Playfulness in Coaching: Exploring Our Untapped Potential Through Playfulness, Creativity and Imagination

Description

What do we mean by playfulness? Playfulness and play are no longer seen as only of benefit to children’s learning and development, but are being used increasingly for coaching adults in the context of serious challenges and issues. Benefits include better communication, understanding, self-awareness, relationship-building, creativity, ideation and innovation in a business environment. This book is the first to introduce and expand on the idea of playfulness as an approach in coaching. Playfulness in Coaching fully explains the serious role of playfulness and provides the why and the how for new and experienced coaches. Using case studies throughout, the book takes a broad and evidence-led look at the relevant areas of playfulness in coaching: contracting, developing insights, forming direct communications, how to prime the coach and the client for playfulness, identifying and overcoming barriers, assessing risks, and closing a session. It is packed with theory, research, stories from practice, ideas and inspiration for understanding and applying playfulness in life and work. This will be an invaluable resource for coaches, particularly those with experience who are moving towards intermediate and mastery level. The book has been written with coaches working with corporate clients in mind, particularly in the context of challenges in a VUCA environment. It will also be relevant to HR and Learning and Development managers who source coaches for organisations and oversee internal coaches, as well as managers-as-coaches, life coaches and mental health professionals. Cover Endorsement Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Part I What Is Playfulness in Coaching? 1 Welcome 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Once Upon a Me-Search (Stephanie) 1.3 My Playfulness Story So Far… (Teresa) 1.4 Our Coaching Approaches 1.5 Our Storytellers 1.5.1 Kirsten Barske 1.5.2 Steve Chapman 1.5.3 David Clutterbuck 1.5.4 Julie Flower 1.5.5 Nankhonde Kasonde-Van Den Broek 1.5.6 Graham Lee 1.5.7 Auriel Majumdar 1.5.8 Nobantu Mpotulo 1.5.9 Neil Mullarkey 1.5.10 Jonathan Passmore 15.11 Matthew Pugh 1.5.12 Heather Simpkin 1.5.13 Emma Skitt 1.5.14 Robert Stephenson 1.5.15 Christian Van Nieuwerburgh 1.6 How We Wrote this Book Playfully: From Intent to Reality 1.7 Getting Started With Your Playfulness Notes 2 Why Playfulness? 2.1 Why Playfulness? 2.2 Why Focus On Playfulness in Coaching? 2.3 What Can Go Wrong? 2.4 Approach of This Book 2.5 Our Hope Notes 3 What Do We Mean By Playfulness in Coaching? 3.1 First, a Little Note 3.2 Why Do Humans Play? 3.3 Play and Playfulness in Coaching 3.3.1 Fireside Chat With Prof David Clutterbuck 3.4 What Do Coaches Mean By Playfulness? 3.4.1 How Playfulness Manifests in the Coaching Session 3.4.2 The Qualities Which Underpin Playfulness in Coaching 3.5 Final Thoughts Notes 4 The Benefits of Playfulness in Coaching 4.1 Through Accessing Different Perspectives, Opening Up Different Possibilities 4.2 Creating Space for Exploration 4.3 Accessing the State in Which We Can Learn, Connect, Co-Create and Expand 4.4 Flow 4.5 Creativity 4.6 Imagination 4.7 Capacity to Deal With Change 4.8 Finding Balance 4.9 Capacity to Deal With the ‘Hard’ Stuff 4.10 Beyond the Mind: Deepening Connection to Heart and Body 4.11 Deepening Relationships and Positive Emotions 4.12 Well-Being 4.13 Conclusion Notes 5 The Be Playful Onion Model 5.1 The Onion 5.2 