into the lower levels of the Ladder. This is particularly problematic when the coach and the client perceive themselves as similar and third parties as different. Unconscious collusion limits how deeply we can examine and question the nature of our interactions with those different others. In all these processes, the critical quality required is curiosity. The more curious we are about our own instincts and behaviours, the easier it is to be curious about those of other people. With greater understanding of our own internal and external conversations and the choices that we make, the easier it becomes to exercise different choices that allow us to learn more about ourselves, as we learn more about different others. 46

Also important is self-honesty. I find the following cascade of questions helpful: • What internal and external conversations do I actually have with this group/ this person? • What is the level of conversation I would have, if I had the courage to do so? • What level of conversation can I aspire to? • What would have to change within me to make that a reality? • Where do my boundaries lie?

The last question is particularly interesting, because it is legitimate in some circumstances to choose not to aspire to climb all the rungs of the Ladder in respect of a particular group. For example, where people maintain and behave in accordance with a set of values incompatible with basic human virtues – for example, someone, who is strongly psychopathic. Here, we may elect to understand better, by engaging with them, but would probably not want to move beyond the level of tolerance. Tackling this issue in coaching and supervision sessions often has the beneficial effect that the client can establish clearer boundaries, within which they will manage the relationship, and is therefore able to develop more powerful strategies to protect themselves and others against the malign influence.

Professor David Clutterbuck is a leading international

authority on leadership and developmental dialogue. David is visiting professor at the Mentoring and Coaching Research Group, Sheffield Hallam University (MCRG), at the coaching and mentoring faculty of Oxford Brookes University, and at York St John University.

Blogsite: davidclutterbuck.wordpress.com E-mail: david@davidclutterbuckpartnership.com Website: www.davidclutterbuckpartnership.com

Why Embrace Diversity? How to Encourage Companies to do so? How Can We Play a Role?

By Claire Lyell

Diversity and Inclusion are “key functions” in most large corporates today, but not necessarily because the C-suite feels it is really crucial, either strategically or morally. Rather, there is a legal obligation, in most cases, to fill quotas of hiring a range of non-traditional employees, and, at the risk of fines or worse if they do not conform, the companies go ahead and make attempts to recruit, typically, the barest minimum of these groups, whether they be disabled, older, of another sexual orientation, gender or whatever, 48 compared to the company’s norms.

While this approach allows organisations to obey the law, and gives some opportunity of jobs to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;minoritiesâ&#x20AC;?, it does nothing to further their cause or the socio/professional progress. This has been known for a long time, but it does no harm to repeat it, as it is an aspect of business today that is still very far indeed from being optimal. What so many organisations fail to understand is the success and competitiveness benefits that employing a diverse range of people may confer. These include: Greater Adaptability Companies employing a diverse workforce tend to find a greater variety of solutions to challenges in service, sourcing, and allocation of resources. Employees from diverse backgrounds bring their own, individual talents and experiences, both in life and work, and thus generate ideas that are supremely flexible in adapting to fluctuating markets and customer demands. Broader Service Potential A diverse collection of skills and experiences (such as languages, cultural understanding) permits a company to provide service to customers on a global basis, and with subtle understanding of difference, which, in turn, creates an opportunity for customised, and thus more appreciated, service.

A Range of Viewpoints A diverse workforce that feels comfortable communicating varying, and potentially conflicting, points of view creates a larger pool of ideas and experiences. The organisation can draw from that pool to meet business strategy needs and the needs of customers more effectively. More Effective Execution Companies that encourage diversity in the workplace inspire all of their employees to perform to their highest ability. Strategies can then be executed company wide, leading to higher productivity, profit, and return on investment. A Warmer, Safer Environment Employees who feel that they are truly being heard and taken into account will genuinely feel more at ease and comfortable in their workplace, and thus experience increased motivation to show up every day and give of their best. Higher morale does indeed lead to increased employee engagement, which, it is now proven, drives profitability.

