Executive Coaching on the Rise
Executive Coaching on the Rise
Furthermore, only a fearless few people will give them the honest, useful feedback that self-development requires. The “culture” expects them to be role models and our models are supposed to get it “right.” Showing their vulnerabilities is a “no-no,” not to be done in front of those who report to them and certainly not advised in front of competitive colleagues on their leadership team. Of course, the CEO is too busy (and often not sufficiently skilled) to help them grow interpersonally.
The fact is that many individuals arrive at the senior level with much still to learn about people. Often they bring to the executive wing styles, habits and beliefs that have worked for them since they were a supervisor. Suddenly these formulae for success no longer work and, in many cases, must be unlearned and replaced with behaviors more in line with modern leadership.
This is why so many organizations today are investing in coaching for their key leaders. The benefits from being coached stem primarily from the leverage that is obtained. When a senior leader operates with a less-than-functional style, its negative impact on performance and morale can reverberate from within the senior leadership team right out through the frontlines to the customer. The good news is that turning this individual’s style around will have the same multiplier effect in a positive direction.
What is Coaching?
Coaching is a series of periodic one-on-one consultations, usually with an external resource, over a period of time– typically anywhere from three to eighteen months. Between sessions the “coachee” (whom we will call the “client”) applies newly learned approaches at work, receives feedback, then reassesses, and refines his/her behavior accordingly. Coaching is not therapy, however, occasionally a coach may suggest counselling as a promising course of action for deeper seated issues that are blocking effectiveness. Well done coaching yields a high return on investment because the process is totally customized to the “client’s” challenges and needs and it maximizes the executive’s time off the job.
The goal of the coaching process is to generate, in the client, effective skills and attitudes that are self-sustaining, selfcorrecting and directly supportive of his or her expected performance results.
When does one engage a coach?
Usually–but not always–it is the individual’s boss who initiates the coaching intervention. Typically this is in response to a need to turn around a significant performance problem or to improve an interpersonal skill deficiency that is holding back an otherwise excellent executive. Coaching is also used to prepare someone for a promotion, generally enhance leadership potential, and provide support for a particularly challenging leadership situation (e.g. managing a major change, inheriting a new department).
On the other hand, Coaching is not always indicated. I would not take on a coaching assignment when the boss has already decided to fire or demote the individual, when there is insufficient time to generate the results required, or where the person is entering a coaching process against his/her will. This latter condition is sometimes a judgment call but my ethical and business bottom-line is that the client must buy in to the process freely and genuinely.
What should you look for in a coach?
Consider the mix of (1) skills, (2) knowledge and (3) attributes of any coaching consultant.
Critical skills are:
Look for knowledge in three areas:
The ideal attributes in the coach you select include:
I believe your coach should be someone who places a high value on–even has a passion for–the growth of others and who is willing to learn and grow himself/herself in the process. And, of course, the relationship must work for both parties, client and coach.
Some coaches are clinically trained, that is, they are psychologists or professional therapists. This is not necessary but neither is it negative. Clinicians bring a deep understanding of human behavior and effective interpersonal techniques. They are trained to recognize deeper pathology should it become evident during the process. As long as they have a solid understanding of business and organizations and they stick to coaching, certainly do consider them for coaching.
What does a coaching process look like?
Each intervention is unique but let’s look briefly at a typical sequence.
When we look to the world of athletics and entertainment we see that those who aspire to excellence understand the value of coaches. The seasoned masters in my field of professional speaking certainly use them. I have several coaching colleagues amongst whom we coach one another.
What about your key people? What about you?
Executive Coaching on the Rise - To learn more about this author, visit Ian Cook's Website.
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Isn’t it funny what we assume about leaders in senior positions. They no longer have anything to learn about interpersonal relationships or leadership. They have arrived, proof positive of their skill level!
Furthermore, only a fearless few people will give them the honest, useful feedback that self-development requires. The “culture” expects them to be role models and our models are supposed to get it “right.” Showing their vulnerabilities is a “no-no,” not to be done in front of those who report to them and certainly not advised in front of competitive colleagues on their leadership team. Of course, the CEO is too busy (and often not sufficiently skilled) to help them grow interpersonally.
The fact is that many individuals arrive at the senior level with much still to learn about people. Often they bring to the executive wing styles, habits and beliefs that have worked for them since they were a supervisor. Suddenly these formulae for success no longer work and, in many cases, must be unlearned and replaced with behaviors more in line with modern leadership.
This is why so many organizations today are investing in coaching for their key leaders. The benefits from being coached stem primarily from the leverage that is obtained. When a senior leader operates with a less-than-functional style, its negative impact on performance and morale can reverberate from within the senior leadership team right out through the frontlines to the customer. The good news is that turning this individual’s style around will have the same multiplier effect in a positive direction.
