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Executive Coaching: What It Is, What It Is Not
by Lyndy Nierman, senior coach of OI Partners—Chicago, IL and St. Louis, MO
Coaching is a term that is quite diverse and confusing to the business world today. There are coaches who cover the complete gamut of golf, weight loss, personal life, finance, career, executives, high potentials and leadership. In the New World of Work, business and executive coaches have become a profession that has entrenched the marketplace like the wild west.
The world has changed extensively; coaching has become a much-needed tool to handle many transitions. There are more mergers and acquisitions, more job transitions, more self-employment, more downsizings and more small businesses. There is a concern that Executive Coaching will eventually be as vague and synonymous as the term "Executive Search." We have the Heidrick & Struggles of the world that are retained to hire senior-level executives, and the Contingency Person who faxes & emails resumes to the world, hoping that something matches a company’s needs. Yet both consider themselves to be executive search consultants. There is much clarification needed in understanding the question: "What is executive coaching?"
Executive coaching helps both individuals and organizations achieve shared success in this new world; it is seen as a contemporary solution. It is a professional partnership between a business coach and an individual or team that assists the achievement of developing and implementing a plan that can be measured by results, based on goals set to achieve shared success for the individual, team and the organization. Through the process of coaching, individuals focus on the needed skills and actions to successfully produce measurable results or change.
The individual directs the focus of conversation, while the coach listens and contributes observations and questions as well as concepts and principles which can assist in generating possibilities and identifying actions. Coaching accelerates the individual’s progress by providing greater focus and awareness of possibilities leading to more effective choices. Coaching concentrates on where individuals are now and what they are willing to do to get where they want to be in the future. Coaches recognize that results are a matter of the individual's intentions, choices and actions, supported by the coach's efforts and application of coaching skills, approaches and methods.
When does one seek out an executive business coach? On Boarding - This is when an individual commences a new job or position. This helps the individual have a successful start in his/her first year.
Rounding - Coaching high potentials creates accelerated development, which assists the individual to move up to the next level or there is a lack of clarity where one is heading.
Leadership Development - This is essential for both high potentials and senior leaders. It is an ongoing process for the success of individuals and organizations. One has not recognized his/her core strengths and how to leverage them.
Senior Team Coaching - Team building and leadership development start at the top. The senior team of an organization must be the example of what the brand of the organization is trying to achieve. It is important that all of the senior leaders are heading and supporting the same direction.
Performance Coaching - Sometimes there is a behavioral problem that needs to be ironed out. The individual may be very successful; but behavior may need to be addressed.
Despite the excitement and increase in coaching engagements, there is still the never-ending discussion around the coaching profession and those who benefit from coaching: Is it coaching or is it therapy? They both have similarities, but are not the same.
Therapy: - is a medical/clinical model - relies on diagnosis, pathology - deals with identifiable dysfunction in a person - therapy patient usually has difficulty functioning - is about fixing the past - deals mostly with a person’s past and trauma, and seeks healing - asks why, how and what? - helps patients resolve old pain: focuses on relieving pain and systems - is a doctor-patient relationship: the therapist has the answers - focuses on process, feelings - assumes emotions are a symptom of something wrong - the therapist diagnoses, then provides professional expertise and guidelines to provide a path to healing - therapy style is one of patient nurturing, evocative, indirect, parenting, cathartic - progress is often slow and painful - limited, personal disclosure by the therapist - therapist is responsible for both process and outcomes
Coaching: - is a learning/ developmental model - focuses on attainable goals and possibilities - deals with a healthy client desiring a better situation - Coaching client desires to move to a higher and better level of functioning - is about understanding the past as context and creating the future - deals mostly with a person’s present and seeks to help them design and act on behalf of a more desirable future - asking why is avoided as it seeks to go for insight, not creation - helps clients learn new skills and tools to build a more satisfying successful future; focuses on goals - is a co-creative equal partnership: coach offers perspectives and helps the client discover own answers - focuses on action and outcomes - assumes emotions are natural and normalizes them - the coach stands with the client and helps him or her identify the challenges, then partners to turn challenges into victories, holding client accountable to reach desired goals - coaching style acts as a catalyst to challenge, is direct, uses straight talk, accountability - growth and progress are rapid and usually enjoyable - personal, relevant disclosure by the coach used as an aid to learning - coach is responsible for process; client is responsible for results *Reference: "The Potential Perils of Personal Issues in Coaching" by Patrick Williams
In summary, a therapist is the professional with the answers to pain and brokenness; a coach is a partner to assist in discovery and a design for growth. Executive coaching is one key tool for use by both organizations and individuals to help achieve success in this new reality. Coaching focuses on the individual as a whole, their needs and the work they want to do, balanced with the requirements of the organization at that time. Through increased planning and communication from both perspectives, coaching helps ensure talent flows to where it should be, ultimately promoting enduring shared success for the organization and individual.
Coaching results include retention, accelerated development, succession planning, skill development, integration, performance improvement, assessment, and reducing barriers and behavioral problems. Coaching is designed to provide clients with a greater capacity to produce results and a greater confidence in their ability to do so. It is intended that clients do not leave coaching with a perception that they need to rely on a coach in order to produce similar results in the future. The goal is for each individual to "discover a world where everyone is their own coach!"
Lyndy Nierman is a senior coach at OI Partners (Chicago, St. Louis) which specializes in Senior Executive Coaching, Talent Management and Career Transition. She is a past National Board Member & Vice President of SHRM, Society of Human Resource Management. Lyndy is currently a Board Member for EMA Chicago (Employment Management Association), The Illinois State Council (SHRM) and The House of Good Shepherd. Lyndy is the Founder and Director of The Human Resource Executives Exchange.
