Erik de Haan is the director of Ashridge's centre for Coaching and a senior organisation development consultant for Ashridge Consulting near London. He is also an executive near London. He is also an executive coach, supervisor and accreditor of other coaches. In his role as programme director of the Ashridge masters in Executive coaching, he draws on the content of this book in the second year of study. His previous books in English include the Consulting Process as Drama (2003) Learning with colleges (2004), Coaching with colleagues (2004) and Fearless Consulting (2006). these books have all been published in Dutch, and the latter also in Russian.
Ashridge is one of the world's leading providers of executive education. established in 1959, it has acquired an outstanding international reputation in helping to make a difference to both individuals and organisations through its combination of executive development, research and consultancy expertise. Its activities include open & tailored executive education programmes, MBA, MSc & Diploma qualifications,organisations consulting, applied research and online learning. Clients include leading organisations in the private and public sectors in the UK and across the globe.

Manfred Kets de Vries, Professor of Leadership Development, INSEAD: The author takes us on an exciting journey to explain what coaching is all about, providing us with a roadmap that is second to none. Anyone interested in better understanding what coaching is all about, would do well to have a serious look at this book. David Megginson, Professor of Human Resources Development, Sheffield Hallam University: From a vivid personal story just before the first chapter to the fascinating mass of data in the appendices, this book is a captivating read about the concrete particulars of coaching and the theoretical perspectives we can use to make sense of them. Erik de Haan makes a case for relational coaching and prescribes clearly what his research and the tradition within which it is embedded can tell practitioners in the field. Bruce E. Wampold, Professor of Counseling Psychology, University of Wisconsin: I am thrilled that there is a coaching book that emphasizes the coachee and the relationship. In Relational Coaching, Erik de Haan places the emerging profession on a strong foundation that emphasizes the interpersonal aspects of the endeavour. Relational Coaching is a radically different way of looking at coaching that puts the relationship, from the perspective of the coachee, at the centre. Exploring both age-old tradition and reliable studies in recent decades, Relational Coaching gives the modern executive coach ten commandments to help improve his or her practice. The book demonstrates how each of these commandments is underpinned by sound quantitative research. The book begins by giving a complete overview of the profession and the latest developments in coaching. The second part of the book presents new quantitative and qualitative research into effects and experiences of coaching. Part three contains an introduction to the activities that make a good coach and the mechanisms used to verify coaches understanding of their profession. Other topics covered include training, accreditation, supervision and recommended literature.