The Art of Self-Coaching @StanfordBiz Fall 2016 Syllabus

COPYRIGHT ©2016 Ed Batista. All rights reserved. Page 1
The Art of Self-Coaching / OB 527
Fall 2016 Syllabus
Ed Batista
Photo by Seth Anderson
1. CONTACT INFORMATION
Instructor: Ed Batista
Email, phone, and text all work equally well. I’m generally available 8:00am-6:00pm daily.
Sign up for 1:1 coaching sessions:
Faculty Assistant:
2. MEETING TIME AND LOCATION: Thursdays, 8:00-9:45am, Zambrano 301 (Z301)
3. CLASS SESSIONS
Sept 29, Oct 6, Oct 13, Oct 20, Oct 27, Nov 3, Nov 10, Nov 17, Dec 1, Dec 8
Note that the first session is mandatory. Registered students and students who hope to come off
the wait-list must attend this session to remain in the course.

4. COURSE OVERVIEW
In 2009 a student who was about to graduate said to me, "Being coached at the GSB helped me grow
over the last two years, but after I leave school and no longer have access to these resources, how will I
continue to coach myself?"
This course is an attempt to help you answer that question. I define self-coaching as the process of
guiding our own growth and development, particularly through periods of transition, in both the
professional and personal realms. In this course you'll explore a range of practices and disciplines
intended to help you build on what you've learned about yourself over the last two years and continue
that process after graduation.
While this is a self-directed process, it's not a solitary one, and each week you'll work with classmates
in pairs and small groups, so be prepared to discuss meaningful personal issues with your fellow
students.
Classes will consist of a mix of short lectures, exercises, small group discussions, and coaching
conversations in pairs.
5. GRADING
Grades will be determined through attendance, weekly assignments, and a final paper, each discussed in
detail below. This course may be taken Pass/Fail with my permission. I will adhere to the GSB’s required
class GPA of 3.45, but I may deviate from the recommended grade distribution.
5.1. Attendance
Because every class session involves extensive interaction with other students, missing a class
would negatively affect those students’ learning. As a result, you are obligated to attend every
class session. An unexcused absence will lower your grade a full level, and more than one
unexcused absence may result in a U. For students taking the class Pass/Fail, an unexcused
absence may result in a failing grade. As noted above, attendance at the first session is
mandatory in order to remain enrolled in the course.
There are no exceptions for interviews, recruiting trips, compressed classes, weddings, family
events, or other unexcused absences. Please check your calendar to confirm that you can fulfill
this requirement of the course.
5.2. Weekly Written Assignments (80%)
You’ll submit a written assignment describing your responses to the readings and your
experiences in the course in Weeks 2 through 10. The deadline for each weekly assignment is
Tuesday at 9:00pm.
The content of each weekly assignment is to be determined by you as an individual. There are
no specific questions, prompts, or requirements.

There is an 800 word limit for each weekly assignment. Identify the actual word count for your
assignment at the top of the document.
Submit your weekly assignments via Canvas, and use the following naming convention for your
documents: Last Name—First Name–Week Number.
Assignments will be graded on the four criteria described below in 5.4. Grading Criteria.
5.3. Final Paper (20%)
At the conclusion of the Quarter you’ll submit a final paper summarizing your learning for the
entire course. The deadline for the final paper is Tuesday, December 13 at 9:00pm.
As with the weekly assignments, the content of the final paper is to be determined by you as an
individual. There are no specific questions, prompts, or requirements.
There is a 2,500 word limit for the final paper. Identify the actual word count for your final
paper at the top of the document.
Use the following naming convention for your final paper: Last Name—First Name–Final Paper.
As with the weekly assignments, the final paper will be graded on the four criteria described
below in 5.4. Grading Criteria.
5.4. Grading Criteria
All written work will be graded on the following four criteria:
1. Timeliness: Points will be deducted for every hour that a weekly assignment or the final paper
is submitted after the deadline has passed.
2. Depth of Personal Learning: As the focus of this course is you and your development, written
work will be assessed on the basis of your ability to discuss how course readings, materials, and
experiences are personally relevant to you as an individual. Good written work will not be a
generic document that could have been written by any student, but, rather, a uniquely personal
discussion of lessons learned that could have been written only by you.
3. Conceptual Rigor: Written work will also be assessed on the basis of your ability to reference
and interpret various concepts presented in course readings and materials. Good written work
will not simply recapitulate this conceptual material, but instead will employ it to make sense of
your experience in the course.
4. Overall Quality: Finally, written work will be assessed on the basis of overall quality, which is
not limited to but will specifically include clarity, cogency, and creativity. This course isn't a
composition class, but I view quality as a proxy for the effort you're putting into the process.

