Understanding the coaching process: A framework for social analysis

Despite the recent increase of research into coaching, the essential social and cultural nature of the process has received little attention. The purpose of this paper is to suggest a framework for undertaking a social analysis of coaching. Specifically, the case is made for analyzing coaching using three interrelated concepts-role, interaction, and power-in order to critically interrogate coaching practice. We argue that, while not exhaustive, such an analysis can reveal the importance of key, but often underplayed, components of the coaching process, including social and cultural contexts, personal experiences, personal philosophies, professional practice, and the ways in which they are interconnected. The paper is thus grounded in the belief that recognizing and understanding the social sphere of the coaching process is a necessary step toward understanding coaching practice and using that understanding to support coaches more effectively.