Keeping with the times: Coaching, culture and positive psychology

The goals of positive psychology, coaching and coaching psychology have always been the same: to help individuals achieve their best selves, whether at work or in their personal lives. Yet, how this is accomplished has also been a consistent point of contention: The models, theories and tools used to achieve such change, as well as the assumptions upon which these have been based, have been a longstanding issue in these fields. Bias and ethnocentrism are well entrenched in research and models of practice as personal and professional worldviews are difficult to shed. Yet, without careful examination of such assumptions, it remains difficult if not improbable to practise ethically, to attain coaching effectiveness and to advance the respective fields to their higher aims. In this chapter, we explore several of these issues, but, more importantly, propose concrete steps towards facilitating their resolution. The limitations of models most commonly used in positive psychology coaching, like the VIA Survey, and proposals for a wide variety of alternative coaching frameworks explicitly designed for cross-cultural contexts are also discussed.