how to
Contribute

How can I contribute as a coach?

And how do I benefit from it?

Did our project spark your interest? Do you want to find out more about questions and questioning sequences in coaching? Or about how you can successfully use questions in your own coaching conversations? Do you want to advance coaching research and gain direct insights into empirical research and its outcome?

In this case, we invite you to take part in our project and provide us with recordings of your coaching processes and data related to the participants (sociodemographic data). In doing so, you contribute to a sound and professional data basis that enables us to gain a comprehensive empirical picture of questions in (German-speaking) executive coaching. For the purpose of this project, we will ask you to video record all sessions of (at least) one entire coaching process. The recordings are made by the coaches themselves so that no third parties interfere with the coaching process. Your approach to coaching or your coaching expertise are not evaluated at any time.

If you would like to contribute to the project, or if you have further questions or suggestions, please contact Prof. Dr. Eva-Maria Graf via e-mail (eva-maria.graf@aau.at) or by phone (+49 176 800 32 719). You can also send an e-mail to our project address: quesco@aau.at. Furthermore, we have put together some FAQ and would invite you to read them below:

Do I receive support during my participation in the project?

Yes, we support and accompany you throughout the entire process:

  • We will schedule an initial meeting (via phone or online) with you. In this meeting, we explain the entire process and answer all your open questions or the questions of your clients.
  • If you wish, we can also talk to your clients to answer their questions about the project in the best possible way.
  • We will provide you and your clients with handouts containing all relevant information (see download area below).
  • You will receive all necessary documents from us (questionnaires, consent forms, forms for meta-data) as well as a checklist that guides you through the entire procedure (see download area below).
  • You will be provided with the necessary technical equipment for your audio/video recordings (camera, tripod, audio-recording device etc.) and detailed instructions, sent to you via courier. In case of online coaching, we can assist you when it comes to choosing an appropriate recording program.
  • We will assist you via e-mail and/or phone whenever questions or problems arise.
Is participation voluntary? May I (or my client) withdraw consent?

Your and your client’s participation is, of course, voluntary. Both your own as well as your client’s consent are necessary. Both you and your client can withdraw consent in writing at any time without giving reasons. For this purpose, simply send an e-mail to eva-maria.graf@aau.at and/or quesco@aau.at.

What are my personal benefits for participating in the project?

In addition to the benefits for our empirical research, you can profitably use the recordings of your coaching processes for your own work as a coach: You may reflect on your sessions yourself, discuss them in the context of a supervision, or review them with your client as an additional input for your joint work.

You may receive detailed and exclusive feedback regarding your interactions with clients from members of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (Department of Applied Psychology).

You may also take part in an exclusive workshop (carried out by our project management and staff) dealing with questions and questioning practices in coaching.

Upon request, we are happy to mention you by name on our website.

Needless to say, we are happy to keep you informed about the progress of our research project, send you interim results, and personally provide you with the final findings.

Do I have to fulfil certain requirements to take part in the project as a coach?

In order ensure data comparability, we are looking for executive coaches…

  • with 3 years of experience or 30 completed processes.
  • with a certified training (DBVC, BSO, EMCC, ICF, etc.).
  • who work with a systemic solution-oriented approach.
  • who offer online and/or face-to-face coaching.
  • who offer coaching in German and/or English.
What happens with my/my client’s data?

For the project, we collect the following personal data:

  • personal data about you and your client (sociodemographic data),
  • audio and video recordings of coaching processes

The data is stored on (maximally secure) electronic data carriers as well as in paper form at the Leibniz Institute for the German Language in Mannheim (for a maximum of ten years). We know that recordings of coaching processes are extremely sensitive data that must be kept confidential. Therefore, all data is thoroughly anonymized. This means that names or other information that would enable the direct identification of a single person are anonymized or (in audio and video recordings) disguised or replaced by white noise. In doing so, we adhere to corpus creation and monitoring procedures developed in accordance with the strict guidelines of the German Research Foundation (DFG).

The data is only made available to a limited group of researchers. In its anonymized form, the data is used exclusively for academic research and teaching purposes (i.e., as a basis for the research project, for teaching or training of young scientists, at scientific conferences, and in publications). The data may not and will not be passed on to third parties for other purposes than the ones stated above!

Is the protection my personal data an important issue?

The project management takes all appropriate steps to ensure the protection of your data in accordance with European Union data protection standards. The data is protected against unauthorized access. The original data is saved for a maximum of ten years and deleted afterwards.

You have the right to request information about your stored personal data from the project management at any time. Furthermore, you may request the correction of inaccurate data as well as the deletion or restriction of its processing.

Who do I contact in case of technical malfunctions, problems with the technical equipment (recording, transfer) or the data upload?

Should there be any problems or malfunctions prior to, during, or after the recording of your coaching session, you can contact the following emergency number at any time: +43-676-5451988.

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