GCC Rainbow Convention 2011

And one of the highlights of the Rainbow Convention will be the showcasing of practitioner research in coaching carried out in local communities by South African coaches. This article outlines the "Pods" practitioner research process leading up to the Rainbow Convention in 2011.

Background to the Pods initiative
In late 2008 and early 2009, workshops and conversations were held all over South Africa to plan the organising of the Rainbow Convention, through an Appreciative Inquiry process (discover, dream, design, and deliver) led by John Paisley. Key desired outcomes that emerged were that marginalised sectors within South African society should benefit from coaching as a result of the Convention, that practitioner research should enable the achievements of this coaching to be shared with the rest of the coaching community, and that the worldwide body of knowledge of coaching should be expanded as a result. Dr Paddy Pampallis Paisley suggested a "Pods" process for the practitioner research, based on the metaphor of a "seed pod" "'Pod Leaders would identify a topic to explore in the coaching field in South Africa, and lead a practitioner research process with a group of coaches, working within different sectors of society.

Training and support
A process similar to continuing professional development (CPD) was organised to train Pod participants, involving workshops in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. In May 2009 Action Learning workshops were facilitated by a team of Australian experts from the Worldwide Institute for Action Learning, to enable prospective Pod Leaders and Pod Members to create the most effective learning processes for their Pods. This had to be carefully considered to address both the opportunities and the limitations characteristic of volunteer-led projects.

In September 2009 two-day Practitioner Research workshops were facilitated by Dr Annette Fillery-Travis of the Professional Development Foundation (PDF) in the UK, now at the University of Middlesex in the UK, one of the world's leading experts on practitioner research. Pod Leaders learned how to formulate their particular topic of enquiry, carry out the practitioner research process, and write up the results.

A Research Advisory Board was set up to support the Pods, within a framework devised by Nick Wilkins. Dr Sunny Stout Rostron acted as Research Supervisor, Emma Tyrrell as Research Co-ordinator, and Dr Paddy Pampallis Paisley as Coaching Supervisor. A team of Research Advisors was constituted to review and comment on research proposals, and to provide ongoing handholding support to specific Pod Leaders on a one-to-one basis. Research Advisors include Dr Sunny Stout Rostron, Lizette Retief, Jonelle Naude, Emma Tyrrell, Karolyne Beets, and Nick Wilkins. Dr Annette Fillery-Travis acts as the moderator of the research process.

Research topics
The Pod Leaders created and refined practitioner research proposals with the help of their Research Advisors, and secured the participation of other coaches as Pod Members. Topics researched by the Pods are listed in Table 1. Since September 2009, these Pods have been working hard delivering coaching to a variety of clients, and researching the coaching process as they go. The Pod Leaders will be sharing the results of their research during the GCC Rainbow Convention in May 2011.

Table 1 Practitioner research Pods and their topics
What is the impact of maturity of leadership intent, on leadership and coaching behaviour, and how employees engage with the organisation?

The Pods experience
The level of direct participation in the Pods practitioner research process has included:

• 7 members of the Research Advisory Board;
• 12 Pod Leaders;
• 50 Pod Members;
• over 120 individual clients of coaching; and
• over 200 case study interviewees and/or survey respondents.

The above figures underline the potential multiplier effect of coaching initiatives, and hint at the impact coaching could have on society as a whole. The details of the coaching processes carried out by the Pods, and their respective impacts on their client groups, will be fascinating topics of discussion at the Rainbow Convention.

• The Pods have all experienced various highlights and lowlights along the way, due to different circumstances related to their topic, and the dynamics within the Pods themselves. During winter 2010 the Pod Leaders were asked to summarise key aspects of their research processes so far.
  
• The main challenges experienced by the Pods were described as:
  
• Finding the time to do the research, on top of other work commitments. Practitioner research can be time-consuming, and it is important to keep the scope of research projects within manageable limits. One Pod Leader underlined the amount of time required for "admin, explaining, asking, following-up" while another said she had overcome the time constraint by "working in bite sizes whenever I can"
• Needing to change their research topic, after further investigation of the topic
  .
• Finding available resources and willing participants.
• Working with peers as volunteer coaches, and maintaining commitment and momentum. One Pod Leader emphasised the importance of being "aware that I cannot control everything and can only give my best with limited resources".
• Keeping the coaching participants involved.

The Pod Leaders "greatest learnings to date were described as:

• The need to think very carefully through the theoretical background, be very clear on their research topic and expected outcomes, and know the research design before starting the field work. Re-thinking the research topic is actually a highly beneficial activity, because the more effort practitioner-researchers put into clarifying and streamlining their projects at the outset, the less difficulty they will encounter during the actual research.
  
• Not to make assumptions about people's participation.
  
• Going with the flow, as obstacles crop up, and finding creative solutions as a team. One Pod Leader has noted that "Our learning as a core group is profound and helps me with group dynamic understanding."

Key highlights of the Pods experience so far were listed as:

• The help from the Research Advisors.
• The commitment and workload that volunteers have been willing to take on.
• The opportunity to work with people who would not otherwise experience coaching. One Pod Leader emphasised "The amazing opportunity to offer coaching and personal growth for people who may not ever have had the opportunity to access this."
• The new information that has emerged from the research.
• The most significant lowlights of the Pods process were described as:
• Only having limited time to commit to the Pod.
• Difficulty in finding appropriate coaching participants.
• Finding ways to motivate Pod Members to stay involved.

Conclusion
Through all their experiences, the Pods continue to find ways through practical challenges and opportunities, to ensure that they are able to share their findings, from their consistent and rigorous process of enquiry into the practice of coaching in South Africa. As all those involved are volunteers, their commitment is admirable, and we wish them further success as they discover more about their passion and interest in their chosen research topics. Watch this space - there will be unique gems of wisdom to share at the GCC Rainbow Convention in May 2011!