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Executive Coaching -- What it is and How it Works
Executive coaching develops the
abilities and effectiveness of business leaders. It is a three way
process that links the organization, the executive and the coach with
defined goals for the organization and the executive to be achieved as
outcomes of the process.
Executive coaching requires a close interaction between the coach and
the executive. Because coaching is not meant to provide operational
assistance to the executive, coaching generally takes place outside of
the framework of the executive’s performance of his or her duties in the
business. However, the organization’s goals, strategies and procedures
must be carefully integrated into the coaching if it is to be fully
effective.
Executive coaching is used by organizations to improve the overall
performance of the business by starting ‘at the top’. It is also used as
part of the process to groom someone for a new and more challenging
role. The use of executive coaching to simply improve an individual’s
performance in their present position is probably its least important
function. In the main it is organizationally driven.
In smaller or family firms, executive coaching can have a positive and
almost immediate impact upon the performance of an owner or senior
manager. The coach can, in fact, produce results far more effectively
than someone inside the business because of their independence and
unbiased perspective that is concerned solely with the executive’s
development.
Robert Brack, Chairman of Barker
Steel Co. Inc., summarized the outcomes of an executive coaching process
that prepared his son to take over the CEO’s position in the family
business: “For us, coaching put things on the table that might have been
difficult to do without a coach. It set up a process for going forward -
kicked off a timetable for moving the company forward.
“We had several levels of transition. Until we’d experienced it, I
hadn’t seen coaching as a process that would affect the business as a
whole, working on each level of the company. It’s a very healthy,
seamless process for leadership change.”
Factors for executive coaching success
There are four key areas that determine the success of every executive
coaching assignment:
1. The commitment given by the organization to the process.
2. The commitment given by the subject to the process.
3. The relationship between the coach and the subject.
4. The application of the coaching process.
It is the responsibility of the coach to control each of these four key
areas, beginning with gaining the organization’s commitment and carrying
through to the completion of the coaching process. Unless the coach can
successfully manage each key area the coaching process will not be as
effective as it might have been.
A Structure for Executive Coaching
Executive coaching requires a great deal of ‘backgrounding’ to prepare
the coach for their role. The structure outlined here is meant as an
example only, although when followed has achieved the desired results.
1. Before the coaching begins the coach needs to acquire an
understanding of the business itself – its procedures, goals, and
structure. Where does the executive fit into the enterprise and what
resources do they employ to contribute to reaching the goals of the
business?
2. The next step is to ascertain precisely what coaching is meant to
achieve in terms of both the organization and the executive. Complete a
comprehensive background check to acquire an understanding of the
present situation and the development required of the coaching process.
This should incorporate interviews with colleagues of the executive to
gain a better understanding of the person’s performance.
3. The third phase is to meet with the executive and begin the
establishment of the coaching relationship. There must be a framework of
mutual respect and understanding between coach and subject, particularly
from the person whom the coaching is to benefit. If the coach feels that
this respect and understanding is not going to be sufficient to achieve
the targeted outcomes it may be necessary to decline the assignment.
4. Design the coaching process, taking into account the activity’s
goals, the person being coached, and the quantum of change required to
achieve the goals of the process. Create a series of steps that will
build up to the desired outcomes, together with a realistic timeframe
for completing each step.
5. Employ the coaching process with the executive, monitoring
improvement and measuring movement towards goals. Provide feedback to
the subject so they are fully aware at all times of their progress.
There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to executive coaching. So much
depends on the personality and management style of the person being
coached that every assignment must be custom tailored to succeed.
The Timing of the Engagement
Executive coaching is not a series of regular training sessions that,
when completed, will have communicated a set volume of information. It
is instead a developmental process and depends largely on the ability of
the executive to absorb and utilize the coaching being given.
Because so much of the success of the engagement is reflected in the
performance of the organization itself, an engagement duration of twelve
months or more is not unusual.
Qualifications for Executive Coaching
Although often compared with executive training, the coaching function
is not directly related to the function of training and requires a
different combination of abilities and techniques. Executive coaching is
a highly personalized activity whereas training is generalized and
doesn’t take into account individual differences in experience and
management style.
There are as yet no formal qualifications required for executive
coaching. There are, however, a number of background elements that are
useful when providing executive coaching services, some of them formal
and others informal. These include:
• Experience in business management, preferably incorporating ownership
of a successful enterprise
• Training in psychology or a related field such as sociology
• Experience in education and/or training situations
• A clearly defined set of personal values that can be related to the
ethical conduct of any business organization
• A desire to help others and the ability to relate extensively to other
individuals on a one-to-one basis
This, in brief, is executive coaching. It is a well regarded
professional service that is gaining recognition and acceptance as a
significant element of modern business, in organizations of all sizes.
Perhaps most important is that it is a highly creative process that
depends largely on the skills of the coach for success. Applied wisely,
executive coaching will have positive results for any executive and any
organization.
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