Dr Michael Cavanagh is a Coaching and Clinical Psychologist and Deputy Director of the Coaching Psychology Unit at the School of Psychology, University of Sydney. He has graciously allowed us to republish this article, that focuses on systemic approaches to coaching, particularly coaching in complexity.
Michael is co-presenter with Professor David Lane at a full-day masterclass in Auckland, on March 9, 2009. This is a rare opportunity to work with two internationally acclaimed coaching psychologists. Read more here.
COACHING IS A JOURNEY in search of patterns. Our clients come to us, sometimes with fuzzy problems, sometimes with clear goals, but always
with a desire to understand their experience in a way that enables them to move forward. We, as coaches, undertake to work with them to develop
this new understanding, and to support them in taking the actions that flow from it. The value we add to our clients resides in our ability to
help them see their experience in a new way. We do this by helping them to discover or notice previously unnoticed (or ignored) patterns in the
complex mix of experience, thoughts, actions, and reactions that is their story. Coaching, then, is a journey in search of patterns.
