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The modern world floods us with information. Conversely, though, the focused conversation between people brings about clarity.
This realization is as fundamental as it is everlasting. To sum up his teachings, Socrates of Athens said, “I can’t teach you anything; all I can do is assist you realize who you already are.”
Most people are surprised by how much coaching and mentoring have affected the automobile industry from its inception. More on this in a future issue of this newsletter.
However, in this issue, we look at the present, where we are seeing a new wave of coaching, which may indicate forthcoming jumps in industrial innovation.
I met with Dr. Friederike Redlbacher, Managing Director of Symbolon AG, to obtain a deeper grasp of current coaching approaches. She explained the relationship between art, wild creatures, and artificial intelligence as a travel companion, as well as how all of this relates to modern coaching.
Hello Friederike. Have you already coached yourself today?
Hello Steffen. In fact, I had my last coaching three days ago.
Coaching and interactive learning are becoming more popular among board members and executives, according to the DDI Global Leadership Report. Conversation becomes more vital, while e-learning courses and videos become less relevant. So coaching is popular right now, isn’t it?
Friederike: Absolutely. We are in the midst of a revolution.
Coaching was once thought to be unnecessary, but it is now widely accepted as an efficient individual training method. Access to coaching becomes a valuable resource as well as a status symbol. Coaching is now typically only available to top executives, leaders, and experts. However, in the context of change and new work procedures, it is becoming increasingly accessible to large teams.
Coaching for everyone, however, is not yet a reality.
Looking at the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, we can see that coaching is ideally aligned with the fourth target of “quality education” and the concept of lifelong learning. Individual and team coaching can also help with the eighth aim, “dignified work” in cooperative workplaces.
The time has come.
It is critical for coaching for everyone that there are enough coaches and that they are well educated. Friederike, how did you start into coaching? Was there a specific life scenario or incident that prompted you to do it?
Friederike: I am a Doctor of Business Administration with a focus on organizational development. And I enjoy coaching.
I’m interested by the moment when difficult tasks become suddenly simpler and more manageable, and the coachee realizes this.
Different forces are unleashed here than in consulting, when you are advised what to do. Coaching boosts self-efficacy, broadens the scope of activity, and aids in the discovery of one’s own potential. This is even visible from the outside, as seen by an erect stance or bright eyes.
It’s about having ideas and having the confidence to put them into action.
My goal is that coaching will become more widely used, and this is where I am most enthusiastic.
Coaching might range from “Ted Lasso Football Coach” to “Agile Coaches” who teach agile approaches. Symbolon employs art in an unusual way. Could you kindly explain this? What is the significance of symbols? Why do we require art? What does this have to do with coaching?
Friederike: The phrase “coaching” is broad and unprotected.
When I refer to coaching, I mean professionally guiding working individuals in order to assist them in resolving professional challenges and developing new methods.
We have specialized in professional coaching using symbols and visual resources since 1996. We employ works of art in our mentoring to address deeper difficulties. These pictures operate as a conduit for the coachee to connect with their unconscious half.
Let me illustrate this with an iceberg: the section of the iceberg that is visible above the water’s surface is clearly identified. On the surface, we may talk about and look at many topics. But if I want to discover what caused confrontations with bosses or co-workers, and where the real problems are, I need to go deeper. To locate potentially unconscious trigger sites, I must dive in and examine beneath the surface of the water.
Because these are unconscious concerns, bringing about this transformation will be difficult.
“Let’s look at the unconscious concerns,” you can’t just say. To get there, you’ll need a medium. And this medium is pictures, or more precisely, particularly selected works of art that, by their symbolism, appeal to inner images and trigger themes.
Inner pictures and themes can be awakened by asking particular questions regarding the photos.
This allows us to investigate the coachee’s requirements, attitudes, desires, and viewpoints. The image is used as a mirror to reflect one’s own viewpoint on a certain work circumstance and to obtain a different, better perspective.
I recall two images: a waterfront scene with buildings, ships, and people, and a castle in the middle of nowhere. You asked me to find out how I perceived myself in the photographs.
Friederike: Our artworks have a system to depict people and relationships.
They can clarify distances and positions. By looking at and locating in such an image, we can already learn a lot about ourselves and our role in the team or project.
Making things visible helps us to discuss issues that might otherwise be impossible to express. It provides us with new ways to talk about our everyday work and the objective of working better together.
