Coaching as a reflective space in a society of growing diversity – towards a narrative, postmodern paradigm

Abstract

We live in a hypercomplex society where the individual faces growing diversity in all areas of life. The idea of a stable identity has become an illusion, and self-reflexivity has become the central basis when dealing with the post-traditional order of our society. We feel obliged to constantly develop – at work and in our private and social lives. A brief analysis of societal changes will be presented as the basis for justifying the use of coaching and coaching psychology in general. The main question is: How can we best help clients to navigate in a social world characterised by growing restlessness, diverse lifestyles, social disorientation, multitudes of ‘local truths’ and, therefore, a loss of commonly accepted values and meanings? The purpose of this article is to formulate some key societal pre-requisites for coaching psychology, pre-requisites that can also serve as an argument for: (1) the growing importance of values as a central dimension in a reflective coaching process; (2) focusing on meaning-making as a central dimension in the coaching dialogue; and (3) a relational and narrative foundation of coaching psychology. A practical consequence can be concluded: It is not always beneficial to define a goal at the beginning of the coaching session, but to allow narratives to unfold and to reflect on our values and those of others as the basis for our thinking and conduct.

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