Barnabas File

  We have reflected on how learning and research from adjacent fields of study have impacted the core theory and methodology of coaching and the growing awareness of inclusivity and relationships in the application of coaching.  Now we turn to what I will term the emerging frontiers of coaching.     These topics are growing areas of interest among practitioners—the impact of artificial intelligence, the recognition that neurodiversity requires focused attention, and the role of faith-based or spiritual coaching.   Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Coaching   It’s here and it is not going away.  The role of AI in coaching is both energizing and controversial.  It means different things to different people.   Using AI in one’s practice may range from assigning administrative tasks to a virtual assistant to using a programmed avatar to do intake interviews.   The integration of AI technologies (such as conversational...

While management thinker Marshall Goldsmith did not coin the phrase "egocentric to ecocentric," his coaching philosophy emphasizes this approach.     Having been exposed to   Murray Bowen’s Family Systems Theory   in my post-seminary education, I have developed a tendency to look at most situations systemically.     Although Goldsmith’s emphasis is on the critical transition from self-serving leadership to systemic, planet-first leadership, he challenges us to remember that when we coach a person, we are also coaching a person within a system—a family, a church, an organization, a nation state, a global ecosystem.    Here are three coaching areas to consider under this sub-heading:  Inclusivity & Relational Contexts, DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging), Team and Group Dynamics.   Cross-Cultural Engagement   The ability to coach effectively across diverse cultural norms, values, and worldviews is ess...

Coaching is by no means a static field.     As its impact and effectiveness have become widely recognized, both researchers and practitioners have sought to understand not only why coaching works but to leverage its strengths to provide more effective services to clients.     In so doing, coaches and coaching educators have engaged with other fields that are in themselves well-developed approaches to human functioning and development. In this post, we will look at four of these—Positive Psychology, Neuroscience, Mindfulness, and Somatic Coaching.   Positive Psychology.   The scientific study of human flourishing, strengths, and optimal functioning was launched by several psychologists, particularly Martin Seligman . The key idea in Positive Psychology is to look at people who are functioning well and learn from them rather than using pathology as the psychological base.  In coaching, it shifts the focus from fixing deficits to identifying a c...

Life coaching is a complex and evolving field of personal development.     I was recently contacted by a friend who did his coach training a decade ago.     He was considering reengaging in the field and asked about emerging topics in coaching.     This is a topic that often comes up with our coaches-in-training as well.   So, this is my top ten list.  It is not based on a survey and the areas are not necessarily new or novel, but they are prominent topics that I encounter on coaching websites, in chat rooms, and in webinars.   Positive Psychology   Neuroscience Mindfulness   Somatic coaching Cross-Cultural Engagement DEIB-- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Team and Group Dynamics—not the same Artificial Intelligence and Coaching Neurodiversity-Affirming Coaching Faith-based or Spiritual Coaching   There are other topics that surface often:  Trauma-Informed Coaching; Climate, Eco-Anxiety, and Sustainab...

Although most of my ministry was on college campuses, I also worked for a small Baptist university and then a state-wide Baptist organization.     There were differences and similarities in the two. Despite the expected comments about bureaucracy, there were many positive aspects.      A plus was that I was part of organizations made up of committed people who loved the ministry they were doing.  For the most part, they were professionals who enjoyed engaging with others.  I often took the opportunity to walk down the hall or go to another campus building, drop into an office and spend time talking with someone about what they were doing, what I was doing, and life in general.  These were organic relationships that operated outside organization charts and “chains of command.”   As a result of these experiences, my understanding and appreciation for the relationships within an organization grew.  Even when individuals ...

