Diversity Considerations

Two part Assignment **** Part 1 Application: Diversity Considerations High-level leadership positions are no longer reserved for white, middle-aged heterosexual males with MBAs. On the contrary, today’s leaders come from diverse cultures and backgrounds. When working with clients, leadership coaches must be aware of how diversity (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, educational background, religion, political beliefs) might influence coaching for leadership development. Specifically, coaches should consider clients’ thought processes, behaviors, and actions within the context of their cultures and backgrounds. For instance, leadership behaviors that may seem odd or counterproductive in one culture may not be viewed as such in another culture. In addition to considering clients’ diversity, coaches must also be conscious of their own diversity and how their particular assumptions, biases, and prejudices could negatively affect the coaching process and the coach-client relationship. To prepare for this assignment: • Review the article, “Dear White Boss…” and the online chapter, “Developing the Effectiveness of a High-Potential African American Executive: The Anatomy of a Coaching Engagement.” Pay particular attention to the possible considerations related to coaching African American clients. Think about how coaches might address these considerations. • Review the online chapter, “Executive Growth along the Adult Development Curve.” Reflect on developmental challenges clients of various age groups might encounter. Consider how coaches might help clients address these developmental challenges. • Review the online chapter, “Multimodal Therapy: A Useful Model for the Executive Coach.” Consider how diversity (e.g., race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation) might influence the first six modalities of Lazarus’s Multimodal Model. With this in mind, think about diversity considerations coaches might make related to a client’s personality. • Review the article, “Executive Coaching in a Cross-Cultural Context.” Think about how diversity considerations might influence coaches’ selections of coaching strategies. Consider the author’s guidelines for coaching diverse clients and think about how you might use each guideline to address diversity considerations. • Review the Course Case Studies. Consider at least one diversity consideration you might make in each case study and why. Think about how you might address each of these considerations. ***** The assignment: 2 page paper that 1. For each of the three cases we have been using this quarter a. Explain at least one diversity consideration you might make (so there must be at least 1 for each case) and b. Explain why you think this is a consideration (be specific and use citations) 2. Then, explain how you would address each of the diversity considerations you have identified if you were the coach 3. Make sure there are at least three (3) academic references. Websites do not count. ***** Part 2 – Discussion Matching Coach to Client Reflect, for a moment, on the Application Assignment this week and on the diversity considerations related to the clients in the case studies. Did you find yourself thinking about any commonalties you might share with these clients? How do you think sharing any affiliation with your clients, whether it be race, ethnicity, gender, or age, might influence the effectiveness of the coaching process? In some instances, matching a coach to a client on this basis might be advantageous because the shared commonality might enhance trust and lead to candidness in the coaching sessions. Alternatively, pairing coaches and clients based on their similarities might stifle the coaching process and impair the client’s ability to step outside of his or her comfort zone. Thus, when choosing a coach, leaders and their organizations must consider the ultimate goal of coaching and discern which particular coach will best meet their needs. Similarly, before accepting a coaching assignment, coaches must consider the needs of the client and decide if they are the best person for the job. To prepare for this Discussion: • Review the article, “Dear White Boss…” and the online chapter, “Developing the Effectiveness of a High-Powered African American Executive: The Anatomy of a Coaching Assignment.” Reflect on the benefits and drawbacks of matching coaches and clients based on shared race and ethnicity. • Review the online chapter, “Executive Growth along the Adult Development Curve.” Consider the benefits and drawbacks of matching coaches to clients based on age. • Review the online chapter, “Multimodal Therapy: A Useful Model for the Executive Coach.” Think about how matching coaches and clients based on aspects of shared diversity considerations might contribute to a coach’s understanding of the client’s personality. • Review the article, “Executive Coaching in a Cross-Cultural Context.” Think about how matching coaches to clients based on diversity might influence the coaching process and the coach-client relationship. • Reflect on your Application Assignment this week. Bring to mind the diversity considerations you would have as a coach with each of the clients in the case studies. Consider how having a shared or different background from the client might affect how you would address these considerations during the coaching process. • Think of a specific coaching situation for which matching a coach to a client based on a particular dimension of diversity is appropriate and a specific coaching situation for which matching coach to client in this same manner would be inappropriate and consider why. With these thoughts in mind: Discussion Assignment – Write a 1 page paper that 1. Identify one (1) specific coaching situation a. where matching a client and coach based on a dimension of diversity is appropriate, and b. Explain why this matching is appropriate c. Be specific 2. Then, provide one (1) specific coaching situation where a. Matching coach to a client would be inappropriate b. Explain why it would be inappropriate c. Be specific 3. Make sure there are at least three (3) academic references. Websites do not count. Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references from the Learning Resources. Bottom of Form References: Axelrod, S. D. (2007). Executive growth along the adult development curve. In R. R. Kilburg, R. C. Diedrich, R. R. Kilburg, R. C. Diedrich (Eds.) , The wisdom of coaching: Essential papers in consulting psychology for a world of change (pp. 283-289). W Caver, K. A., & Livers, A. B. (2002). Dear White Boss.. Harvard Business Review, 80(11), 76-81. Winum, P. C. (2007). Developing the effectiveness of a high-potential African American executive: The anatomy of a coaching engagement. In R. R. Kilburg, R. C. Diedrich, R. R. Kilburg, R. C. Diedrich (Eds.) , The wisdom of coaching: Essential papers in consulting psychology for a world of change (pp. 389-405). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/11570-037 Richard, J. T. (2007). Multimodal therapy: A useful model for the executive coach. In R. R. Kilburg, R. C. Diedrich, R. R. Kilburg, R. C. Diedrich (Eds.) , The wisdom of coaching: Essential papers in consulting psychology for a world of change (pp. 275-281). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/11570-025 Peterson, D. B. (2007). Executive coaching in a cross-cultural context. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice And Research, 59(4), 261-271. doi:10.1037/1065-9293.59.4.261