Oxford Brookes University10th Annual Coaching & Mentoring Conference 16.1.14

Transition to ‘civvy street’ difficult and complex (FiMT report 2013)

Skills and strengths not always obviously transferable

Limited resources – need for clarity & robust choices

Can strengths coaching offer a potential solution?

How might a strengths coaching intervention be used to help transitioning military find direction?

Usability: easily identify strengths?Engagement: reactions to toolEffectiveness: was it useful in finding direction?Transferability: blueprint for future coaching?

Evidence that strengths identification & use increases both performance and well-being

No direct evidence linking this to direction, although some links to passions/interests

Little research into how strengths interventions work, or how to do them

Interpretivist-constructivist paradigm Qualitative research – 6 transitioning military Purposive heterogeneous sample Action Research – 2 full cycles Used 24 strengths cards based on the Values-In-

Action Inventory (Peterson & Seligman, 2004)

Data collection: full transcripts, reflexive diary, observation, semi-structured questionnaires

Data trustworthiness: reflexive diary & critical friends

Thematic analysis to interpret data – amalgamation of inductive & deductive coding.

Effective in eliciting narrative◦Coming to terms with leaving the military and

taking stock of present position

Effective in exploring identity◦Reconciling authentic self and military self◦Identifying authentic strengths and

weaknesses - and accepting weaknesses

“You’re given a job, and expected to perform against these standards. So after a few years – what really is me? You need to find yourself, get grounded. It’s where you start and stop, and where the military bit starts and stops.”

Generating a vision◦Strengths insufficient on their own – required

values and interests/passions discussions.

Exploring job fit◦Useful start-point for job criteria.

“I want to find out what it is I really enjoy and why, and I want to see if I can find another jobs that satisfies that.”

Using strengths with coaching goals◦Most chose to work on weaknesses, and tune

down strengths.

“I find working on weakness more motivating. I find strengths comforting. Strengths make me think that I could get a job, but the weaknesses could be the reasons I may not get one, so knowing them and attacking them is a way to drive yourself forwards.”

Useful focus in job search process◦Provided a language for communicating via

CV, at interview or social media◦Helped bridge the military-civilian language

barrier

“You’ve got to show that you’re commercially aware, and explain military to non-military. If they ask you about leading a team in a high pressure environment, and the answer is about being shot at in Afghanistan, how do you relate that to a commercial environment?”

Compass Tools Springboard

Client sets priority goals using strengths

Refine and identify key strengths for use

in transition

Build coaching alliance

Identify strengths & weaknesses

Make sense of current position

Reaffirm authentic self

Discuss values & interests

Reconciling with past

Establishing client goals

Generate job ideas

Build key Job criteria

Compare and contrast jobs against criteria

Start to build future vision

Effective approach for a complex transition: prompts narrative about past, present and future

Helpful vehicle for separating military vs individual identity: addressed ‘strengths blindness’

Coach training in narrative and strengths processes

Future research into using weaknesses vs. strengths, or a combination – client education or trial and error?

Growth vs. fixed mind-set Future research: the military ‘superstrings’?

Figure 2: Action Research Cycles

Session 1 Session 2 Session 3

Cycle 1 Cycle 2

Plan:

Action

Evaluate

Reflect

Use questions and/or Realise2 framework to

provide structure for SCI. A4 goal sheet. Questionnaire

Need simpler solution for goals & strengths

Use cards physically?

Values and interests discussion is necessary

Some choosing to tune down strengths/work on weaknesses

Strengths cards intervention, Goal

setting with strengths

Discuss job criteria to compare and shortlist

job options

Generate job ideas, Values & interests. Goals with strengths

Use criteria to discuss job options. Growth vs. fixed mind-

set discussion

Questionnaire

Use tools to generate & evaluating job ideas e.g. wheel

of work, questions, values discussion. Bridges model to

prompt narrative. Questionnaire

Most prefer to work on weaknesses or tune down. Self-selecting strengths

seems empowering, and can do without writing down. Growth mind-set

= key

Wheel is useful comparison tool – use on past or present jobs? Selecting cards useful for goals

On-going desire to tune down strengths or work on weaknesses, and increase vitality

Explain energizing use of strengths? Need help with strategies for navigating neutral zone. Need strengths reminder.

Some want more structure. Longer time period. Choice of interventions.