6. COURSE SCHEDULE
Concepts, objectives and readings for each class session are briefly described below. Links are included
where readings are freely available online, and other readings can be downloaded as PDFs from Canvas.
CLASS 1: BEGINNINGS (Thursday, September 29, 2016)
Concepts
 Eustress (Hans Selye) and the neuroscience of “joyful education” (Judy Willis).
 Positive psychology (and its downside).
 Coaching as a form of interpersonal support.
Objectives
 Provide an overview of the course.
 Create an environment that supports learning and growth.
 Understand basic principles of coaching.
 Form Personal and Professional Partnerships.
Readings
 Neuroscience, Joyful Learning and the SCARF Model,
http://www.edbatista.com/2010/05/learning.html (Ed Batista)
 Pursuing the Good Life (Christopher Peterson)
o Chapter 1, pages 3-6: “What Is Positive Psychology, and What Is It Not?”
o Chapter 4, pages 14-17: “Blaming the Science Versus Blaming the Victim”
 How Great Coaches Ask, Listen, and Empathize, https://hbr.org/2015/02/how-great-coaches-
ask-listen-and-empathize (Ed Batista)
 Helping (Edgar Schein)
o Chapter 3, pages 30-47: “The Inequalities and Ambiguities of the Helping Relationship”
 Humble Inquiry (Edgar Schein)
o Chapter 3, pages 39-50: "Differentiating Humble Inquiry from Other Kinds of Inquiry"

CLASS 2: CHANGE (Thursday, October 6, 2016)
Concepts
 Model of change (Kurt Lewin and Edgar Schein).
 Grit (Angela Duckworth).
 Mindset (Carol Dweck).
 The complex effects of goal-setting.
Objectives
 Reflect on changes experienced while at the GSB and your personal approach to change.
 Identify goals, hopes and expectations for your remaining time at the GSB.
 Consider implications of these concepts for your career after graduation.
Readings
 Why Change is Hard, http://www.edbatista.com/2014/12/why-change-is-hard.html (Ed Batista)
 Blocking and Tackling (Fundamentals of Change), http://www.edbatista.com/2012/01/blocking-
and-tackling.html (Ed Batista)
 True Grit, http://psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/2013/april-13/true-
grit.html (Angela Duckworth and Lauren Eskreis-Winkler)
 The Key to Success? Grit [6-minute video],
https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit?language=en
(Angela Duckworth)
 Fixed vs. Growth: The Two Basic Mindsets That Shape Our Lives,
http://www.brainpickings.org/2014/01/29/carol-dweck-mindset/ (Maria Popova)
o A discussion of the work of Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck.
 Babies, Bathwater and Goal-Setting, http://www.edbatista.com/2012/12/babies-bathwater-
and-goal-setting.html (Ed Batista)
 OPTIONAL: Is Grit Overrated?, http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/05/is-grit-
overrated/476397/ (Jerry Useem)
 OPTIONAL: Angela Duckworth Responds to a New Critique of Grit,
http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/05/25/479172868/angela-duckworth-responds-to-a-
new-critique-of-grit (Anya Kamenetz)

CLASS 3: ATTENTION (Thursday, October 13, 2016)
Concepts
 System 1 and System 2, cognitive effort, ego depletion (Daniel Kahneman).
 Mental control (Daniel Wegner).
Objectives
 Consider the importance of attention as a resource.
 Understand the different modes of thinking in Kahneman’s framework.
 Consider difficulties in the process of mental control.
 Begin to explore the relationship between attention and emotion (the topic of Class 4).
Readings
 Thinking, Fast and Slow (Daniel Kahneman)
o Chapter 1, pages 19-30: “The Characters of the Story”
o Chapter 2, pages 31-38: “Attention and Effort”
o Chapter 3, pages 39-49: “The Lazy Controller”
 White Bears and Other Unwanted Thoughts (Daniel Wegner)
o Chapter 1, pages 1-18: “Mental Control”
 OPTIONAL: To Stay Focused, Manage Your Emotions, https://hbr.org/2015/02/to-stay-focused-
manage-your-emotions (Ed Batista)
 OPTIONAL: Growth, Profitability, and Return on Attention,
http://www.edbatista.com/2015/02/return-on-attention.html (Ed Batista)
 For further reading:
o Thinking, Fast and Slow (Daniel Kahneman)
 Chapters 4-9, pages 50-105
o White Bears and Other Unwanted Thoughts (Daniel Wegner)
 Chapters 4-7, pages 58-140

