Through our thirteen years of existence retain a solid core of experienced members who have ensured continuity of ideas and themes across conferences.
Should this group sound like one you might like to join, then please contact the organiser Daniel Doherty on dandoh123@gmail.com who can talk this through with you – and also direct you to existing members who can give you a flavour of our enlivening proceedings – and answer any questions you may have.
Critical Coaching Group – Member’s testimonials
- The group comprises a set of highly qualified and experienced individuals who work and research in the field of coaching – and the vast majority find the time 2/3 times a year to meet. Regularly I hear members comment that the meetings give them valuable ‘space’ to reflect and work through issues in an environment that is both challenging and supportive.
- Don’t be deterred by the name, if you want to hear about some up to date cutting edge stuff then get yourself along!
- It’s stimulating, fun, thoughtful, keeps you on your toes and gives insights into what’s going on in research into coaching
- If you want some real stimulation that has breadth and depth, fun and insight this is where you should go
- It’s probably the best CPD quite frankly that I have experienced
- more personal than a conference, more animated than a book or writing individually, goes deeper than local coaching group
- For £150 per year! The best CPD investment I have ever made.
- It is a great way to feel connected to others, learn about new ways of working, hear about important research they might otherwise be unaware of, I would also suggest they need to come to more than one session to see if it is for them,- as like anything some speakers/topics feel more relevant than others depending on your area of expertise/interest.
- Depends what your purpose and learning objectives are. Each day is different. I can share what I have gained – and given – as an example. It isn’t business development!
- The opportunity to mix with other experienced coaches and people reflecting thoughtfully on developments and research into coaching
- To have the opportunity to talk with others involved in coaching about how coaching competencies develop outside of the tick box
- Anticipation of a grown up discourse; excitement about a new network of professionals with similar interest
- I was interested to meet other fellow practitioners and learn more about where and the different ways our craft is practiced. To have a dialogue
- Looking forward to another year with CCRG, which has always been, to me, about much more than just coaching.
- The promise of a range of current coaching-related topics and an opportunity to question the researcher/presenters and discuss findings with attendees
- Two main things which are inter-connected – the intellectual stimulus and the people in the group. The group prompts me to think deeper and with more rigour. This is in large part due to the individuals in the group who draw from a rich and varied set of experiences and who are very skilled at challenging positively. I just enjoy the company of the group and the debates and exploring new territory.
- Dan’s enthusiasm and curiosity
- The knowledge that I will be in the company of some very interesting people and will have my horizons expanded
- This group offers something I don’t get elsewhere
- The variety, Daniels welcoming nature, the depth of discussion, willingness to talk through
- Daniel, of course. And the people and the breadth of knowledge/experience and willingness to share that exists in the group.
- It is an astonishingly good group, and I always come away feeling refreshed and knowing that I have learnt something even if I don’t always know just what that something is.
- Research enquiry and shared in-depth reflection with a mix of practitioners, academics, enthusiasts within and beyond the established coaching community.
- Opportunity to hear and participate in presentations of published – or near completed – pieces from known sources, and be part of that further evolution towards a new model or frame for thinking and analysis,
- Truly leading edge without pretension and with space for explanation and experimentation in an intimate, welcoming and curious group – beyond a more obvious conference audience so something new for the presenter too (not only ‘people like us’ within an institution or sector
- The work that is extremely valuable and less ‘out there’ following eg postgrad research of Joy Harcup, Sally Vanson, and most recently Jane Boston giving a fresh perspective on feedback and its impact on the coaching, which provided a platform to encourage her to write and maybe research further with new support.
- Often a day will contain an unexpected gem, in the form of a discussion or chance to ‘play’ eg Ned – something for everyone – no sense of merely filling the day – we are able to co-create an enquiry if a speaker does not show.
- Something refreshing about what happens with whom during each day is how it is meant to be and there is learning in everything, even boredom, frustration and tension within the group on rare occasions.
- Exceeded expectations – rather different from other workshops and groups I had attended.
- My first experience was very positive and I wished I known about it sooner. In fact I was very pleasantly surprised to find it suits my way of learning perfectly. A good balance of quantity, time and really different content of real substance.
- I found the participants to be intelligent, warm, enquiring, honest and delightful. And, best of all, not scary!
- It was more intense than I had expected-but on reflection a good mix of speakers and discussion.
- Topics often with broader relevance and newer thinking than the sessions many coaching groups and L&D journals at that time, and people fully engaged in exploring themes raised.