The images are true art masterpieces that are accessible to anyone. By empathizing with these visuals, I have access to issues I would not normally discuss or have direct access to.
Let’s take it a step farther. You’ve taken your approach and applied it to the field of artificial intelligence. What are your thoughts on it, and how did you come up with it?
Friederike: At Symbolon, we have been coaching for decades with a special questioning technique that makes our coaching approach unique.
We built an AI-based solution based on this strategy to cope with daily challenges such as team stagnation or disagreements. Potentials are detected and triggered as well.
We commissioned a piece of art depicting 14 safari creatures. The questioning procedure is divided into five parts in which the coachee selects an animal and focuses on its qualities in everyday life, examines alternative approaches, and generates concrete measures for himself. An algorithm taught the process to ensure safe and successful leadership.
We were surprised ourselves how well this works.
Our idea was to lead people to insights and help them overcome difficulties and take the next steps in their development. Now we have created a tool that is available at any time, around the clock, to address problems.
Steffen: You chose wild animals as symbolism. Was that intentional?
Friederike: The choice of animals was intentional because all people have a relationship with animals and can resonate with them. The safari metaphor represents the journey to new insights and ideas. Animals play a significant role in our lives, so it’s easy to make a personal connection.
You launched the product at the beginning of May 2023. Is there any feedback yet?
Friederike: Yes, we have already gotten really nice responses. The AI-led coaching method is effective, and the coachees are successful in finding new ideas. We’ve already heard from folks who have had excellent experiences with the tool. Of course, there is certainly potential for development, but the reaction has been really encouraging.
What do you think the future holds? How may this be applied in the workplace?
Friederike: We are in a new era of coaching with AI-supported tools.
AI-based coaching tools are constantly evolving and can support people with everyday issues.
However, there will still be a need for well-trained coaches who can tackle complex human problems. AI can help make coaching more accessible to humans, but there are also limits because AI can’t detect facial expressions, body language, or emotions.
In companies, AI-supported coaching can be used in personnel development.
Companies can offer coaching as an offer to their employees and provide access codes to provide support to any employee who wants to work on a topic. Trust in employees is strengthened, and coaching becomes accessible to more people.
It is a sign of appreciation to give employees 24/7 access to coaching.
Do you think AI-assisted coaching will be a given in about 10 years?
Friederike: My wish is that coaching is a matter of course, just like cutting hair. It’s not just about the external appearance, but also about how it looks inside. It’s about personal hygiene, about well-being and about being in your center. Coaching should not be an elite affair, but something that everyone can use.
Then the question might be, “Have you coached yourself this week?” And if not, then please go.
Friederike: (laughs) Yes, my last AI-based coaching was actually on Sunday. Even after many iterations and knowledge of each building block, I can still get involved in producing new ideas and surprising myself.
That’s just awesome.
That’s also the beauty of the fact that technology makes such individualized and experiential coaching approaches as yours accessible to many people. As a final question, what is your vision for coaching?
Friederike: In large organizations, people often lose a lot of energy due to friction and unnecessary coordination not part of the work.
Our coaching aims to help people get back to jobs that they enjoy and where they can provide genuine value. This helps us to cut down on losses like dissatisfaction, turnover, and a lack of clarity. Coaching assists you in identifying what is crucial for you and your professional task.
We wish to vigorously promote issues that are beneficial to all of us, as well as businesses, and will ultimately benefit society as a whole. According to research, coaching has a medium-term impact on societal changes. It is critical that we pursue personal growth opportunities since they benefit everyone.
Coaching, in my opinion, should become more mainstream.
Thank you Friederike, for an excellent conversation.
Symbolon AG has specialized in potential and human development for worldwide corporations for the past 25 years. She is the creator of the image-based symbolon method®. This coaching is especially beneficial to analytical and process-oriented businesses since it makes more use of the reflective relationship level.
The AI-based Symbolon Coaching can be booked 24/7: https://www.symbolon-safari-coaching.com/
Photo credits:
- Portrait F. Redlbacher die Fotomanufaktur
- Hafenbild: Seaport with the Embarkation of Saint Ursula, 1824, Claude Lorrain, National Gallery, London
- Safari Animals (excerpt), 2023, Thomas Moor, Symbolon AG