Many in the church today look at the current situation and remember a “golden age” of church life.     Post World War Two the pews were filled, Sunday school classes overflowed with children, budgets were growing, the community was influenced by what the churches supported, seminaries were booming, and denominational bureaucracies were expanding.      Today, church members look around at empty pews, unused classrooms, diminishing resources, and an overall lack of relevance in the community around them. This disparity provokes grief, confusion, anger, and disillusionment.   In his Doctor of Ministry project at Central Seminary pastor Jason Mack pointed out that this “golden age” was an aberration.  Noting the work of Gil Rendle in  Quietly Courageous: Leading the Church in a Changing World,   he calls this “aberrant time.”   Postwar influence drove the population to be cohesive and common values were espoused.  Re...

Did you ever dissect a frog in high school biology? The main thing I remember besides the smell of formaldehyde was a bit of guilt because the frog was dead and would never live again.     Dissecting a frog is an exercise in reductionism, seeking to understand an organism by breaking it down into its smallest, most basic components.     The opposite approach would be a holistic approach, observing the living frog in its natural environment to understand how all its parts work together.      Regenerative leadership is informed by the rhythm of life, the nature of living things  The basis of regenerative leadership is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, because the individual components interact and create entirely new properties. Systems should be viewed as wholes, rather than just as a collection of isolated parts. It is famously summarized by the phrase, "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts." Parts of a system are int...

A walk outdoors is refreshing.     Whether it is in the backyard, the neighborhood, a park, or a walking trail, being closer to God’s creation reminds us of the resilient, dynamic, and changing environment in which we live.    Although our efforts in development and industry often tend to interrupt those natural rhythms of life, they persist.   The same is true in human organizations.  Organizations—businesses, churches, not-for-profits, communities, political parties—are living systems.  However far they seem to have departed from God’s creation, they still exhibit the characteristics of living organisms.  If we recognize this, we can encourage those inherent aspects of life to make them more integrated, dynamic, and life-giving.    I was first introduced to this approach several years ago in a book by Steven Johnson entitled Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software , but more recently I was re...

Ministers tend to collect Bibles over the years.     I received a Scofield Reference Bible when I was ordained.     I collected several translations while in seminary including Greek, Greek Interlinear, a Harmony of the Gospels, and Hebrew scriptures (and rarely touched after seminary).      My Bible that has the most wear and tear is a New American Standard Version (The Open Bible Edition) that I used while serving as a campus minister on three campuses.     It is a little worse for wear these days, but I have found it illuminating to look back on the passages underlined, the notes in the margins, and the “Personal Study Notes” in the back.  There are several things there that reflect both what I was attempting to teach and what I was trying to learn.   One of the first things added was this quote from Francois de Fenelon, Archbishop of Cambrai (1651-1715):   “The right to be wrong in matters of religious belief must...

“ The best leaders don’t know just one style of leadership – they’re skilled at several and have the flexibility to switch between styles as the circumstances dictate.”—Daniel Goleman   Leadership style is a choice.  The approach the leader takes in working with their team impacts the leader, the team, and process outcomes.     Daniel Goleman is one of the foremost proponents of Emotional Intelligence, the concept of how effectively we manage our emotions and understand the emotions of others.  Of all his writings, I find his discussion of leadership types most challenging.   He suggests that there are six common leadership styles. In a recent  LinkedIn post , he revisits these styles.   Command--"Do What I Tell You"   The leader provides clear, decisive direction when it is felt essential, communicating certainty.   This style is essential in genuine crises—but overuse erodes morale and initiative.   I...

In our coach training program, we are currently conducting a survey of our students and former students to both evaluate their takeaways from training and how we can continue to support them in using their coaching skills.   One of the questions is, “What is the single most impactful concept, tool, or ‘aha moment’ you carry with you from your training?”  Here are some of the responses:   "The client owns their own choices/decisions."  “Realizing the wisdom comes from the client.” “I’m not responsible for fixing.” “Avoid being a problem solver.”   These responses show that these coaches have a keen awareness that the client is a responsible, knowledgeable, and has the potential for growth.  I often remind myself that when I engage with a new client in the coaching conversation, the individual brings these things to the table:   First, they have agency—the capacity the make their own choices.  Even in difficult situations, the client is re...