Q&A/Discussing Today’s Business Trends:
The Value of Executive Coaching
High Potential Inc. (HPi) is an executive coaching and development firm located in the Chicago Loop. Founded in 2000 by Nancy Seever and Bob Wilson, HPi today serves a client list that includes many of the nation’s leading companies, law firms and cultural institutions. HPi provides services to high-performing executives and professionals in three main areas: executive coaching, executive assessment/talent identification and career transitions. Much Shelist spoke with Mr. Wilson about executive coaching—and its value to individuals and the company as a whole.
Much Shelist: For starters, what is executive coaching?
Bob Wilson: Executive coaching is a broad term that encompasses a number of assessment, counseling and training services—all designed to help business executives and other highly experienced professionals achieve two primary goals: to become more effective leaders, and to improve performance by reshaping unproductive behaviors (or replacing them with more productive ones).
Executive coaching is often event-related. For example, in-house counsel might be promoted to a position overseeing several group heads, thus creating an organizational structure in which his or her former peers are now subordinates. In these circumstances, the common objective of a coaching engagement is to help the individual develop an authentic leadership persona and management style to improve the functioning of the entire organization.
This type of coaching can also be very useful when an otherwise highly talented individual demonstrates specific behaviors that undermine his or her ability to meet expectations or undercuts the performance of others. In such cases, an executive coach will first diagnose the seriousness of the situation and then provide effective remedial help.
MS: How does a company know when to bring in an executive coach?
BW: When a senior manager is promoted to a position of executive leadership over former peers, the value of leadership coaching is often clear to everyone, including the individual who has been targeted for coaching. This level of buy-in allows the coach and client to quickly and comfortably begin using a range of assessment and coaching tools, with relatively straightforward, immediate results. Quite often, these clients “raise their hand” and ask for help, which also aids immediate buy-in.
On the other hand, when an individual is tapped for coaching because his or her behaviors are seen as counter-productive, resistance is often—understandably —somewhat high. Because the individual may not agree that change is necessary, it is important to devote the time necessary to build trust with the coach, and to assure the client that his or her confidentiality will be fully respected. To that end, the executive coaching process should be presented to the client as an opportunity for improvement, rather than a punishment for some sort of perceived misbehavior. It helps if the service is presented as a benefit or perquisite—an investment in the individual’s success, if you will.
As a side note, it is not unusual to discover that the individual referred for coaching is, in fact, behaving appropriately in an environment that is highly dysfunctional. In those situations, the coach will focus on helping the client make the most informed decisions possible, while also providing recommendations to the client sponsor (often a CEO or management committee) for improving the broader organizational environment.
MS: What is the typical executive coaching process?
BW: While each engagement is unique, there are a number of common elements. First, the coach will meet with the client sponsor to better understand the purpose of the engagement, discuss desired outcomes and create an initial timetable for action. At this stage, the coach may also conduct a thorough study of the organizational structure and culture, often meeting with subordinates, other senior executives and representatives from the human resources department to gain a full picture of the corporate environment.
After gathering this information, the coach typically schedules an initial client meeting, which is almost always informal, often occurring over lunch. At this point, the coach will provide a complete description of the program, being careful to frame the process as an investment in the client’s long-term career. The coach will also outline some of the steps involved and describe the confidentiality policies and the value of a trusting coach/client relationship.
Many coaches will also create an engagement letter that formally describes the objectives of the sponsor and the client, and lays out the “rules of the road.” This document should be carefully written so that it does not violate the client’s privacy in any way.
MS: Once the coaching begins, what can the client expect?
BW: Perhaps the most immediate, noticeable effect of an engagement is the physical presence of the coach. Many work in situ, shadowing the client throughout his or her day. They even sit in on staff meetings and presentations, and attend conferences and other outside events alongside the client. Coaches will also conduct face-to-face interviews with peers, with executives to whom the client reports, and with staff who report to the client. While this may sound a bit intrusive, the client and the organization usually grow accustomed to the coach’s presence rather quickly.
Many coaches also work in tandem with clinical psychologists who are highly experienced in the areas of executive assessment and personality testing. When brought into a coaching engagement, these psychologists use proven assessment tools and direct observation to evaluate the individual, as well as the systems and culture in which he or she works.
Finally, a good executive coach will draw on a range of tools to help the client identify more effective leadership skills and successfully put them into practice. Customized to build on the individual’s existing strengths and turn his or her professional liabilities into career assets, these tools may include counseling sessions, homework assignments, the creation of action plans, skills development and training, and more.
MS: What are the primary benefits of executive coaching?
BW: Here is the wonderful secret of executive coaching: it benefits not only the individual, but also the entire company. Efforts that may appear, on the surface, to be narrowly focused on the individual are actually designed to help the broader organization improve as a whole. In the end, the positive results spread far and wide.
For more information on High Potential Inc., contact Bob Wilson at bob@hpi-inc.com or visit http://www.hpi-inc.com/.
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