Coaching by Values is a management development book that outlines how leaders can more effectively and authentically impact their people and guide their development – as well as their own – by engaging in coaching tactics that are led by an awareness of values. Dolan’s thesis is that when individuals understand what motivates them (“what makes them tic [sic]”), they will be able to better discern their business goals and align those goals with their organization, in order to find more meaningful success.
Dolan lays out various coaching styles, processes, and models. He emphasizes that the role of a coach, regardless of the model, is to facilitate learning instead of dictating or forcing it. In regard to values, Dolan addresses how they relate to behavior and corporate culture, and how corporate strategy that employs value-based goals can influence morale, productivity, and loyalty in a company.
For example, he outlines how value congruence (or lack thereof) between an individual and the organization acts on both an emotional and biological level to facilitate (or hinder) performance, job satisfaction, and loyalty. On the emotional level, Dolan describes how the level of value congruence can ripple down to the level of trust, then level of communication, and finally level of outcomes. Biologically, Dolan discusses the etiological relationship between physical environment, social situation, behavior, individual values, and individual physical changes.
Filled with flow charts and diagrams, this book may be one of the most comprehensive overviews of values-based coaching available for purchase. The material is well presented in organized sections and subsections of text. The sheer amount and density of the information, however, makes this volume something of a textbook or coaching reference rather than a business read one would tackle linearly in a few sittings.
Yet Dolan knows his subject and his passion and commitment to the methods he outlines shines through the text, making this book a great read for business coaches and managers alike.
Also available as an ebook.
