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Trends in Coaching that Impact Inclusivity and Relational Contexts


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 essential not only in our world but in our own communities. It requires coaches to maintain cultural humility, recognize their own biases, and adapt communication styles to support clients from backgrounds different from their own.   If we are honest, every coaching relationship is a cross-cultural encounter—is anyone exactly like you?

 

How is it used in coaching?

 

  • Coaches can learn to identify their own cultural assumptions and biases to avoid making unexamined inferences about clients. We can also tailor our questions, direct communication, and feedback to align with diverse cultural communication norms and worldviews. 
  • For more information, I recommend two books.  One is Coaching Across Cultures by Philippe Rosinski, a deep dive into global coaching.   The other, written from a Christian perspective, is  Dancing Between Cultures: Culturally Intelligent Coaching for Missions and Ministry by Tina Stoltzfus Horst. 

 

DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging)

 

Aware of the potential bias in coaching relationships, the International Coaching Federation has made this a significant initiative.  Coaches must create for themselves a framework that ensures coaching environments and systems respect varied identities (Diversity), ensure fair access to resources and growth (Equity), create welcoming spaces for all voices (Inclusion), and foster an environment where clients feel truly valued and seen (Belonging).

 

How is it used in coaching?

 

  • This emphasis encourages coaches as they create psychologically safe spaces.  Specialized training equips coaches to establish inclusive environments where clients of all background identities feel fully seen, heard, and valued. It also encourages coaches to navigate power dynamics, developing awareness around power dynamics, systemic privilege, and marginalization as they impact the client's context and goal realization.  This is an expansion of each coach’s commitment to provide a place where the client feels accepted and empowered

 

Team and Group Dynamics

 

Perhaps the fastest growing field is application of coaching to how individuals interact, communicate, and function within collective settings. This involves mastering group facilitation, managing interpersonal energy, and aligning multi-person systems toward shared goals or mutual peer learning. The International Coaching Federation has an Advanced Certification in Team Coaching (ACTC) to encourage professional development of skills in team coaching.

 

How is it used in coaching?

  • This impacts coaches in two ways.  First, the opportunity to master group facilitation by providing methods that guide peer-to-peer interactions, managing conflict, and maintaining balanced participation in group settings. Second, the challenge of aligning collective systems by designing and leading team coaching initiatives that align individual developmental goals with broader organizational objectives. 
  • For a basic introduction of this area of coaching, please see my book The Coaching Leader: Coaching Groups and Teams.

 

 These three areas of coaching have the potential to transform not only individuals but entire systems as well.

 

 


 

 

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