FYI LEADERSHIP Coaching - A General Overview Revised: March 2014 Summary: This FYI discusses: (1) the benefits of executive and management coaching, (2) the advantages of internal vs. external coaching, (3) how to recognize coaching openings, (4) the stages of the coaching process, (5) how to select a coach, and (6) the barriers to coaching success. A sample coaching plan template is also included. For additional resources, please see page 9. Important Notice: The information provided herein is general in nature and designed to serve as a guide to understanding. These materials are not to be construed as the rendering of legal or management advice. If the reader has a specific need or problem, the services of a competent professional should be sought to address the particular situation. Copyright, 2014 Mountain States Employers Council, Inc. All rights reserved. Quotation from or reproduction of any part of this report, in any form, without prior permission in writing from the Employers Council, is prohibited.
A General Overview
I. Introduction Coaching is an interactive process of insight and action, in which leaders engage in a deliberate, personalized process with a qualified coach to enhance their learning agility, skill, and confidence, and achieve specific leadership and organization goals. Coaching provides a safe and ongoing learning environment in which leaders go back into the lab of life and experiment with new ways of being and doing. As a result, leaders develop the ability to recognize the impact of their actions, self-correct in the moment, and generate the outcomes they intend. II. Coaching Benefits A Manchester, Inc. study reported a return of $6.00 for every dollar spent on coaching. Improvement was made in bottom-line profitability, productivity, quality, organizational strength, customer service, reducing company complaints, retaining executives, and cost reductions. The following are just a few of the benefits realized as a result of individual leadership coaching. Benefits to the Company Increased team and individual productivity Increased profitability Enhanced customer service experience Improved quality of output Exposure to industry experts and objective, neutral perspectives Benefits to the Employee Being Coached Increased job satisfaction and organizational commitment Thorough skill assessment and feedback Enhanced working relationships Individual strengths identified and amplified, while areas of opportunities are developed Higher retention of high-potential employees III. Internal vs. External Coaching Deciding whether to use an internal resource or external coach is critical and depends on your situation. The following lists help with the comparison. A. ADVANTAGES OF USING AN INTERNAL COACH Familiarity with parties involved Insider s Perspective on company culture and rules of engagement Ability to see the leader in action day-to-day Lower cost A General Overview 1
B. ADVANTAGES OF USING AN EXTERNAL COACH Time to support needs of ongoing assignment Objective, neutral perspective Coaching training and expertise Confidential, safe environment IV. Recognizing Coaching Openings An opening for coaching is that moment where the leader or a key stakeholder recognizes a need for coaching and believes that change is possible. Coaching openings exist in a variety of performance improvement and developmental contexts. Potential openings include: High Potentials: When an employee demonstrates high potential and wants to expand his/her range or depth of skills Transitioning to New Role or Position: When a leader is transitioning to a new role or position and needs to understand the scope of his/her new role, gain clarity on expectations, and build capacity for the new position Ineffective Interpersonal Skills: When a leader is negatively impacting his/her employees by demonstrating poor communication and conflict management skills Blind Spots: When a leader lacks awareness of how he/she is perceived by key stakeholders and how he/she impacts them Building on Current Success: When a leader is very successful and wants to grow his/her leadership capacity and move to the next level of development Team Issues: When a leader lacks the team leadership skills to help a forming or less functional team meet its potential V. The Coaching Process For executive and management coaching to be effective, a systematic approach should be adopted using proven methodology. Coaching is most effective when it avoids a flavor of the day approach, and instead incorporates distinct stages of a comprehensive process. By working each stage of the process, the leader is more likely to experience long-term, sustained capacity development. General guidelines for typical stages in the coaching process follow. A. COACHING CONTRACTING Contracting provides a forum in which the parties assess the intent for coaching, gauge potential for success, determine if they want to go forward, and create guidelines for establishing the coaching partnership. This process includes: Discussing coaching goals and intent Gauging the climate and potential for success Discussing the coaching process Discussing all party s roles in the coaching process Establishing criteria for success Determining the appropriateness of coaching as an intervention. Discussing logistics 2 A General Overview
B. ASSESSING The next phase is assessing. Comprehensive assessing is a critical step toward understanding the leader s style, context of leading, goals, issues, and more. Assessing provides data for designing coaching strategies. Depending on the nature and scope of the issue, a variety of assessing methods, such as the following, may be used. Asking the leader a comprehensive set of assessing questions Using 360, personality, or skills assessments Observing the leader engaging in key functions or tasks Interviewing stakeholders Reviewing the leader s work product C. CREATING A COACHING PLAN Based on the assessment data, the coach creates a comprehensive coaching plan including concrete outcomes, criteria for success, and practices for reaching the intended outcomes. A sample coaching plan template is included in this FYI. This stage involves: Reflecting on the assessment data Creating a coaching plan with concrete outcomes and criteria for success Including coaching practices such as on-the-job experimenting, self-observations, exercises, and reading D. IMPLEMENTATION