Coaching can inspire and motivate people to learn, change, and be effective leaders, among other roles in life. Although most attempts are “coaching for compliance” (coaching someone to your wishes or expectations), decades of behavioral and neuroscience research show us that “coaching with compassion” (coaching someone to their dreams and desires) is more effective.
This course is part of the Inspired Leadership Specialization
Conversations That Inspire: Coaching Learning, Leadership and Change
Offered By
About this Course
4.7
147 ratings
Skills you will gain
Active ListeningChange ManagementLeadershipCoaching
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
12 hours to complete
Week 1: How do people really help others?
The best coaches develop resonant relationships, which involve the experience of hope and compassion and the arousal of meaning. We explore how effective coaches inspire others, and use an approach based on compassion rather than compliance to promote positive, enduring change in their coachees. We then turn to Intentional Change Theory (ICT) as a model of sustained, desired change at all levels of human endeavor; detailing the five discovery phases that comprise ICT. Finally, we explore the Positive and Negative Emotional Attractors (PEA and NEA), their relationship to the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems (SNS and PNS), and how arousal of either of these systems can deferentially lead to either feelings of negativity and fear, or a focus on one's strengths and the excitement of experimenting with something new.
4 videos (Total 36 min), 6 readings
4 videos
Watch: Introduction to Helping and Coaching10m
Watch: Tipping Points in the 5 Discoveries of Sustained, Desired Change9m
Watch: Role of Positive and Negative Emotional Attractors13m
6 readings
About this Course10m
Required Reading List10m
Personal Learning Journal Activities10m
Personal Learning Journal Activities10m
Required Reading List10m
Personal Learning Journal Activities10m
Week
24 hours to complete
Week 2: Physiology and Neuroscience of Coaching
Chronic stress without regular and period experiences of renewal is non-sustainable for performance. We further examine the physiology of the PNS and SNS; including the relationship between stress and the activation of the SNS, and renewal and the activation of the PNS, including implications for hormonal and cardio-vascular activity in the body. We then turn to our neuroscience-based study of coaching; outlining the contagious effect of emotions, and the relationship between the brain's independent and suppresive Task Positive Network (TPN) and Default Mode Network, and how each relates to problem solving/analytical tasks and social tasks/openness to people and experiences. We end this week by outlining the ethical dimensions of coaching: the essentials of trust and environmental safety, awareness of boundaries, and ensuring that the coaching process flows from the coachee themselves.
3 videos (Total 30 min), 5 readings, 1 quiz
3 videos
Watch: Our Neuroscience Studies of Coaching11m
Watch: Seeing Coaching in Action8m
5 readings
Required Reading List10m
Personal Learning Journal Activities10m
Required Reading List10m
Personal Learning Journal Activities10m
Personal Learning Journal Activities10m
Week
33 hours to complete
Week 3: Coaching for the Ideal Self and Relationships
The ideal self is centered on autonomous motivation: what a person wants to do, and results in sustained, desired change. Conversely, the ought self is based on controlled motivation: what a person feels they must do based on the standards of others. The ideal self comprises hope, core identity, and an image of a desired future, and is fueled by optimism and self-efficacy. We then turn to the two forms of empathy: empathy with the head (a form of conceptual understanding and cognitive processing which implicates both the TPN and DMN) and empathy with the heart (genuine emphatic concern, which engages the DMN alone); with our focus on the need to develop emotional self-awareness in order to serve others, while appropriately balancing both forms of empathy as the coaching situation demands. Lastly, we explore the notion of genuine listening in a coaching relationship (as opposed to mere 'hearing' the other person speak), and outline a case for "listening beyond the words": giving our full attention to the other person to establish what lies beyond the words, and what meaning we can derive from what that other person is saying.
3 videos (Total 27 min), 5 readings, 1 quiz
3 videos
Watch: Two Forms of Empathy8m
Watch: Listening and Noticing9m
5 readings
Read: Required Reading List10m
Personal Learning Journal Activities10m
Personal Learning Journal Activities10m
Read: Required Reading List10m
Personal Learning Journal Activities10m
Week
43 hours to complete
Week 4: Coaching for the Real Self, Balance and Learning Agenda
There is an optimal balance between time spent in the PEA and time spent in the NEA. Too much time in the PEA may result in over-optimism or complacency; with too much time in the NEA resulting in diminishment or depression. Given that negative emotional experiences tend to be stronger and more palpable, the ratio between time spent in the two emotional states should be skewed toward the PEA - at around 3-6:1. Establishing the real self involves mindful awareness, which itself demands soliciting accurate feedback from others; so as to establish a personal balance sheet cataloguing the strengths one can leverage within themselves and the shortcomings they may seek to address. Next, we explore the nature and role of social identity groups: how they support and enhance emotional contagion, and may facilitate the development of a larger or noble purpose in one's Ideal Self. Lastly, we detail planning and experimentation with new behaviors to promote and sustain new learning and growth on the part of coachees.
3 videos (Total 30 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz
3 videos
Watch: Social Identity, Strengths and Weaknesses12m
Watch: Old and New Ways to Create a Learning Agenda and Planning6m
3 readings
Personal Learning Journal Activities10m
Personal Learning Journal Activities10m
Personal Learning Journal Activities10m
4.7
45 Reviews44%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
Top Reviews
I really loved this course and I learned so much. Although it took me awhile to read the papers and articles, it was well worth it. I use it for my trainings and workshops! Thank you!
This was a wonderful course! Great opportunity to put learning into practice; the practical application of coaching skills in a real world environment was a huge benefit
Instructors
Ellen VanOosten, PhD
Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior, Director Coaching Research Lab
Melvin Smith
Professor of Organizational Behavior, Faculty Director, Executive Education
Richard Boyatzis
Distinguished University Professor, and a Professor in the Departments of Organizational Behavior, Psychology, and Cognitive ScienceAbout Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a leading national research university located in Cleveland, Ohio. Through its seven schools and college, Case Western Reserve offers top-10 programs in health law, organizational behavior and social work and top-25 programs in biomedical engineering, international law, medicine and nursing. More than 4,000 undergraduate and nearly 6,000 graduate and professional students are enrolled at CWRU, representing all 50 states and more than 90 countries.
About the Inspired Leadership Specialization
In this specialization you will learn how to overcome the ravages of chronic stress and renew your body and mind by building better relationships and positive approaches to leadership. You will learn the power of asking questions to become a more inclusive and self-confident leader, and how to effectively coach others toward sustained, desired change, learning or increased motivation in life and work.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
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