Effective executive and senior business coaches are trained and experienced professionals helping others reach their highest potential. They are exactly what businesses need in an era of uncertainty and rapid change.
- By Ingrid Johnson
Executive and senior leadership coaching has been a business practice for many years, but it takes on new importance in the current business climate of rapid and often unpredictable change. Once representing a desperate effort to help managers overcome leadership difficulties, coaching has evolved into a strategic tactic for developing high-potential leaders within organizations.
There are a growing number of executive coaching training and certification programs, and selecting the right coach for the job is critical to program success. Understanding how high-quality coaches are trained and the skills they must possess can help organizations choose the right people for the right coaching job.
Coaches can be external or internal to the business. External coaches are independent consultants, while internal coaches are existing business staff. External coaches are usually retained to work with executives and senior leaders in their current positions or who are transitioning to higher level ones. Internal coaches are frequently used for mid-management positions and lower, though large corporations may also use an internal certified coach at the senior management levels.
Either way, there are two common key requirements that must initially drive the process: 1) the coach is trained, educated and certified by a recognized certifying organization; and 2) the match of coach and coachee must be carefully made to ensure that the relationship is one of trust and effective communication.
Coach-Coachee Relationship Driven by Equality and Alignment
A quick glance at a list of what a coach can help a business accomplish makes it clear that coaching should not be assigned to untrained amateurs.
Coaches are used to promote leadership development, improve change management approaches, develop high-level performance management, enhance strategic thinking, improve conflict resolution, develop team leadership skills and so on. Coaches are also retained to help current management develop the skills needed to operate in a globalized business. Coaching can improve leadership dialogue with subordinates, increase cross-cultural business knowledge, inform and prepare succession plans, and improve cross-cultural communication skills.
The first rule of thumb is that a coaching practitioner must be able to keep a personal agenda out of the process, which supports hiring an external coach. The coach-coachee relationship is one of equality, with the coach helping the leader achieve optimal performance. The coach is trained to help senior leaders improve their behaviors, capabilities, perspectives and decision making so they are better aligned with the organizational value system.
A number of quality organizations train and certify coaches. They include the Association for Coaching (AC), the International Coach Federation (ICF), the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC), the International Association of Coaches (IAC), the International Coaching Association (ICA) and the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches (WABC), to name a few.
Universities also offer graduate programs in executive and organizational coaching. The academic standards are set by the Graduate School Alliance for Executive Coaching (GSAEC) and cover topics such as the coaching process, business acumen, core coaching competencies and skills, coaching practices, engaging with diverse individuals, working with a variety of organizational stakeholders, and ethical conduct.
Rigorous Education, Training and Experience
The ICF is a good example of a recognized organization offering training and credentialing of coaches on a global basis. Coaches completing the program have undergone 60 to 200 hours of training, completed 100 to 2,500 hours of coaching experience, and passed a rigorous examination process. Once certified, they are expected to maintain current knowledge of chosen industries, tools and techniques and they must complete 40 hours of Continuing Coach Education every three years
In order to be effective, a coach must be able to help others gain insight into their leadership styles and best methods for achieving top performance levels within the organizational framework. There are different types of external coaching engagements that include development coaching, performance coaching and transition coaching. Internal coaches are used more frequently for onboarding and group coaching. Unlike external coaches, corporate surveys indicate that internal coaches are usually coaching in addition to other work responsibilities.
One of the decisions an organization must make is whether to use external or internal coaches. External coaches are generally used for executive positions, when confidentiality is important, when specific coaching skills are needed like experience with assessment tools, or when the organization has particular functional needs.
Coaches are not consultants. They are trained business leaders in their own right. The certification and credentialing programs provide assurances that the coach retained is fully qualified to fulfill high-level coaching functions. These include guiding executives and senior leaders on business matters and assisting with goal setting. They provide business knowledge, expertise, opinions and judgment—going far beyond advising. A coach guides leaders without creating dependency on the part of the executive or manager, which requires particular relationship skills.
Chemistry Lesson
The chosen coach must have good chemistry with the coachee and a clear methodology. Coach attributes include personal rapport, coach-specific training and credentials or certification, industry or job experience, an excellent reputation supported by personal referrals, and the ability to explain a specific and effective coaching process.
After a coach is selected, the methodology will include starting the relationship with a business leader by administering an assessment. Assessments vary but fall into two main categories. The first category includes DISC and Meyers Briggs, which classify a leader’s behavioral preferences, tendencies and patterns. The second category includes assessments designed to pinpoint particular weaknesses and strengths. They include the 360 Assessment and Emotional Intelligence.
Not everyone who calls himself or herself a “coach” is qualified to manage the process. Businesses should always start their search for a coach at professional organizations that educate and certify or credential those who prove their knowledge and experience. Even internal coaches should be highly qualified to do the job. The quality of the program outcomes will be in direct proportion to the quality of the coach.