Professor Instructions You are required to read an article emailed by the instructor and write a brief summary around issues/concepts/findings provided in the article along with a critical reflection of the content presented in the article. Please note the difference between the summary and the critical reflection: The two are not the same. This assignment is to be a minimum of 2 pages, standard double-spaced paper format.
Course Description: The theories, principles, process skills and roles related to human resource development (HRD) and their application to the role of the internal and external consultant.
Concepts of consulting leadership roles are analyzed and discussed, with a practical application of HRD in the marketplace. This course includes discussion about the potential influence and value of HRD on groups and organizational structures
Sample of my own written work: Article Critique 1
Summary
Bond and Seneque (2013) explore the construct of coaching as a form of management compared to traditional methods of business management. The methods of this study included a review of the literature and data collection from a focus group of professionals who utilize varying management tactics in their fields. The focus group involved discussions and cognitive mapping. In the data analysis, the authors found common reemerging constructs aside from coaching including managing, consulting, mentoring, and facilitating. The primary differentiating factor found for coaching is its holistic approach to management.
Reaction
In reading the introduction to the article, I learned of the diversity in literature in defining coaching as a management construct. I find it interesting how multiple practitioners and researchers can hold varying perspectives on what seems to be a common idea. Coaching outside of business is a well-understood term. When we think of coaches, one mainly thinks of a sports leader who motivates and trains a team towards success. However, if we think of individual coaches, one may realize that a lot of diversity and varying styles of coaching exist. For this reason, I do not find it surprising that there is an assortment of ideas in literature. I believe more agreement can be accomplished by researching this concept if qualitative methods are utilized. For instances, future researchers can explore if an optimal team or company size exists for the coaching technique. Another alternate researcher method involves comparing the parallels of coaching in sports to business. I believe this research will add to the literature by identifying the timeless successful practices of coaching and finding ways to apply them to business management.
Consulting as a management construct differs from coaching, mainly due to the specific goal-oriented position of most consultants. Also, many consultants are outside individuals and lack the closeness required for a coaching relationship. This describes the leading position of the article, but I disagree with the idea that a consultant cannot be a coach. There are situations, though minimal that a consultant can double as a coach. I am not alone in this disagreement as the text provides a quote from another author describing that “when business consultants operate in a collaborative mode, using facilitative methods to bring about behavioral and strategic change, there is no difference between these participatory approaches and coaching” (Bond & Seneque, 2013, p.64). Whether internal or external, depending on the circumstances, I believe a consultant can act as a coach if they are working as a team leader on a long-term overarching project. I agree with the focus group members that describe coaching as a developmental relationship with many concerns, not just project-oriented, but personal, individual, and collectively orientated as well. For this reason, a short-term or very project-focused consultant would not be able to develop into a coach because of the absence of time and focus-variety.
After reading this article, I would like to know more about the developmental process of managing as a coach. Is there a prescribed approach or is it an authentic experience that naturally develops when specific values are in place? If the aim is to become a coach an operational definition is imperative because it is difficult to work towards an ill-defined goal. I appreciate the contribution of the article of differentiating other managerial tactics to coaching.
References
Bond, C., & Seneque, M. (2013). Conceptualizing coaching as an approach to management and organizational development. Journal of Management Development, 32(1), 57-72.
