Executive Coaching

The Myths Versus The Reality

Executive coaching is all the rage! In some organizations, every single senior executive and many managers have their own personal "coach". And yet, with all of this coaching taking place, how come many of our leaders still can't lead and many of our managers still can't manage?

The reason for the chasm between the expectations of Executive Coaching and the actual results has to do with a lack of understanding of "what Executive Coaching is" and "what Executive Coaching isn't". Let's begin with what it's not.

What Executive Coaching Is Not

• Executive Coaching Is Not an Organizational Panacea

Executive Coaching is not intended nor is it capable of curing all of an organization's woes or all of a person's warts. Do not misunderstand. Executive Coaching, when used effectively in a targeted way, can provide great benefits to an individual and to an organization. If, however, there are many things wrong in an organization, such as lack of vision, ineffective strategies, poor marketing or product development, then Executive Coaching will be an effective tool only if it is one of a portfolio of interventions that need to be made.

• Executive Coaching Is Not a Substitute for Bad Management

Poor communications, unclear expectations, under funded resourcing, and an ineffective rewards system are all problems that lead to less than optimal individual performance. One needs to make sure that the underlying causes of these problems are addressed. Otherwise, an individual will be singled out inappropriately when a more systemic solution is required.

• Executive Coaching Is Not a Substitute for Ongoing, Candid Feedback

Some organizations try to use the Executive Coach to "deliver a message" to an employee. In order for the message to be effective, it must be delivered by the one who has the most responsibility for delivering the message - the individual's direct supervisor. (Beyond the employee, the direct supervisor is the one who has the most riding on the success of the Executive Coaching intervention.) Certainly, the coach can help interpret the message and clarify its meaning. The coach can aid the individual in looking at situations more objectively and in designing and evaluating alternative approaches. Additionally, the coach can be instrumental in guiding the individual to prepare an effective Action Plan. But under no circumstance should the direct supervisor abdicate the responsibility for message delivery to someone else. (In that case, you can be sure that the direct supervisor also could benefit from a coach.)

• Executive Coaching Is Not Intended as an "11th Hour Reprieve from the Governor"

If you've let the situation go this far, it's probably too late! The Executive Coaching Process requires behavioral change to be successful and behavioral change requires time. There are situations in which after the very first meeting between the coach and the employee the supervisor asks, "Is he or she fixed yet?" Although the Coaching Process should be time limited (it is not intended as career-long hand-holding), it should also not be a game of "beat the clock".

• Executive Coaching Is Not Psychotherapy

Not much discussion is required here. Executive Coaching can be helpful in situations where an individual needs guidance in how to handle issues relative to a business setting. Although there can be applications to other settings, the Coaching Process is not intended to be therapy for deep-seated problems.

So after all of that information on "what Executive Coaching isn't", it's time to get at "what Executive Coaching is".

What Executive Coaching Is

• Executive Coaching Is a Proccccess

That's not a typo. Executive Coaching entails "a process with 4 C's".

‚ The "first C" is Commitment on the part of the individual to be coached. The individual needs to commit to seeing him or herself objectively, "owning his or her part of the problem", and working at designing and implementing action items on a daily basis. So, the individual needs to commit not just to learn something new but also to implement something new.

‚ The "second C" is Commitment on the part of the direct supervisor. The direct supervisor needs to be objective in the problem definition stage, to provide candid feedback and to encourage the individual to implement and sustain behavioral changes.

‚ The "third C" is Commitment on the part of the organization to see the individual in a new way. The individual needs time and space to apply their learnings. If the organization cannot be open to seeing someone in a new way, then the individual will be "playing against a stacked deck" and no amount of improvement will be good enough.

‚ The "fourth C" is Consequences - both positive and negative. Individuals change for two reasons - to receive a reward or to avoid a punishment. Individuals who engage in the coaching process need to be rewarded for exhibiting appropriate behaviors. By the same token, if behavior does not change, then the individual must know that there will be adverse consequences of some sort.

• Executive Coaching Is an Investment

Executive Coaching requires time and effort on the part of the individual. It also represents an investment by the organization in the individual. By providing coaching, the organization has clearly stated that the long-term benefit of the effort clearly surpasses the short-term cost.

• Executive Coaching Is Hard Work for the Individual

Many of our behaviors are the result of years of repetition. Oftentimes, behaviors that were rewarded, or at least accepted, in the past are now having their appropriateness questioned. Inertia, however, is an extremely powerful force! It takes hard work to overcome bad habits, but it can be done!

• Executive Coaching Culminates in a Developmental Action Plan

What gets measured gets done! An absolutely critical component of an Executive Coaching Process is the completion and implementation of a Developmental Action Plan. The mere process of writing the Plan lends it a seriousness of purpose. The Plan should be presented to the direct supervisor as a way of clearly identifying which behaviors the individual will work on and what the direct supervisor can do to support success.

• Executive Coaching Should Link the Developmental Action Plan to "the Annual Objectives"

The lessons that the individual learns as part of the coaching should not be viewed as "learning for learning's sake". Rather, the "lessons learned" must have an easily identifiable pragmatic benefit. There needs to be a link between an individual's Annual Objectives and his or her Developmental Action Plan. The individual's Annual Objectives should be "What" (increase market share, beat timelines, develop new products or services, etc.) a person has to do. Their Developmental Action Plan is "How" (understand and serve customers better, lead teams more effectively, enhance influencing skills, etc.) they're going to do it.

• Executive Coaching Is a Learning and Growth Process for the Coach Also

For the coaching intervention to be successful, the coach is also flexing his or her Impact & Influence skills. While the coach is guiding the individual on how to improve Impact & Influence skills, to "read" individuals with whom one is working, to understand the other party's interests and needs, to modify personal style and to create win/win opportunities, then the coach must exhibit the same behavior as well. Otherwise, the coach is just delivering a static program and the individual will not benefit from the intervention. The coach's actions and behaviors will "speak louder than words" ever could.

Executive Coaching when used appropriately can have a dramatic impact on an individual and on an organization. For many, receiving coaching can be their most significant career altering activity. Dedication on the part of the individual, along with the skill and flexibility of the coach, can lead to increases in productivity, higher levels of morale and a highly focused and committed workforce.