Your job, as an evolutionary coach, is hugely significant: it is to support the evolution of human consciousness by helping your clients accelerate their growth and development.
A Framework of Human Development
Evolutionary coaching is not about coaching per se, it is about the framework of human development that coaches need to be familiar with in order to facilitate the full emergence of their client’s potential; not just helping people become more proficient at what they do, but helping them participate in their own evolution, the evolution of their organisations; the evolution of our global society and the evolution of our species.
The major difference between evolutionary coaching and normal coaching lies not in the skills and practices, but in the approach and purpose. The skills and practices needed for evolutionary coaching are the same as those used in all other forms of coaching: connecting, listening, clarifying expectations and objectives, suspending judgement, identifying feelings and beliefs, etc. What is different, is the understanding that the framework of psychological development brings to the process of coaching. Without this framework we would not be able to understand the deep underlying needs of our clients.
At the core of the theory of human psychological evolution are two ideas: first, we grow and evolve in stages, and second, each stage has its own specific needs. What motivates us during our lives is the satisfaction of the needs of the stage of psychological development we have reached—this is our primary motivation, and the satisfaction of the needs of the stages of psychological development we have passed through where we still have unmet needs—these are our secondary motivations.
For whatever reason and for whatever period of time our secondary motivations predominate our primary motivation, we become arrested in our evolutionary development. While our conscious awareness is focused on satisfying our secondary motivations, we cannot focus on our primary motivation.
The major difference between evolutionary coaching and normal coaching lies not in the skills and practices, but in the approach and purpose. The skills and practices needed for evolutionary coaching are the same as those used in all other forms of coaching: connecting, listening, clarifying expectations and objectives, suspending judgement, identifying feelings and beliefs, etc. What is different, is the understanding that the framework of psychological development brings to the process of coaching. Without this framework we would not be able to understand the deep underlying needs of our clients.
At the core of the theory of human psychological evolution are two ideas: first, we grow and evolve in stages, and second, each stage has its own specific needs. What motivates us during our lives is the satisfaction of the needs of the stage of psychological development we have reached—this is our primary motivation, and the satisfaction of the needs of the stages of psychological development we have passed through where we still have unmet needs—these are our secondary motivations.
For whatever reason and for whatever period of time our secondary motivations predominate our primary motivation, we become arrested in our evolutionary development. While our conscious awareness is focused on satisfying our secondary motivations, we cannot focus on our primary motivation.
The Seven Stages ofPsychological Development
For example, if you have unmet needs regarding your security or your sense of achievement at the differentiating stage (secondary motivations), you will find it difficult to master the needs of the individuating stage of development (primary motivations) or any other stages of development above the individuating stage.
When we are able to satisfy our needs we experience a sense of internal stability and external equilibrium. We feel aligned and comfortable in ourselves and we feel aligned and comfortable with those around us and with our environment. When we are unable to satisfy our needs we experience either internal instability or external disequilibrium. We feel misaligned and uncomfortable in ourselves or we feel misaligned and uncomfortable with those around us or with our environment.
Most people have no idea about what stage of psychological development they are at, what stages they have passed through, or what stages they still need to master to find fulfilment in their lives. The only criteria they have for making choices are: what makes them feel happy in the moment, or what gives their life a sense of meaning and fulfilment.
To learn the fundamentals of becoming an evolutionary coach, you may wish to consider taking the Barrrett Academy’s An Introduction to Evolutionary Coaching E-Learning Course.
When we are able to satisfy our needs we experience a sense of internal stability and external equilibrium. We feel aligned and comfortable in ourselves and we feel aligned and comfortable with those around us and with our environment. When we are unable to satisfy our needs we experience either internal instability or external disequilibrium. We feel misaligned and uncomfortable in ourselves or we feel misaligned and uncomfortable with those around us or with our environment.
Most people have no idea about what stage of psychological development they are at, what stages they have passed through, or what stages they still need to master to find fulfilment in their lives. The only criteria they have for making choices are: what makes them feel happy in the moment, or what gives their life a sense of meaning and fulfilment.
To learn the fundamentals of becoming an evolutionary coach, you may wish to consider taking the Barrrett Academy’s An Introduction to Evolutionary Coaching E-Learning Course.
