A Hint of This and a Pinch of That: Theories That Inform Coaching and Consulting

This paper explores five theories that inform the academics and practice of organizational consulting and executive coaching: multi-dimensional executive coaching, adult transformational learning, emotional intelligence, cognitive behavior theory, and positive psychology. I discuss themes within these theories including the use of self as a tool to understand organizational environments, examination of the individual through the lens of systemic forces, establishment of positive perspectives, and the importance of qualifying and quantifying coaching outcomes. I argue that by using these theories and themes as intervention frameworks and processes, consulting and coaching models and practices can be flexible, grounded in construct, and organizationally integrated in terms of the client and the coach.