CLASS 4: EMOTION (Thursday, October 20, 2016)
Concepts
 Emotional style (Richard Davidson).
 Nine prefrontal functions (Daniel Siegel).
Objectives
 Reflect on your Emotional Style and its impact on your life and career.
 Identify strengths to maintain and potential changes to consider.
Readings
 Emotional Style Assessment (Richard Davidson)
 Emotional Style Assessment Scoring
o Download and complete the assessment (consisting of 60 true/false questions), and
download and complete the assessment scoring BEFORE doing this week’s readings.
o You will not be required to share your results, but bring a copy to class.
 The Emotional Life of Your Brain (Richard Davidson)
o Chapter 1, pages 1-12: “One Brain Does Not Fit All”
o Chapter 3, pages 43-65: “Assessing Your Emotional Style”
 Mindsight (Daniel Siegel)
o Introduction, pages ix-xvi
o Chapter 2, pages 23-44: “Crepes of Wrath: Mindsight Lost and Found”
 OPTIONAL: Developing Mindful Leaders for the C-Suite, https://hbr.org/2014/03/developing-
mindful-leaders-for-the-c-suite/ (Bill George)
 OPTIONAL: Meditation is a WORKOUT, Not a BREAK,
http://www.edbatista.com/2015/08/meditation-is-a-workout-not-a-break.html (Ed Batista)
 For further reading: The Emotional Life of Your Brain (Richard Davidson)
o Chapter 4, pages 67-90: “The Brain Basis of Emotional Style”
o Chapter 11, pages 225-252: “Rewired, or Neurally Inspired Exercises to Change Your
Emotional Style”

CLASS 5: HAPPINESS (Thursday, October 27, 2016)
Concepts
 Sources of happiness and hedonic adaptation (Sonja Lyubomirsky).
Objectives
 Understand various sources of happiness as determined by social psychologists.
 Identify “happiness strategies” likely to be most suitable for you.
 Consider the limitations of current “happiness research.”
Readings
 The How of Happiness (Sonja Lyubomirsky)
o Chapter 2 (excerpt), pages 38-68: “How Happy Are You and Why?”
o Chapter 3, pages 69-79: “How to Find Happiness Activities That Fit Your Interests, Your
Values, and Your Needs”
 Activity-Fit Diagnostic (Sonja Lyubomirsky)
o Download and complete the diagnostic AFTER completing the readings above.
o Chapter 21, pages 71-74: “Heritability and Happiness”
o Note that this short reading is essential to avoid common misinterpretations of positive
psychology research. If you find it insufficient, the optional reading by Diener below
discusses these topics in greater detail.
 VIA Survey of Character Strengths, www.viacharacter.org/survey/Account/Register
o Register at the VIA Institute site in order to complete the survey (a 120-question
instrument).
 OPTIONAL: The Science of Subjective Well-Being (Michael Eid and Randy Larson, editors),
Chapter 24, pages 493-507: “Myths in the Science of Happiness” (Ed Diener)
 OPTIONAL: Meaning Is Healthier Than Happiness,
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/08/meaning-is-healthier-than-
happiness/278250/ (Emily Esfahani Smith)

CLASS 6: RESILIENCE (Thursday, November 3, 2016)
Concepts
 Components of resilience and Resilience Quotient (Karen Reivich and Andrew Shatté).
 Neurological sources of resilience (Linda Graham).
Objectives
 Determine your Resilience Quotient.
 Identify current sources of resilience as well more effective ways of coping with setbacks.
Readings
 Resilience Quotient Assessment (Karen Reivich and Andrew Shatté)
 Resilience Quotient Assessment Scoring
o Download and complete the assessment (consisting of 56 questions), and download and
complete the assessment scoring BEFORE doing this week’s readings.
 The Resilience Factor (Karen Reivich and Andrew Shatté)
o Chapter 2, pages 31-47: “How Resilient Are You?”
o Chapter 3, pages 48-62: “Laying the Groundwork”
 Bouncing Back (Linda Graham)
o Chapter 2, pages 29-45: “How the Wiring In of Resilience Can Go Awry”
 Resilience Stories
o Download and complete this worksheet AFTER doing this week's readings.
o You will not be required to share your worksheet, but you will be conducting an exercise
that involves disclosing some aspect of your response. Bring a copy to class.
 OPTIONAL: Embracing Stress is More Important Than Reducing Stress,
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2015/may/stress-embrace-mcgonigal-050715.html (Clifford
Parker)
o A discussion of recent work by Stanford psychologist Kelly McGonigal.
 OPTIONAL: How to Make Stress Your Friend [14-minute video],
https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend?language=en
(Kelly McGonigal)
 OPTIONAL: MIND Reviews “The Upside of Stress,”
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mind-reviews-the-upside-of-stress/ (Robert Epstein)