- Been sort of yearning to come back but not quite made time till now – feel as though this is a professional community I want to belong to
- Colourful!Magic magic magic
- Highlights from practitioner-researchers for me have been K StJB, S Hope, A Hodge, J Boston with immediate relevance to my practice, as well as bigger picture pieces from eg Keri on betrayal, David M on poetry in coaching.
- Sometimes the group’s fluidity can follow more extravert participants, however the inclusion of small group reflection and discussion counters that and enables everyone to voice their thoughts and questions.
- I am no longer active in CPD being retired but compared to other events when I did keep a CPD log – it is definitely in the most useful 10%
- more edge
- It has more rigor, (I run a co-coaching forum, I go to the euro-coach list conference)
- I appreciate the longevity of the group, so I enjoy catching up with colleagues and three times a year is also more frequent than other CPD activities I usually get involved with.
- Unique – as above – a mix of structure and space and ongoing applied research in the widest sense. Often stimulates follow up with related CPD actions.
- I do not engage in much coaching now but when I do, I find myself thinking of the subject matter covered in the group and this prompts me to think more critically of my coaching – helps me avoid ‘coasting’ and becoming stale. The reflective nature of the group also prompts me to reflect on matters in my personal life – often there is an indirect cross-over from the professional learning to broader life learning.
- A crucial part of my CPD – no, it’s better than that – keeps me alive and lively.
- Keeps me up to date with new research on coaching, in the loop about what’s going on professionally in the area
- Provides some real quality of discussion rather than the latest fad being subscribed to
- Much covered above – it is a pleasure to belong and have accepted the ebb and flow of my activity, passivity – or active listening. It is OK to be as well as to do in this group and there is a mix of give and gain over time I feel. Encouragement of others to participate is also a contribution, and I know I can ask for the support and challenge I need from the group within its purpose on a day. The mix of familiarity ie continuity of group relationship with new members and without cosiness I hope, and difference within it adds to the potential for creativity and I sense more in depth interaction as the years have progressed, or we are each continuing our journeys to maturity as practitioner-researchers whatever that is!
- Often a struggle to arrive during busy work periods and often a nurturing, replenishing experience with stimulating ideas that raise my energy level. My reflective capacity is often full by early/mid afternoon and later I realise the intensity of the concentrated engagement. Variety of format, pace and space is important for my learning and enjoyment.
- On the basis of the one event, it will affect my business as much as my coaching method and I’m thinking mainly of the session on feedback here. The session on the theatrical approach might not change how I do anything overtly, but being aware of that content has seeded some ideas that weren’t there before. I can’t tell when, where or how they will manifest in my thinking, but I can’t unlearn them and they will therefore become in some way part of how I think in certain situations that I hope will be useful to someone.
- I can see that it makes a link between all forms of development and has an ethos of sharing that promotes many best practices from the leadership and learning worlds
- Like many issues around coaching and counseling there are areas which we work on that help me recognize I need to look at my own “stuff” and in terms of work- it helps encourage me to take more risks in my practice, as well as recognize my strengths and experience in other areas that contribute to.No subject is beyond challenge and there is a collective mind set that is intent on exploring, gathering and examining data, and expanding established wisdom
- challenging the power structures – both in companies and in the coaching profession
- Analytic, reflective, evidence based, measuring against articulated criteria, having the intention of finding out what works
- That it is examined and questioned, and that the competencies or insights gained may well be critical to the growth of coaches
- Coaching that is bound by an unbroken thread
- My CPD tends to be variable, e.g. last year I attended quite a few courses and seminars, this year it is more voluntary work and writing, and attending networking groups has become quite rare. So for this year it was particularly complimentary to the other things I’ve been doing. I would however say that being a poor reader and finding books a difficult source of learning, it was incredibly helpful to have access to new content that came from the originator, all presented in a hour in a way that I could engage with and make sense of. This is my idea of accelerated learning!
- CCG contributes different parts of the landscape of my thinking
- Unique – as above – a mix of structure and space and ongoing applied research in the widest sense. Often stimulates follow up with related CPD actions.
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- A gathering of interesting colleagues who are typically very generous about sharing resources, and experiences and also a place to find out more about new ways of approaching coaching, thinking about self care, supervision, creativity, and how to support one another”
- It is rather special to be able to immerse oneself in a safe but challenging environment.
- I often find myself thinking – “I have never thought of that!!”
- I really value this group as a little oasis of insanity as well as sanity away from the Uni!