Coaching With Compassion: Inspiring Health, Well-Being, and Development in Organizations

Richard E. Boyatzis, Melvin L. Smith, 'Alim J. Beveridge

Research output: Journal PublicationArticlepeer-review

78 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Compassion involves noticing another's need, empathizing, and acting to enhance their well-being. In response to another's pain, the motivation is to increase hedonic well-being or the absence of pain. In response to another's desire to grow, the motivation is to increase eudaimonic well-being or helping them develop. We argue that compassion includes both. Our expanded view suggests that coaching with compassion will lead to desired change, enhanced health, and well-being. We propose a model saying coaching with compassion invokes a psychophysiological state that enables a person to be open to new possibilities and learning. In contrast, coaching for compliance (i.e., toward how the coach or the organization believe the person should act) and deficiency-based coaching invoke the opposite state-resulting in a person being defensive, reducing cognitive functioning. We theorize how coaching with compassion can enhance adaptability of the organization through creating norms and relationships of caring and development.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)153-178
Number of pages26
JournalThe Journal of Applied Behavioral Science
Volume49
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2013
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • coaching
  • compassion
  • complexity
  • well-being

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Applied Psychology

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