Title: Tales for Coaching
Author: Margaret Parkin
Publisher: Kogan Page
ISBN: 0749435216
Date: April 2001
Format: Paperback, 192 pages
Price: £16.99

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This book provides a new approach to a subject that most of us will be familiar with. The use of stories and metaphors in coaching is not common. Margaret Parkin tries both to justify this approach and provide stories for the coach to use, the book is split into two main sections, the first providing the why and how of the approach, the second stories that could be used.

The history and context of story-telling is briefly outlined and then related to contemporary management and psychological theories. Suggestions are also made as to how an individual can build up their own collection of stories. Then some ideas are given as to how and why a coach may want to use stories and metaphors. In particular answers are given to the questions of why we use stories with adults. Strategies both for introducing and finishing story telling are introduced.

The bulk of the second part of the book is made up of stories for the coach to use. It is divided up into five sections:

A wide range of authors are represented, from management writers such as Jim Cathcart and Stephen Covey through to children’s favourites such as A.A. Milne and Aesop. Others stories used are by authors including Margaret Parkin herself and my personal favourite Kahlil Gibran.

So does this book succeed in its aims? I would say yes. It is a well written and coherently argued. It has certainly encouraged me to address the use of storytelling and metaphors in my own coaching. In addition I will hunt out Margaret Parkin’s earlier book 'Tales For Trainers' to see if it has as much to offer.

Reviewed by Patric Devitt, Psynergy Consulting.