What Solution-Focused Coaches Do

What Do Solution-Focused Coaches Do? An Empirical Test of an Operationalization of Solution-Focused Coach Behaviors

by Coert Visser

In an attempt to operationalize solution-focused coaching a web-based survey was administered which was filled in by 128 solution-focused coaches. To assess how solution-focused each respondent was, respondents were first asked to mention their number of years of experience with the solution-focused approach, and then how intensively they use the solution-focused approach. Then they were presented with list of 28 descriptions of coach behaviors, 14 of which were intended to describe solution-focused coach behaviors and 14 of which were intended to describe behaviors solution-focused coaches avoid. The question was: How frequently do you, as a coach, behave as follows? All but one of the items intended to describe solution-focused coach behaviors indeed correlated positively with the length of experience and with the intensity of use. All but two of the items intended to describe behaviors solution-focused coaches avoid indeed correlated negatively with the length of experience and with the intensity of use. Both the 14 solution-focused coach behaviors and the 14 non-solution-focused coach behaviors could be used to form reliable measuring scales. Read full article ...

Testing the Association between Solution-Focused Coaching and Client Perceived Coaching Outcomes

Visser, C.F. (2011). Testing the Association between Solution-Focused Coaching and Client Perceived Coaching Outcomes. InterAction 3 (2), 9-27

This paper describes a survey study into the association between SF behaviours of coaches and clients perceived coaching outcomes. A web-based survey was administered with 200 clients of coaches. The survey consisted of a list of 28 coach behaviours, 14 of which were SF behaviours and 14 of which were behaviours SF coaches would avoid. Clients were also asked to describe on several dimensions how effective the coaching had been. SF coach behaviours were strongly positively associated with positive coaching outcomes. Non-SF coach behaviours were moderately negatively associated with positive coaching behaviours. A multiple regression analysis was done, which gave insight into which specific coach behaviours were predictive of coaching success. The paper closes with some reflections on the implications of this study and with suggestions for followup research.

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