The Outer Layer – ‘Doing’ Play 5.3 The Middle Layer – Expressions of Playfulness 5.3.1 Fireside Chat With Professor René Proyer 5.4 The Heart of the Onion – Playful Way of Being 5.5 Reflections On the Be Playful Onion Model 5.6 What’s Fun Got to Do With It? 5.7 Conclusion Notes 6 Our Neurobiology and Playfulness in Coaching 6.1 Once Upon a Time … 6.2 Honouring Complexity 6.3 Our Neurobiology and Playfulness 6.3.1 Understanding the Impact of the State We’re in 6.3.2 Meanwhile, in the Brain… 6.3.3 Relevance to Coaching 6.3.4 Implications for Playfulness 6.3.5 Bringing It Together: Implications for Playfulness in Coaching? 6.4 Both Client and Coach 6.5 The Coach 6.5.1 Activating Our PNS 6.5.2 Accessing Playfulness in Coaching 6.5.3 Different Perceptions of Safety 6.6 The Client 6.6.1 Creating Safety Through Play 6.6.2 Safety as a Base for Play 6.7 Conclusion Notes 7 Adding Emotions Into the Mix 7.1 Before We Begin 7.2 Adding Emotions Into the Mix 7.3 Thoughts On Emotions in Coaching More Generally 7.4 Playfulness and Positive Emotions 7.5 Ode to Joy 7.6 What’s Love Got to Do With It? 7.7 The Kaleidoscope of Positive Emotions 7.8 Why Does It Matter If Playfulness Generates Positive Emotions? 7.8.1 Emotions and How We Think, Feel and Behave 7.8.2 Fireside Chat With Prof Richard Boyatzis 7.8.3 Broaden-And-Build Theory 7.9 Playfulness, Positive Emotions and Behavioural Change 7.10 Negative Emotions and Playfulness in Coaching 7.11 Conclusion Notes 8 What’s So Funny?: A Closer Look at Humour 8.1 Playfulness and Humour 8.1.1 What Is Humour? 8.2 Functions of Humour, Laughter and Play 8.2.1 Tension Relief and Coping 8.2.2 Emotional and Interpersonal Benefits 8.2.3 Social Functions 8.3 The Shadow Side of Humour 8.3.1 Humour (Closely Interlinked With Playfulness) in Coaching 8.3.2 What Can Humour Add to Coaching? 8.3.2.1 The Coaching Relationship 8.3.2.2 Working With Emotions 8.3.2.3 Working With Thoughts 8.3.2.4 Working With Thoughts (Extra Considerations for Groups) 8.3.2.5 Humour Supporting Behavioural Change 8.4 Let’s Get Personal 8.4.1 Humour Styles 8.5 As We Alight From Our Whistle-Stop Tour… 8.6 Conclusion Notes 9 Risks: Part and Parcel of Exploring 9.1 A Note On Our Approach in This Chapter 9.2 The Shadow Side of Playfulness 9.3 Your Attitude to Risk 9.4 On the Individual Level 9.4.1 General Things to Look Out For 9.4.2 Damaging Rapport 9.4.3 Misfiring 9.4.4 Misreading 9.4.5 Hard to Read 9.4.6 Hitting Barriers Too Hard 9.4.7 For the Coach, Not the Client(s) 9.4.7.1 Check-In Question for Reflection-In-Action and Reflection-On-Action 9.5 Playfulness Can Lead to Deep Work – What If I Cause Harm? 9.6 Additional Considerations at Group Level 9.6.1 Meeting the Group/team Where They’re At 9.6.2 The Shadow Side of Humour: Things to Have On Your Radar 9.6.3 Damage to Psychological Safety Or Group Cohesion 9.6.4 Group Dynamics 9.7 Ideas for Addressing Risk Notes Part II Stepping Into Playfulness: From Theory to Practice 10 Tending the Seedlings of Playfulness 10.1 Stepping Into Playfulness: From Theory to Practice 10.2 Barometer of Playfulness 10.3 Can Anyone Be Playful? 10.4 What Play Habits Did You Take With You Into Adulthood? 10.5 More Stories We Tell Ourselves 10.6 Attachment Theory 10.7 Beliefs About Playfulness 10.8 Connecting With Play 10.9 Working With the Whole Body 10.10 How Do You Know When You Are Being Playful? 10.10.1 Fireside Chat With Graham Lee 10.11 What You Focus On Grows 10.12 Conclusion Notes 11 Practical Ways to Dial Up (More) Playfulness 11.1 Tapping Into Your Environment for Play 11.2 Have You Tried Something New Lately? 