Presence-Based Coaching offers coaches a hands-on resource for developing the capacities and skills needed to be reliably present in all situations, and shows how to let go of habitualand often ineffectiveways of responding. As author and leadership expert Doug Silsbee explains, once a coach has mastered the inner moves of directing their own attention, they can work to develop the same capability in their clients. The ability of a coach to facilitate lasting, sustainable development in leaders rests on the presence a coach offers to the coach-client relationship.

Doug Silsbee is a leader in the field of presence-based leadership development. He is an executive coach, retreat leader, speaker, and author based in Asheville, North Carolina. In addition, he is an adjunct faculty member at the Federal Executive Institute, a Master Somatic Coach with Strozzi Institute, and an affiliate of the Pyramid Resource Group. He is also the author ofThe Mindful Coach and can be contacted at http://dougsilsbee.com.

Exercises, Practices, Exhibits, and Figures ix

Foreword xi

Acknowledgments xv

The Author xvii

Introduction 1

Core Assertions 3

How to Use This Book 4

My Promise 6

Reading as Experience 7

Part OnePresence, Self-Generation, and the Role of Coaching 11

1Presence 15

Presence Demystified 16

So, What is Presence? 19

Implications of Presence 22

Presence and the Products of Coaching 25

Challenges to Presence 28

Chapter Summary 34

2How Humans Change: Conditioning, Identity, and Self-Generation 37

Conditioning 38

Identity 43

Becoming Self-Generative 49

How Coaching Supports Self-Generation and Sustainable Change 57

Living in Self-Generation 63

Chapter Summary 66

3Coach as Development Partner 69

Performance Versus Developmental Coaching 70

Principles of Developmental Coaching 73

Three Integrated Structures for Development 75

Presence-Based Coaching: Foundations into Methodology 77

Chapter Summary 92

Part Two Inner Moves for Presence-Based Coaching 93

4Orienting 95

A Coaching Model 97

Your Client 100

Purpose 105

Coaching Outcomes 108

Expanded Contexts 109

Chapter Summary 113

5Holding 115

The Relational Field 116

Silence and Possibility 122

Chapter Summary 127

Part Three Generative Practices for Presence in Mind, Body, and Heart 129

6Mind 133

Building the Observer 135

What s to Observe? 137

Working with Habits 140

Designing Self-Observations 142

Engaging in Self-Observation 145

Coaching Implications 147

Chapter Summary 148

7Body 151

Assertions of Somatic Literacy 153

Centering 155

Building Somatic Awareness 157

Somatic Self-Observation 159

Working with Urges 161

Body Practices 161

Coaching Implications 164

Chapter Summary 165

8Heart 167

Developing Compassion for Self and Others 169

Experiencing the Heart 171

Deciding Through the Heart 173

Gratitude 174

Connecting Through the Heart 175

Longing 177

Coaching Implications 179

Chapter Summary 180

Part Four Relational Moves for Presence-Based Coaching 181

9Coach for Self-Observation and Realization 185

Reflect 186

Invite Internal Awareness 189

Focus the Field 193

Challenge Identity 198

Chapter Summary 201

10Coach for Reorganization 203

Shift Perspective 204

Reorganize Around Center 208

Build Competency in Self-Regulation 212

Mobilize Commitment 216

Chapter Summary 218

11Coach for Stabilization 221

Design Fieldwork 222

Work Jointly 237

Create New Facts on the Ground 239

Chapter Summary 241

12Milestones: Entry, Continuation, Completion 243

Entry 244

Continuation 254

Completion, and Beginning 260

Chapter Summary 266

Coda 267

Appendix A: Table of Moves and Practices 271

Appendix B: Purpose Exercise 275

Appendix C: Annotated Bibliography 277

Appendix D: Web-Based Resources 285

Notes 287

Index 293