Definitions

Important and original definitions of terms in the coaching context of the Hamburger Schule:

Change
Is the wish to survive or strive for something better.

Coaching
Coaching is the context formed by the values freedom, voluntariness, provision of resources and self-control within which, with the aid of a structured coaching process related to a topic, perception is enhanced, decision-making ability is encouraged and alternative actions are initiated in order to achieve an emotionally wanted and sustainable self-learn concept of the coachee, the group or the team.

Coaching approach
A coaching approach describes the courses of action and tools through which the expectation of an outcome can be reached.

Communication context
The agreed framework for communication which respects the interests of all involved. It is the result of the self-controlled analysis of feelings, motives, needs, one’s own values and those of other people as well as the analysis of differences to other contexts.

Conflict
Conflicts are situations in which inter-dependent parties try to reach incompatible objectives or achieve plans of action. A characteristic of this is emotional tension.

Competence
Competence means being able to recognise the meaning of a context as well as differences to other contexts and to turn self-controlled coordination of all personal resources into situational-individual actions.

Concept
A concept is the definitive description of requirements for the objective-strategy-system of a topic in its context with definite intentions (action plan)

Conception
A conception is a comprehensive description of an objective, structure and action system of a topic in its context as a flexible implementation plan. (Fundamental structure with room for movement in the concrete situations).

Constructivism
In principle this is the expression for a scientific attitude to thought and insight which assumes that knowledge, findings, ideas and other content are not formed by nature but are constructed by humans as a cognitive subject.

Context
A context is an individually defined and interpreted (constructivist) thematical frame of reference to which one’s one behaviour orientates itself.

Feeling
A feeling is a physically sensed evaluation of a perception.

Intelligence
Intelligence is an individually inherited and learned structural, neuronal resource which influences the quality of cognitive, emotional or psychomotor decisions.

Intention
Intention is a need to implement a plan of action.

Leadership
The purpose of leadership is influence.

Leadership behaviour
Leadership behaviour is (definitive) situational, value-driven behaviour within a topical context.

Leadership views
Leadership views refer to influencing one’s self (self-leadership), a group influencing itself (own-leadership) and influencing another person (leadership of others).

Leadership style
Leadership is a re-occurring pattern of behaviour in various topical contexts (leadership-value-orientation)

Methods
Methods are topic-specific patterns of analysis or solutions which define a “correct” process within the context.

Mission
A mission describes values and norms, which lead and demand the behaviour of individuals and groups within a specific topical context.

Model
A model is the reduced complexity and abstract image of reality.

Motive
A motive is an unspecific reason for a certain behaviour.

Need
A need is a specific motive for a certain behaviour.

Objective
An objective is the consciously aspired satisfaction of one’s own needs at a particular point in time.

Potential
Potential is the effect that one’s own resources can have in developing competence for actions in topical context areas.

Process
The process (method) in coaching is the defined structure, with which the help or reflection on an abstract level can initiate a sustainable self-learn concept.

Self-learn concept
The creation of a self-learn concept means the ability to create and implement an objective, structure and action system within a topical context with regard to one’s own learning.

Strategy
A strategy describes an optimal fundamental approach to reaching a objective within a topical value context.

Sustainability
1. Original term from forestry for the management and sensible use of resources (trees and firs etc.)
2. Sustainability means, that the coachee is able to successfully create similar, future topical situations in different contexts from within.
According to the Hamburger Schule, the coachee can of course initiate changes by himself in appliance with his change objectives in the coaching process and stabilise his behaviour though self-reflection for topically similar contexts in the future.

Systemic
In order to describe systems in which we live accurately in their complexity, it is necessary to consider an undetermined number of parameters. The definition, meaning and interpretation of the terms system or systemic are not to be transferred or applied from the world of known scientific disciplines to the world of systemic and constructivist coaching. The sciences, in particular sociology, observe, analyse and interpret whole systems. Systems in their entirety have also an undetermined number of characteristic in these scientific disciplines = open systems, dynamic interacting of system characteristics or of these involved in their behaviour and decisions or through the character of irrationality. These are, so to say, features of systems (according to these scientific disciplines). Knowlededge of these system worlds is thus abstract. The findings from these, therefore, do not allow the individuality of a single situation in constructivist coaching. The isolated case of a coachee, him as a person and his change topic are the basis for observation and interpretation in systemic coaching under the aspect of constructivism (felt objectivity of the subject). The systems of the coachee are explanations reduced in complexity of his perception of the situation (context). Concrete perception and its description of situations, contexts or systems are only possible with a manageable number of parameters. The systems of the coachee are thus manageable.
“Systemic” in coaching means the acceptance of irreproducible unique characteristics of people, of the specific topic and the associated dynamic interactions and integration in contexts. Influential parameters in the context and between contexts (=systemic):

• Asserted values and norms
• Accepted values and norms
• Motives and needs
• Dependencies
• Interactions between people and between contexts
• Interpretation, meanings and the connection between meanings
• Time
• Complexity of parameters
• Feedback system

Talent
Talent is an individual subject-specific resource that is deemed advantageous in a definitive context.

Tools
Tools have unique characteristics – part of something definite.

Value
A value is that what is important or meaningful to a person from within a context. The axiomatic of the Hamburger Schule understands values to be the basis for behaviour in a context.

Vision
The expectation of a maximal satisfaction of one’s own needs at an unknown point in time.

Will
Will is the non-negotiable need to implement a plan of action