11.2.1 Embracing Sweet Discomfort 11.3 Building On Trying Something New 11.4 Having a Word With The Inner Critic and Perfectionism 11.5 Addressing Fear of Embarrassment Or Shame 11.6 Working With Your States to Support Playfulness 11.7 No One Is an Island 11.8 Making Space for Your Imagination and Daydreaming 11.9 Strengthen Your Humour Muscles and Laugh More 11.10 Presence, Mindfulness and Playfulness 11.11 Conclusion Notes 12 Things to Consider in Practice 12.1 Things That Might Get in Your Way 12.1.1 Capacity 12.1.2 Confidence 12.1.3 Complacency 12.1.4 Competence and Capability 12.1.5 Credibility 12.2 Things Affecting Your Client Which Might Get in the Way 12.2.1 Don’t Want to Be There Or Don’t Want to Change 12.2.2 Individual Considerations 12.2.3 Psychological Safety and Group Dynamics 12.2.4 Gender 12.2.5 Culture: Organisational and More Generally 12.3 Reflection Notes 13 The Playfulness Scrapbook: A Collection of Stories, Ideas, and Tools 13.1 Getting Started: Contracting and The First Invitation to Play 13.2 Being Playful With What a Coaching Session ‘Should’ Look Like 13.3 Being Playful: Tone and Climate 13.4 The Invitation 13.5 Word Play 13.6 Playful Anchors and Playing With Identities 13.7 Metaphors 13.8 Game of Thrones 13.9 Storytelling 13.9.1 Thoughts for Practice 13.10 Writing 13.10.1 Ideas for Practice 13.11 Music 13.11.1 Ideas for Practice 13.12 Movement 13.12.1 Beyond Conversations Towards Bigger Experiments 13.13 Playing With Imagery, Visual Mapping and Modelling 13.13.1 Ideas for Practice 13.13.1.1 LEGO® Serious Play® 13.13.1.2 Drawing and Art 13.13.1.3 The Roundabout of B*ll*cks 13.13.1.4 Draw Your Team as a Character 13.13.1.5 Post-It® Notes 13.13.1.6 Collections of Art Cards and Images 13.13.1.7 Playing With Image Cards Visual Mapping 13.13.1.8 Modelling and Using Objects 13.14 Stepping Into Playfulness 13.14.1 Ideas for Practice 13.14.1.1 Put On the ‘Curiosity Glasses’ Experiment 13.14.1.2 Five Senses Walk 13.14.1.3 Body Talk 13.14.1.4 Playing With States 13.14.1.5 Playing With Time 13.14.1.6 Playing With Perspective: The External World 13.14.1.7 Playing With Perspectives: The Internal World 13.14.2 Ambassador and Gremlins 13.15 Improv and Other, Bigger Experiments 13.15.1 Improv 13.15.2 The Character Compass With Playfulness Experiment 13.15.3 Bigger Experiments 13.15.4 Bob and the Daffodils 13.15.5 Groups/teams 13.15.5.1 The Rapping Nurse 13.15.5.2 Forum Theatre 13.16 Working Remotely 13.16.1 Further Ideas for Practice 13.16.1.1 Fishbowl Online 13.16.1.2 Online Tools 13.16.1.3 Virtual Reality Coaching 13.17 Bringing It All Together Barometer of Playfulness 13.18 When It Comes to Playing Or Being Playful, What Level Are You for Each of the Below? Playfulness Mixing Deck Take a Playful Moment 13.19 A Moment for Play 13.20 Playlist of Playful Moments to Randomly Select 13.20.1 Meeting Your Playful Self Through Art, Modelling Or Imagination 13.20.2 Let’s Get Jiggly 13.20.3 Playful Extra Challenge 13.20.4 Explore The Treasure Map of Playfulness 13.20.5 Be the Playful Human and Build Fun Into Your Day 13.20.6 Create Your Playful Hat 13.20.7 Create Your Playful Vision Board Playful Experiments for Life and Work 13.21 Envisioning Your Playful Self 13.22 Stepping Into Your Playful Self 13.23 Draw Or Model Your Playful Self 13.24 Playful Extra Challenge 13.25 Connecting With Your Playful Side Using Chairwork 13.26 Playful Relationships 13.27 Playful Extra Challenge Notes 14 The Next Chapter About the Authors Index