What is Coaching?
Coaching is a series of periodic one-on-one consultations, usually with an external resource, over a period of time– typically anywhere from three to eighteen months. Between sessions the “coachee” (whom we will call the “client”) applies newly learned approaches at work, receives feedback, then reassesses, and refines his/her behavior accordingly. Coaching is not therapy, however, occasionally a coach may suggest counselling as a promising course of action for deeper seated issues that are blocking effectiveness. Well done coaching yields a high return on investment because the process is totally customized to the “client’s” challenges and needs and it maximizes the executive’s time off the job.
The goal of the coaching process is to generate, in the client, effective skills and attitudes that are self-sustaining, selfcorrecting and directly supportive of his or her expected performance results.
When does one engage a coach?
Usually–but not always–it is the individual’s boss who initiates the coaching intervention. Typically this is in response to a need to turn around a significant performance problem or to improve an interpersonal skill deficiency that is holding back an otherwise excellent executive. Coaching is also used to prepare someone for a promotion, generally enhance leadership potential, and provide support for a particularly challenging leadership situation (e.g. managing a major change, inheriting a new department).
On the other hand, Coaching is not always indicated. I would not take on a coaching assignment when the boss has already decided to fire or demote the individual, when there is insufficient time to generate the results required, or where the person is entering a coaching process against his/her will. This latter condition is sometimes a judgment call but my ethical and business bottom-line is that the client must buy in to the process freely and genuinely.
What should you look for in a coach?
Consider the mix of (1) skills, (2) knowledge and (3) attributes of any coaching consultant.
Critical skills are:
- communications (interviewing, listening, feedback, summarizing)
- facilitation (including the ability both to confront and support)
- teaching
- the ability to take a systems perspective (the client does not operate in isolation but as an integral part of complex organizational systems)
Look for knowledge in three areas:
- psychology and human behavior
- business, management and organizational life
- how adults learn
The ideal attributes in the coach you select include:
- flexibility
- work experience and maturity
- self-confidence
- confidentiality
- comfort with complexity
- ambiguity
I believe your coach should be someone who places a high value on–even has a passion for–the growth of others and who is willing to learn and grow himself/herself in the process. And, of course, the relationship must work for both parties, client and coach.
Some coaches are clinically trained, that is, they are psychologists or professional therapists. This is not necessary but neither is it negative. Clinicians bring a deep understanding of human behavior and effective interpersonal techniques. They are trained to recognize deeper pathology should it become evident during the process. As long as they have a solid understanding of business and organizations and they stick to coaching, certainly do consider them for coaching.
What does a coaching process look like?
Each intervention is unique but let’s look briefly at a typical sequence.
- Coach meets with the client’s boss and the client to ascertain issues, objectives and the standards expected by the organization.
- Coach and client meet. In this meeting I particularly check out our chemistry and my client’s degree of buy-in to the overall process. Once that is confirmed, I conduct an in-depth interview with him/her to scope in detail his/her personal and work background, version of the issues, feelings, needs, concerns, and how the client currently perceives and interprets his/her world.
- Data gathering. This may involve interviews with key players in the team, the client’s direct reports, and others who interact with him/her. Often a 360 degree feedback instrument is used to obtain perceptions from the client’s boss, peers, and subordinates. Psychological measurements also can contribute a lot. I routinely use the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator© with great success. Another technique is to “shadow” the client and observe him/her in typical interactions and meetings.
- Coach compiles all this information, feeds it back to the client, and facilitates a discussion–sometimes lengthy and emotional.
- Client identifies and commits to specific objectives and deliverables for the process.
- Client develops an action plan.
- With the on-going involvement of the coach, the client implements the plan over an appropriate number of months. This is the core of the process.
- Once the plan has been accomplished, client and coach conduct a final assessment of the client’s progress against the objectives. Here we may determine the need to gather data once again to confirm others’ perceptions and experience of the progress made.
- Finally, a ninth step might be contracted where the coach checks in occasionally over the next year or so to provide on-going support.
When we look to the world of athletics and entertainment we see that those who aspire to excellence understand the value of coaches. The seasoned masters in my field of professional speaking certainly use them. I have several coaching colleagues amongst whom we coach one another.
What about your key people? What about you?
Executive Coaching on the Rise - To learn more about this author, visit Ian Cook's Website.
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team culture consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. Dianne's contribution to the 2010 Pfeiffer Consulting Journal (an imprint of John Wiley and Sons Publishers) entitled TIGERS Hearted Teams is available in November 2009. Her new book TIGERS Among Us: 5 Winning Business Team Cultures And Why, Three Creeks Publishing will release in March 2010. To receive publishing discounts, subscribe to the free TigerTracks Newsletter here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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