Executive Coaching

The Northumbria University Newcastle Business school nightmare now well and truly over...and I am now running my own coaching business as well as being a Visiting Lecturing at 3 Universities. I have won four coaching contracts within the past two months and hope to win many more in the very near future!

I am white, middle aged (surely not!!!!!), middle class...so how does this require reflexivity when my research is on organisational politics? well my social background probably does mean that the jobs that I have had will be as a result of this in terms of role, position and it will also suggest that I have a particular view on organisational politics (?) and of course my values will play a part in this also especially those that relate to how people shoudl be treated as well as a personal desire at work to protect myself via whatever organisational politics that I engage in.

THOUGHT...WHY DONT I TALK INTO THE RECORDER AND EXPLAIN MY INTERPRETATIONS ETC.?

With regard to dysfunctionality then this does require on the face of it more reflexivity..i will have my thoughts on what dysfunctionality means. This may be the result of what has happened to me via the lens of organisational politics...I have an idea!

Where would I end up if I looked at some areas of leadership and/or coaching through "the lens of organisational politics"?

Lets get back on track...certainly my career will have coloured my interpretations!!!

So, therefore I must consider the impact that I have on my interpretations and conclusions etc.

I need to look at the relationships that I have with my researchees...if I coach them then there will be a possible reaction from coachee as opposed to someone I have never met before

There will also be difficulties because of the nature of questions over BDs..are they going to be honest?

SG...do you have an issue here between DB and reflexivity?????????

Actually the so what is:

If you know the when & why...you can work to stop it

My original contribution will be to NBS (exec edu) myself (as a coach & educator) and also to education and coaching! as well as identify areas for future research!!!

My thoughts on discourse analysis as method: good thing about it is that discourse is influenced by organisational language and when other people have told you what OP is

Discourse is a focus on language

DA = there is no ral world and we make it up (celebrity/change)

CDA = (Fairclough) is linked to ideology!

I am a post-modernist!!!

To be honest I havent done much on this since the last session...but at least I now have a better research question and am more comfortable with what I am trying to do...or was until Saturdays session!

So, in true Grinsell style here are my mental ramblings from the Saturday session.

I wonder what theories I am actually looking at here. Is it OP or DB?

I know that there is a gap in the literature for both of these...but of course there is teh question about what my contribution to practice is. Here again there are areas that I am addressing...coaching (via production of empirical evidence) and executive education about how deal with OP...

Anyway, what I do know is the research question!

What are the links between organizational politics and dysfunctional behaviours in leaders?

And now to answer the so what question!

So that leaders identify when organisational politics is causing individuals to behave dysfunctionally and thus help them manage it????

Its OK, the ramblings are over!

I have decided that what I need to do now is mind-map the notes that I have made from this week's DBA (i.e. the comments made here) so that I can focus on what my issues and immediate actions are.

What do you mean you have lost interest?

My final day and it ends with my final thoughts of the week:

Narratives - sensemaking (Angelique's paper!) - politics & power

Narratives - how reality perceived - power relations (Taylor et al 2002) - Ontological significance (Cunliffe, 2002) - significance of the individual's view of what OP is

All equalls: subjectivist - constructionist - Action Research - Narrative

Now I am ready to go back and answer those questions!!!

The day when everything seems to fall into place

"Forget coaching process...focus on coaching practice!"

So thats one learning lesson...so my methodology - AR with strorytelling

WOW! Just found some articles on Jungarian preferences & organisational politics! Apparently there is evidence to suggest that various Jungarian types play OP in different ways...ties straight into coaching practice!

Each individual will have their own view about what organisational politics is and what effectes OP has on behaviours. This (and the Jungarian types) also feeds into management/leadership styles...the interviewees will have views on themselves and how they play OP and cope with OP...bad leadership could be a product of the ways in which OP is played out in an organisation (and cof course I shold be interviewing leaders about OP in their organisitions as well as how they play it/have played it/been affected by it in the past (storytelling!)

PHEW!

ACTION: So I need to identify what I am trying to do with my interviewees, decide whether individuals/groups of individuals, or specific organsiations (e.g. Councils etc.)

MY OBJECTIVE (answering the so what?)coaching leaders to manage or play or cope with OP in their organisations so that they dont demonstrate dysfunctional behaviours OR help them understand why they behave teh way they do because nasty thing happened to them when someone played OP or they poorly played OP.....OR should I look at Jungarian types, OP and STRESS!!!!

I am trying to get a better understanding of why OP causes problems!

Er, however I must not lose focus of OP as a belief system and affects on behaviour when people define actions and behaviours as OP.

ACTION: What am I trying to do in relation to the subject of OP????

ACTION: How do I explain what I am trying to do & what are benefits of my research to organisations I want to work with? Is it a particular type of organisation or indeed type of leader that I need to interview?

ACTION: What is my Philosophy?