Careers CAR

EURAM 2017 Business for Society Track

Sub-Track 01-04 Developing leadership for complexity: a critical approach to coaching

Dr Paul Stokes and Dr Pauline Fatien Diochon

Call for Papers

Rationale

To embrace the challenges arising from a context described as Volatile Uncertain Turbulent and Ambiguous (VUCA), ready-made solutions that consist in the application of solutions that are "out-there" are perceived as irrelevant. The resulting complexity calls for new alternative tailored made answers. To support the design and implementation of such disruptive policies and practices, coaches are often called in by leaders. In this track, we thus first intend to explore how coaches support leaders to:

• Transcend a competency framework in order to develop critically reflexive skills – micro level

• Flourish within complex relationships (virtual, etc) – meso level

• Operate systemically across organizations, countries, regions etc – macro level

But supporting disruptive change often implies challenging long-term established modus operandi, together with economic, organizational and societal equilibria. Coaching can thus generate conflicts inside and outside organizations. Therefore, a second interest in this track is to explore the tensions, contradictions, and resistance generated by the use of leadership development practices such as coaching. We welcome contributions that explore:

• How do coaches perceive their role in the economic, organizational and societal systems?

• What (ethical) dilemmas emerge as a result of challenging the economic, organizational and societal systems?

• How do coaches manage the resulting tensions and contradictions?

Finally, a third avenue of interest consists in exploring the educational challenges to equip coaches to effectively support leaders and organizations support leaders in complex environments. While most traditional coaching training programs focus on the coach-coachee relationships, this tracks invites contributions that embrace the challenges of educating coaches to the triangular coaching contract. Along these lines, we welcome contributions that challenge instrumental learning of coaches, with an emphasis on acquiring theory, methods, behaviors, and skills to embrace the challenges of transformative learning to include attention to shifts in development, mindset, values, and intelligences. Some of the questions that could be considered include:

• What does it take for a coach to effectively coach in a complex environment?

• How to design programs that equip coaches to support change in complex environments?

• What are some examples of innovative coaching education programs that address the ethical aspect of the coaching profession?

While coaching is the primary helping practice considered in this track, we welcome critical contributions on other leadership development practices such as mentoring, consulting, etc.

Deadline

10^th January 2017 - Submission system open from December 1^st to January 10^th

More information: http://euramonline.org/annual-conference-2017.html

Contacts

Dr Paul Stokes, Principal Lecturer, Sheffield Business School, Sheffield Hallam University: p.k.stokes@shu.ac.uk

Dr Pauline Fatien, Assistant Professor of Management, Pontificia Univ. Javeriana, Bogotá: pauline.fatien@gmail.com