ALL ABOUT EXECUTIVE COACHING

EXECUTIVE COACHING

Executive Coaching is a great opportunity for development of senior executives and ‘high potential’ employees in any company. Companies (often the human resources department) recommend a coach to an executive as a part of an executive development program. The pupil – called a ‘coachee’ - in coaching parlance - usually a senior level executive or an employee who has demonstrated high potential, could be newly promoted, be facing a number of challenges or getting groomed for larger roles.

What IS Executive Coaching?

An executive coach is a qualified professional that works with executives to help them gain self- awareness, clarify goals, achieve their developmental objectives unlock their potential or act as a sounding board.

Coaches are not consultants or therapists. They usually refrain from giving advice or solving their client’s problems. Instead, they ask questions, and engage in deep listening, to help executives clarify and solve their own problems.

Why should executives hire a Coach?

 In today’s demanding business environment (cost pressures, flatter organizations, more direct reports, time pressures etc.) executives are unable to devote time and energy to their own development as leaders. They are too busy to step back and learn from their experiences or to implement changes that constitute best practices.

Executive coaching is chosen to develop executive level skills, and to address developmental and growth needs which impact the entire organization.

There are other reasons for hiring coaches. In a study conducted by Diane E. Lewis in the US, respondents identified a variety of reasons for hiring coaches. These reasons, along with the percentage of respondents citing that reason, are as follows:

• To develop the leadership skills of high-potential individuals (86%).
• To improve the odds that newly promoted managers would be successful (64%).
• To develop management and leadership skills among their technical people (59%).
• To correct behavioral problems at the management level (70%).
• To help leaders resolve interpersonal conflicts among employees (59%).

Who gains from coaching and how?

It is common belief in organizations that once an employee reaches executive or senior status, they will be able to, on their own act under pressure, be an effective leader, impact change, and keep their skills sharp and current. While most executive eventually get there on their own, the engagement of a coach will exponentially reduce the time taken to get there, and increase the ability of the executive and the company to sustain the change.

Benefits accrue in the form of enhanced executive learning, increase in leadership effectiveness and gains in corporate performance. Not only do executives improve themselves, they have a substantially greater impact on their organization. Benefits to the organization are many – enhanced individual and organizational performance which impacts organizational culture. This furthers the reputation of the organization in the industry, improves employee morale, creates a positive work environment, and increases productivity.

Coaching can actually be an organization’s competitive edge.

What impacts the coaching outcomes?

‘Coachability’ is the number one success factor to consider. Coachability means, how favorably an executive is disposed towards recognising the need to change, wanting to change, taking responsibility for bringing about the change, being open to feedback and using the feedback to bring about change, and be willing to be held accountable to the commitment. Unless the executive is ‘coachable’ (and coachability can be assessed prior to to the coaching process), no change of the executive will occur, regardless of how experienced or competent the coach might be.

Organizations must be in favor of, and agree to provide resources to support the executive coaching. They need to recognize that it requires a long term investment in order to see sustainable changes as an outcome of coaching. Also, personal development of executives, and performance should be kept separate.

Coaching style preference is also a factor. Since a coach and an executive actually enter into a ‘relationship’ style preferences and compatibility can impact outcomes. The coach and the executive need to agree on how the former prefers to receive help, what they want to focus on, etc.

Competency of the coach is an important factor impacting coaching outcomes. At the very least, a coach should be educated, trained as a coach and certified. The coaching process the coach follows should enable the executive to set and action plan in order to change behavior and must include a process to measure the change.