Advice-related activities by the coachees

Unsolicited advice

Unsolicited advice is advice given on the basis of self-selection (cf. Limberg and Locher 2012; Excerpt 10.4):

Excerpt 10.4:

1 K: (touching another rock) this is this is gonna be a challenge this (-) this will be 2 C: another idea may these clients (touching the first rock) (-) have also project

work.

In Excerpt 10.4 (coaching 1) Coach I offers advice without a direct request by the coachee.

Advice following direct requests

This subcategory represents the counterpart to unsolicited advice. Advice may follow a direct request by the coachees, as exemplified in Excerpt 10.5 (coaching 2):

Excerpt 10.5:

1 B: do you have any tips as far as (-) how I can, I don't know, (2s) distinguish myself from other people whether it be: s-, how I have my resume::, o::r (…) cover letter, (3s) cause I (-) I have a feeling if you DON'T have a personal contact, nowadays, most of the time it's like (grimacing) u:::h (gesture as though she was throwing something away) chhk-

2 C: yes. this is wh- (-) this is my tip. (…) just to g- (-) ah to get the tips ah to get the job, 'hh or another job, 'hh a::h, via (-) networking, a:nd not via uhm (-) well offered jobs. [somewhere.]

As established by Heritage and Sefi (1992; cf. Section 5.6), a request for advice legitimises the ensuing advice to a high degree by establishing its relevance.

2. Advice-related actions by the coachees Definition of action type

Request for advice Coachee asking the coach for his/her opinion or for advice

Agreeing with advice Coachee expressing agreement with a piece of advice

Positive evaluation of advice Coachee giving an explicit positive evaluation of a piece of advice

Complementing advice Coachee processing a piece of advice by the coach in such a way that he/she continues the line of thought with a complementary idea

Taking up advice Coachee taking up a piece of advice by the coach at a later point

Asking questions about advice Coachee asking questions of clarification about a piece of advice

Giving advice to oneself Coachee giving advice to herself

Table 10.3: Advice-related actions by the coachees

Request for advice

As has been established, participation in a coaching session implies that a coachee is principally willing to receive advice by the coach (cf. Section 4.2). Nevertheless, in some situations the coachees may ask the coaches for their opinions on particular issues and questions directly, thus prompting solicited advice (cf. Section 10.1.3; Excerpt 10.6).

Excerpt 10.6:

1 O: 'hh but I, (-) do you think I'm wrong to think, (-) that's Germans ahm expect (-) uhmm (-) a high level of credentials?

In Excerpt 10.6 (coaching 5) the coachee directly asks Coach III for her opinion.

Agreeing with advice

Most of the subcategories in Table 10.3 typically function to appreciate advice. The simplest way to produce such a reaction is by agreeing with advice. In Excerpt 10.7 (coaching 2) the coachee Bobbie uses two agreement tokens (right; yeah) and a gestural act (nodding) to express her agreement with the coach’s advice:

Excerpt 10.7:

1 C: because, personal contact is always the best 2 B: right. (nodding) (3s) [yeah.]

In contrast to agreement tokens, mere backchanneling signals, or continuers are not interpreted as signalling agreement with advice in my framework (cf. Sections 5.5; 9.1 and 9.2). It can be difficult to draw the line between backchanneling and agreement – many cases are inherently ambiguous with respect to this issue. Yet as a rule, the context must be taken into consideration when determining instances of agreement with advice. For example,

if the coachee Pauline in coaching 4 only employs nodding as a backchanneling signal over long stretches of time, the use of the discourse marker yeah at the end of an argument by the coach must regarded as marked. Also, when backchanneling signals are repeated, they can be read as agreement with advice.

Positive evaluation of advice

This subcategory contains explicit praise of instances of advice (cf. Sections 5.5; 9.1 and 9.2). In Excerpt 10.8 (coaching 1) Kate assesses a piece of advice by Coach I:

Excerpt 10.8:

1 C: yes but ahm well (-) my (-) experience in life is ahm that it's not the subject manage the time, but to manage your energy

(…)

2 K: [I like] that phrase. I like that phrase energy management.

Slightly more implicit compliments like you’re right, or that make sense are further examples of positive evaluations.

Complementing advice

A powerful means of co-constructing solutions is through the use of complementing advice.

In this case the coachee relates back to the coach’s advice, immediately processing it and perpetuating it. In Excerpt 10.9 (coaching 2) the interactants take turns unfolding the advice:

Excerpt 10.9:

1 C: and if she (-) don't u:h make your decision depending on he:r [opinion.]

2 B: [what] she says. yeah.

3 C: yeah, [there's another opinion?]

4 B: [especially if there's drama.] (laughing)

Complementing advice is an action type that indicates cooperation and attunement between the interactants. With regard to the empathetic effort that is required to realise complements of advice, this phenomenon is related to mirroring activities. However, complements may also be used to fight for a turn, or to steer the conversation towards a different topic.

Taking up advice

Another type of reaction to advice is realised when coachees take advice up once again at a later point in the conversation. Excerpt 10.10 (coaching 1) contains a piece of advice by Coach I, who encourages Kate to take action with respect to her career. In Excerpt 10.11 (coaching 1) the coachee takes up the advice:

Excerpt 10.10:

1 C: just check it out, (2s) which possibilities are there.

Excerpt 10.11:

1 K: so I suppose (-) I'm actually (-) that kind of the gate's set. I just need to start through them.

Asking questions about advice

At times coachees ask questions of clarification about advice. This activity may signal appreciation, but it can also be interpreted as challenging (cf. Excerpt 10.12, coaching 3):

Excerpt 10.12:

1 C: (nodding) (-) hmm yeah. a::nd, (-) 'h I could observe many many leaders, during my coaching practice and even before, when I was uh an HR (= Human

Resources) consultant in a bank uh international bank, 'hh (-) and some of them struggled with their emotion. in the sense of they weren't able to bring them (opening his right hand) IN (-) the discussion.

2 R: so you think I SHOULD bring them into [discussion].

3 C: (nodding) [yes,]

4 R: and why do you think that.

In the context of Excerpt 10.12 the coachee Rachel is eager to understand what the coach advises her to do. For this reason, she does not only mirror his idea (line 2), but she also asks a question of clarification (line 4). However, in a different context her question of clarification might be read as critical of the coach’s advice.

Giving advice to oneself

Not all of the advice provided in coaching conversations must necessarily come from the coaches, although in my corpus the addressees of advice are always the coachees. Yet coachees may also give advice to themselves, which means that they come up with novel suggestions as to how they should proceed concerning their issues (cf. Excerpt 10.13, coaching 5):

Excerpt 10.13:

1 O: so I need to be actually with decision-makers,

2 C: mhm,

3 O: to be more with managers, and HR (= Human Resources) people, ‘h or I need to (-) be like, (-) (moving her head from left to right in a circle) what is that thing ugh, (2s) (expressive) D.E.F. (PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION),

As is apparent, in Excerpt 10.13 the coachee Olivia develops solutions to her problem on her own, thus giving advice to herself.

Im Dokument “I am my own worst enemy” (Seite 166-170)