Narrative Conflict Coaching

Abstract

Conflict coaching is a relatively new concept, derived from the domain of executive coaching. The concept has gained a foothold in the conflict resolution literature.à There have been references made to a narrative practice of conflict coaching but it has not been articulated as fully as it might be.à Here we seek to describe such a practice in relation to Foucaultââ¬â¢s concept of the care of the self and Deleuzeââ¬â¢s concept of the event.à We also outline Deleuzeââ¬â¢s approach to the reading of time as chronos and aion and show how these different readings might be put to use.à A set of guidelines for narrative conflict coaching are proposed and transcribed conversation is provided as a case study to illustrate the process in action.à In this conversation, the conflict coach asks questions which lead the client through an exploration of the series of events that make up the conflict story, the externalizing and deconstructing of this conflict story, and the opening of a counter story as a basis for the clientââ¬â¢s preferred future conduct in relation to the conflict. à