We are a profession whose competencies are grounded in creating trust and intimacy. Nonetheless, even with the best of intentions, psychological chains can bind us to our myths, prevent us from active listening, and compromise our coaching presence. When establishing coaching agreements, asking powerful questions or goal setting; lack of awareness of classism, socio-economic status or other barriers can impact our ability to serve our client effectively.

Coaching from a position of privilege is not only elitist, it can be counterproductive to the profession of coaching.   Unconscious bias and the impact it can have on clients is often grounded in myths associated with privilege. Unrecognized in coaching certification programs, implicit social biases can be one byproduct with unintended consequences. In short: Members from privileged groups are often unaware of and/or choose to put on blinders to the experiences of members from other groups.

Coaching from a position of privilege may marginalize, minimize and ignore the various LENS (Listen & Learn, Examine, Name and Summarize) occurring during the coach-client interaction. In some instances, coaches are looking through the LENS of centuries of socialized behavior (e.g. sex-role socialization, ethnocentrism, homophobia etc.) while building alliances with affinity groups grounded in privileges.

In this session, participants will expand on theories of coaching presence and build awareness about privilege by looking through cultural LENS related to the socialization process. Themes related to privilege, unconscious biases, intent vs impact, and cross-cultural communication will be covered in an interactive webinar format.

Lee N. Coffee, Jr. believes “…everybody brings something to the table!”  With 30 years’ experience educating, coaching and facilitating leadership development, he has helped countless leaders reach their full capability. He has held multiple positions of increasing responsibility during 24 years in the U.S. Army, ultimately serving as the Advisor to a Major General. His talents have contributed to various industries including Healthcare, Department of Justice, Financial, and Insurance, etc. His clients include C-suite professionals, physicians, nurses, judges, and non-profit organizations. As a writer, he is listed as an expert at maximizing human potential in the book titled: Conversations on Success. He contributed to Black Cowboys of Texas, published in 2000 by Texas A & M University Press, it’s recognized as the T.R. Fehrenbach Award Winner for the best non-fiction book within that year. Lee holds a Master of Arts in Education and Bachelor of Science in Psychology of Organizational Development from the University of Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas. He is a distinguished graduate of the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI), a Master Practitioner in Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and certified Laughter Yoga instructor. He lives in Houston, Texas and facilitates cultural humility, diversity and Inclusion; and strategies to address unconscious bias.