Typical resistance shown by individuals or indeed whole organisations, to the embracing of diversity include: “it’s just philanthropy” - which fails, completely, to recognise the strategic value of diversity “it’s about selling to the poor” - as evidenced by advertising with very deliberately chosen characters from minority groups. And yet, this fails to recognise at all the value of employing such people, incorporating them into the workforce and their supply chains. “it’s only for large companies, who can afford to take the risk” this is just not true, as many smaller companies have found, when they have taken the plunge. It involves creating new business models, such as for Pupa in Brazil, and Envirofit in Kenya. “we will have to create something new” - and yet, history is showing that more scale and sustainability are achieved by employees working internally to change the way business is done. “it’s impossible to make a profit this way” - whereas there are numerous examples of companies that take the step increasing their short and long term profitability. Research also indicates that shareholders perceive a value in sustainable/inclusive business practices, and thus we get rises in stock prices. It is not always easy to achieve, but it is feasible! “this is a tradeoff I cannot afford to make” - it might feel more comfortable to stick with the current focus on growth, but we observe that sustainable ecosystems, in which the company is contributing to an improvement in the market’s conditions, do indeed generate both economic and social returns.

“it cannot be measured” - there are definitely methodologies to address this issue, and while they may not be perfect, they allow us to push aside this excuse. “I don’t know where to start” - you remember the old saying, “a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step”?!? How can we encourage companies, teams, and individuals to create, nurture and support workplace diversity? Firstly, as a general principle, we can encourage our clients, bosses, family and friends to be more enquiring in this area. There are very frequent, thought provoking publications on the subject, and once they see that diversity may be a new key to success, perhaps they will feel motivated? HR leaders recommend the following five strategies for workplace diversity and success: Mentor and Shape the Talent Pool Encouraging the current leadership team to appreciate the value of a diverse workforce is a great start, but the magic comes when formal mentoring programmes identify and nurture high-potential employees, from a pool that includes, as far as possible, a range of diverse cultures, values, races, genders, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs. Thus, the leadership team of the future will be able to influence the current leadership team to develop approaches that enhance employee engagement and loyalty.

Expose high-po’s to diverse business situations According to several studies, diverse teams tend to be more creative, more solution-productive, and significantly more adept at ‘thinking outside the box.’ However, diverse teams can be more difficult to manage, requiring greater flexibility and cultural sensitivity on the part of leaders. Allowing the hi-po’s to experience a vast array of business situations not only challenges their own beliefs, but encourages them to consider what employees need to feel welcome and valued. Make working arrangements flexible Flexible work arrangements address our profound sense of fairness as human beings. Practices such as flexible timetables, part-time schedules, a compressed work week, telecommuting, and job sharing give employees the choice of how they can accomplish the work they are hired to do and care for family members or nurture their talents in other ways. When this is done well, the business benefits multiply – because the employee who feels personally and professionally fulfilled is a productive employee. Provide opportunities for international career Diversity is about not only the range of career opportunities offered within a single country but also the chance to develop an international career involving living and working in multiple countries. Not only will views be challenged, but it may well be a life-changing experience that can be used later to broaden horizons generally and lead to solutions never previously considered. 53

Empower to address strategic business challenges Conflict is normal when working with diverse teams, especially when values get in the way of the goal. HR leaders should provide the team with the tools necessary to resolve any issues themselves. All should be helped to learn to understand other members’ conflict styles and thus to understand and develop the use of more effective styles. As coaches, and leadership experts, how can we intervene to ensure that we are supporting both the leaders and the protagonists in their efforts to embrace and use diversity? Firstly, we can be role models Even if we are “outside advisors”, it’s important to lead by example. This is not just about the quotas. Inclusion is about being open to perspectives different from your own and realising that everyone’s voice is important. As a coach, you can set a good example by valuing each individual’s opinions, perhaps highlighting where culture may be playing a role, and making everyone feel comfortable sharing their points of view. Support individuals and groups We can encourage our client companies to create and encourage support networks for people from different groups, and ensure we motivate our own individual or team clients to make good use of these, as a complement to whatever other work we are doing with them. Advocate for employees to be given access to coaching equitably When considering access to professional development opportunities and training, the leaders of a company, over which we have some influence as coach or consultant, could be encouraged to be fair and open in their choice of allocating resources. Ensuring that those who tend to be less demonstrative gain the same benefits as those who are more noisy in their 54 demands.