This is the heart of the coaching process. Implementation involves follow-up sessions with the leader to discuss insights, challenges, and successes as a result of working the coaching plan. This is also an opportunity for the coach to make observations, give feedback, and introduce additional practices. The coach will: Discuss insights Offer observations and feedback Address challenges and setbacks Modify practices Introduce new practices E. EVALUATION AND CLOSING This last stage involves determining progress and identifying future actions for continued success. The coach will: Evaluate the leader s progress toward the intended outcomes Solicit feedback from key stakeholders Identify next steps for continued development Evaluate the coaching process VI. Outcomes and Expected Results Executive coaches start with the end in mind. Because coaches work cooperatively with the sponsoring manager to clearly identify and outline areas of opportunity and development, the resulting plan is customized to address the expectations of all parties. A General Overview 3
According to the Hay Group, between 25% - 40% of Fortune 500 companies use executive coaches The Personnel Management Association reports that when training is combined with executive coaching, individuals increase his/her productivity by an average of 86% compared to 22% with training alone 1 Right Management Consultants found that 86% of companies are using coaching to sharpen the skills of individuals identified as future organizational leaders 2 VII. Selecting a Coach When considering coaching, it can be very helpful to talk with a perspective coach about his/her background, approach, and experience to determine if there is a good fit. Leaders should gather information about the coach s background, training, level of certification, experience, and approach. The following questions may guide that discussion. What kind of coaching training have you had? Are you a certified coach? How long have you been coaching? Tell me about your experience as a coach. What management levels have you coached? In what kinds of organizations/industries have you coached? What kind of experience have you had coaching around issue? What kind of results have your clients realized? What led to those results? What is your approach to coaching? Tell me about the methodology you incorporate in coaching. What kind of assessment will you conduct in the process? How will progress be measured? How long does coaching typically last? Where and how does the coaching unfold? What level of confidentiality can I expect? When would you turn down a coaching engagement? Why? 1 Source: What s Your R.O.U. (Return on You), K. Cavanaugh, posted 09/24/10. 2 Source: What an Executive Coach Can Do for You, P. Michelman, Harvard Business School, Working Knowledge publication, 06/13/05. 4 A General Overview
VIII. Barriers to Coaching Success Before deciding to initiate coaching, all parties to the process should recognize potential barriers to coaching success. If unrecognized initially, these barriers can stall the process and hinder development. Potential barriers include: A. POTENTIAL LEADER BARRIERS Lack of commitment Lack of time Resistance to working the process Lack of aptitude Lack of trust in or respect for the coach B. POTENTIAL STAKEHOLDER/ORGANIZATIONAL BARRIERS Unclear or unrealistic expectations for the coaching process Misaligned goals Lack of commitment to the leader Lack of internal support for the leader Lack of accountability C. POTENTIAL COACH BARRIERS Lack of training, skill, or experience Inability to work with the presenting issue Conflict of interest Inability to be neutral Lack of self-awareness D. POTENTIAL COACHING PROCESS BARRIERS Ineffective or incomprehensive methodology Flavor of the day approach Breach of confidentiality Lack of a safe environment Lack of consistency IX. Conclusion This FYI provides considerations when contemplating coaching as an intervention and an overview of the process. A Lee Hecht Harrison Survey says of coaching, "Companies are increasingly turning to coaching for leadership development, style issues and talent retention, so it makes sense that 55% of respondents said that their organization uses coaching as a oneon-one process intended to maximize management and leadership potential and 54% do so to change behaviors." A General Overview 5
6 A General Overview
Coaching Plan Name: Date: Outcomes Criteria for Success Strengths Action Strategies Time Frame Resources/Support What two or three outcomes do you have for your development?(make sure they are clear, specific, measureable, and outcome oriented.) Outcome #1 How will you know you have achieved these objectives? What will have happened? What will others notice? What unique strengths can you capitalize on to reach your outcomes? Training/Education: What kind of training, on-the-job training or courses will be most relevant for your development? Self-directed Learning: What books, articles, on-line courses will be useful? Observing Others/Shadowing: Who can you observe or shadow that models the skills you re trying to develop? Mentoring: Who would be an appropriate mentor for you and how can they be helpful in your development? Experiences/Practices: What projects, committees, tasks would provide contexts for your development? What behaviors do you want to practice each day? Self-Observation: What do you want to observe about yourself in the course of each day? What is your time frame for reaching your goal? What actions will be accomplished in what time period? What internal/external resources will you need to accomplish the objective? Who can support you in your development? What kind of support would be helpful? What kind of feedback would be helpful? A General Overview 7
Outcome #2 Outcome #3 8 A General Overview
X. Additional Resources on this Subject A. SEMINARS Coaching: Partnering for Performance Communicating Effectively in Different Situations for Managers and Supervisors Cultivating Your Listening Skills: Listening to Understand Performance Documentation Skills Performance Management: Setting the Stage for Success Supervision: Core Competencies B. REFERENCE MATERIAL FYI FYI Performance Management: Performance Appraisal Form - Overview Performance Management: Corrective Feedback Discussions C. MSEC SERVICES Conflict Resolution Training Services Workplace Coaching Services A General Overview 9