CLASS 7: VULNERABILITY (Thursday, November 10, 2016)
Concepts
 Definitions of vulnerability and shame (Brené Brown).
Objectives
 Consider strategies for expressing vulnerability and overcoming shame effectively.
Readings
 Daring Greatly (Brené Brown)
o Chapter 2, pages 33-56: “Debunking the Vulnerability Myths”
o For further reading: Chapter 3, pages 59-111, “Understanding and Combating Shame”
 Brené Brown, Vulnerability, Empathy and Leadership,
http://www.edbatista.com/2014/08/brene-brown-vulnerability-empathy-and-leadership.html
(Ed Batista)
 Vulnerability Stories
 Meta-Emotions
 OPTIONAL: "When You Don't Like What You Feel: Experiential avoidance, mindfulness, and
meta-emotion in emotion regulation" (Horst Mitmansgruber, Thomas Beck, Stefan Höfer,
Gerhard Schüßler)

CLASS 8: UNHAPPINESS (Thursday, November 17, 2016)
Concepts
 Stoicism (Oliver Burkeman).
 Buddhist thought (Pema Chödrön).
 Logotherapy (Viktor Frankl).
Objectives
 Consider a range of approaches to dealing with setbacks and difficulties.
Readings
 The Antidote (Oliver Burkeman)
o Chapter 2, pages 23-50: “What Would Seneca Do?”
 When Things Fall Apart (Pema Chödrön)
o Chapter 11, pages 84-94: “Nonaggression and the Four Maras”
o Chapter 21, pages 177-183: “Reversing the Wheel of Samsara”
o Note that if you find Chödrön too abstract, the optional reading by Burkeman below
provides a more accessible introduction to Buddhist thought.
 Man's Search for Meaning (Viktor Frankl)
o Pages 108-115: "The Meaning of Life," "The Essence of Existence," "The Meaning of
Love," and "The Meaning of Suffering"
o For further reading: Pages 97-107 and Postscript, pages 137-154
 Sources of Unhappiness
 OPTIONAL: The Antidote (Oliver Burkeman)
o Chapter 3, pages 51-74: “The Storm Before the Calm”
 OPTIONAL: Viktor Frankl at Ninety: An Interview,
http://www.firstthings.com/article/1995/04/004-viktor-frankl-at-ninety-an-interview (Matthew
Scully)
 OPTIONAL: Pain, Suffering, and Hedonic Adaptation, http://www.edbatista.com/2015/10/pain-
suffering-and-hedonic-adaptation.html (Ed Batista)

CLASS 9: SUCCESS (Thursday, December 1, 2016)
Concepts
 Popular beliefs about success, fulfillment, and happiness, and sources of social comparison.
Objectives
 Prepare for the challenges that accompany professional struggles and success.
Readings
 This Is Water, http://www.edbatista.com/2015/05/david-foster-wallace-this-is-water.html
(David Foster Wallace)
 The Myths of Happiness (Sonja Lyubomirsky)
o Chapter 5, pages 115-143: “I’ll Be Happy When…I Find the Right Job”
 Managing Oneself Worksheet
o Download and complete this worksheet. You can explore the concepts behind it in
greater depth via the optional reading below.
o You will not be required to share your worksheet, but you will participate in an exercise
 OPTIONAL: Managing Oneself (Peter Drucker)

CLASS 10: ENDINGS (Thursday, December 8, 2016)
Concepts
 Transitions vs. changes (William Bridges)
Objectives
 Prepare for graduation, returning to full-time work, and other impending transitions.
 Acknowledge the endings of the coaching partnerships and other relationships within the class.
Readings
 William Bridges on Transitions, http://www.edbatista.com/2008/08/transitions.html (Ed Batista)
 Transitions (William Bridges)
o Chapter 4 (excerpt), pages 77-92: “Transitions in the Work Life”
o Chapter 88, pages 289-290: “Days Are Long—Life Is Short”
o Chapter 89, pages 291-294: “I Resolve to Take Benjamin Franklin Seriously”
 Partner Feedback
o Be prepared to provide both of your partners with feedback regarding their work with
you over the course of the Quarter. The worksheet above provides a suggested format,
but feel free to use any format that works for you.
 OPTIONAL: Transitions (William Bridges)
o Chapter 5 (excerpt), pages 107-123: “Endings”
o For further reading: Chapter 6, pages 133-155: “The Neutral Zone”
 OPTIONAL: A Checklist for Someone About to Take on a Tougher Job,
https://hbr.org/2015/01/a-checklist-for-someone-about-to-take-on-a-tougher-job (Ed Batista)

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