Educate clients about diversity and inclusion While our role as coaches may not be to teach, we can certainly encourage our clients in acquiring knowledge of cross-cultural communication and learning to understand how business traditions differ from one culture to another. Indeed, there is a good chance that some of the problems our clients bring to us will be linked to cultural differences, and thus lead to solutions focused in increased understanding and inclusiveness. Nudge our clients to motivate their employees to act inclusively If we have any sway with the leadership team, this may just be natural, but even via coaching one individual member, it may become obvious that a solution to some issues might be that the client consider incorporating inclusive behaviour in performance evaluations Avoid our own biases Again, as coaches, we should be aware of such problems, but it can be difficult to avoid common pitfalls when interacting with clients from certain “groups”, and allowing ourselves limiting beliefs about such “groups” will keep our client from fully realising his or her, or indeed the team’s intellectual capital. Reverse Mentoring As valued advisors, we can suggest an inverted approach to mentoring, in which the younger employees feel valued and older members gain a new and fresh perspective.

Overall, we coaches truly do have the chance to influence how much individuals and organisations work with and make good use of diversity. Especially in these times of frightening closing of borders, and inwardlooking populations, increasing the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to include and respect everyone, is, I am pretty sure, a valuable contribution to make, and I, for one, am delighted to be making this happen, one coaching conversation at a time!

Claire Lyell grew up in a multi-lingual, multi-national setting, acquiring a number of cultural layers along the way.Â Her career has included blue chips and startups, CEO and consultancy roles, across 17 countries, 4 continents and 8 languages. Claire founded Culture PearlÂ in 2011, combining her passion for writing with her business experience. She has a particular passion for working with coaches! She can be reached at culturepearl@me.com 56

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Ton de Graaf is one of the very few executive coaches in the world who is designated by the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches as a Chartered Business Coach™ (ChBC™). He is the owner of Quest Coaching Netherlands and the publisher and editor-in-chief of the Worldwide Coaching Magazine. He coaches and inspires the next generation of international corporate leaders across the globe. He can be reached here: editor@worldwidecoachingmagazine.com or visit: www.tondegraaf.com

Leon VanderPol is the founder of the Center for Transformational Coaching.

Julia von Flotow is an executive coach, mindfulness instructor, executive coach and founder of the Kaizen Leadership Institute, Toronto, Canada.

Her 12 step program to becoming an authentic and mindful leader has helped hundreds of independent professionals and business owners live happier lives and build more sustainable businesses. More info: www.kaizenleadershipinstitute.com or E-mail Julia

Lyn Christian

has been called a “woman of courage” and “the coach’s coach.” She holds a degree in education from Brigham Young University, Master Coach Certification from the International Coach Federation, and coaching certificates from Franklin Covey and Marshall Goldsmith’s elite executive coach training. Lyn also is a CCmBIT coach. She is the founder of SoulSalt and can be reached here: lyn@soulsalt.com

Professor David Clutterbuck is a leading international authority on leadership and developmental dialogue. David is visiting professor at the Mentoring and Coaching Research Group, Sheffield Hallam University (MCRG), at the coaching and mentoring faculty of Oxford Brookes University, and at York St John University. Blogsite: davidclutterbuck.wordpress.com E-mail: david@davidclutterbuckpartnership.com Website: www.davidclutterbuckpartnership.com

Grant Soosalu

(M.App.Sc., B.Sc.(Hons), Grad. Dip. Psych, NLP Master Practitioner, Certified Master Behavioral Modeler) Grant Soosalu is an international leadership consultant, trainer and writer with backgrounds and expertise in Leadership, Coaching, Psychology, NLP, Behavioral Modeling and Applied Physics. More info: http://www.mbraining.com Grant can be reached at grantsoosalu@gmail.com

Claire Lyell grew up in a multi-lingual, multi-national setting, acquiring a number of cultural layers along the way. Her career has included blue chips and startups, CEO and consultancy roles, across 17 countries, 4 continents and 8 languages. Claire founded Culture Pearl in 2011, combining her passion for writing with her business experience. She has a particular passion for working with coaches! She can be reached at culturepearl@me.com

Patricia Wheeler is Managing Partner of The Levin Group, a global

leadership advisory firm. With more than 25 years of coaching and consulting experience, she works with leaders around the world who must innovate and deliver exceptional business results within an environment of rapid change and increasing complexity. She is a contributor to Best Practices in Organizational Development, the AMA Handbook of Leadership and Coaching For Leadership: Third Edition. You can contact Patricia here: patricia@thelevingroup.com 59