The Coach as a Critical Friend: Applying Costa and Kallick’s Model in Local Government Leadership
- truthaboutlocalgov
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
In the complex and ever-evolving world of local government, leadership is no longer just about directing—it’s about developing. Officers who manage people are increasingly expected to support growth, foster innovation, and build resilient teams. One powerful approach to achieving this is through coaching. But not just any coaching—coaching that is grounded in trust, challenge, and reflection. This is where the concept of the critical friend, as developed by Arthur Costa and Bena Kallick, becomes especially relevant.
In this blog, we’ll explore the theory behind the critical friend model, summarise its key principles, and examine how local government officers can apply it to enhance their coaching practice and leadership effectiveness.
“A critical friend is a trusted person who asks provocative questions, provides data to be examined through another lens, and offers critiques of a person’s work as a friend.”— Costa & Kallick
This definition captures the essence of the role: someone who is both supportive and constructively challenging, helping others reflect, grow, and improve.
What Is a Critical Friend?
A critical friend is not a critic, nor simply a cheerleader. Instead, they occupy a unique space between support and challenge. They are:
Trustworthy: The relationship is built on mutual respect and confidentiality.
Reflective: They help others think deeply about their practice.
Challenging: They ask difficult questions and offer honest feedback.
Supportive: They believe in the other person’s potential and want them to succeed.
In coaching, this role is invaluable. It allows the coach to guide without directing, to question without judging, and to support without rescuing.
Key Principles of the Critical Friend Model
Costa and Kallick outline several principles that underpin the role of a critical friend. These principles are especially relevant for leaders in local government who are developing their coaching skills:
1. Trust and Safety
A critical friend relationship must be grounded in trust. Without psychological safety, honest reflection and meaningful challenge are impossible.
2. Intentional Dialogue
The conversation is purposeful. It’s not casual advice-giving, but a structured dialogue aimed at growth and improvement.
3. Constructive Feedback
Feedback is specific, evidence-based, and focused on improvement—not personal criticism.
4. Mutual Learning
The relationship is reciprocal. Both parties learn and grow through the process.
Why This Matters for Local Government Officers
Local government officers often operate in high-pressure environments where decisions affect real lives. They must lead teams, manage change, and deliver services—all while navigating political, financial, and social complexities.
In such a context, coaching becomes a vital leadership skill. But effective coaching requires more than good intentions—it requires a framework. The critical friend model offers a way to:
Build trust with team members
Encourage reflective practice
Provide honest, constructive feedback
Support professional development
Foster a culture of continuous improvement
Applying the Critical Friend Model in Coaching
Let’s explore how local government officers can apply this model in their day-to-day leadership and coaching practice.
1. Establishing the Relationship
Before any coaching can begin, it’s essential to build trust. This involves:
Being consistent and reliable
Maintaining confidentiality
Showing genuine interest in the other person’s development
Practical Tip: Start with a conversation about expectations. Clarify that your role is to support and challenge—not to judge or evaluate.
2. Asking Provocative Questions
One of the hallmarks of a critical friend is their ability to ask questions that prompt deep reflection. These are not surface-level queries, but questions that challenge assumptions and encourage new thinking.
Examples:
“What assumptions are you making here?”
“How might someone else view this situation?”
“What would success look like if you approached this differently?”
These questions help the coachee move beyond habitual thinking and explore new possibilities.
3. Providing Constructive Feedback
Feedback is a delicate art. As a critical friend, your goal is to offer feedback that is honest, respectful, and focused on improvement.
Feedback Framework:
Describe what you observed (without judgement)
Explain the impact
Suggest alternatives or invite reflection
Example:“I noticed that in the meeting, you spoke for most of the time. I wonder how that might have affected your team’s engagement. What might happen if you invited more input next time?”
4. Supporting Goal Setting and Accountability
A critical friend doesn’t just help someone reflect—they help them act. This means supporting the coachee in setting goals and holding them accountable.
Coaching Prompt:“ What’s one action you can take this week to move forward? How will you know it’s working?”
This keeps the coaching grounded in real-world outcomes.
5. Modelling Reflective Practice
As a leader, you can model the behaviours you want to see. Share your own reflections, admit when you’re unsure, and invite feedback from others.
Leadership Practice:
Hold regular reflective sessions with your team
Encourage peer coaching
Create space for learning from mistakes
This fosters a culture where critical friendship becomes the norm, not the exception.
Real-World Example: Coaching Through Organisational Change
Imagine a local government officer coaching a team leader who is struggling to implement a new community engagement strategy. The leader feels overwhelmed and unsure how to bring their team on board.
Using the critical friend approach, the officer might:
Build trust by acknowledging the challenges and expressing belief in the leader’s abilities.
Ask reflective questions like, “What’s the biggest barrier you’re facing right now?” or “How have you involved your team in shaping this strategy?”
Offer feedback such as, “It sounds like you’re carrying a lot on your own. What might happen if you shared more of the responsibility?”
Support action by helping the leader identify one small step they can take to build team buy-in.
Through this process, the leader gains clarity, confidence, and a renewed sense of purpose.
Benefits of the Critical Friend Approach
For local government officers, adopting the critical friend model offers numerous benefits:
Improved team performance: People grow when they feel supported and challenged.
Stronger relationships: Trust and open dialogue lead to better collaboration.
Greater self-awareness: Reflective conversations help leaders understand their impact.
Enhanced coaching skills: The model provides a clear framework for effective coaching.
Cultural transformation: Over time, this approach can shift organisational culture towards learning and continuous improvement.
Challenges and Considerations
While the critical friend model is powerful, it’s not without challenges:
It takes time: Building trust and engaging in deep dialogue requires commitment.
It requires skill: Asking the right questions and giving feedback constructively takes practice.
It can be uncomfortable: Challenging conversations are not always easy—but they are necessary.
The key is to approach the role with humility, empathy, and a genuine desire to help others grow.
Conclusion: Coaching with Courage and Compassion
Arthur Costa and Bena Kallick’s concept of the critical friend offers a compelling vision for what coaching can be—supportive yet challenging, reflective yet action-oriented, personal yet professional.
For local government officers who manage people and want to develop as coaches, this model provides a practical and principled approach to leadership. It encourages us to listen deeply, speak honestly, and believe in the potential of those we lead.
As Costa and Kallick remind us:
“A critical friend is not just a colleague, but a catalyst for growth.”
In a sector where the stakes are high and the challenges are complex, becoming a critical friend may be one of the most powerful contributions a leader can make.
Comments