Nowadays, the most important reason for engaging coaches is to develop high-potentials. We believe that companies that learn to leverage coaching will have a significant competitive advantage in the global market place. Current coaching research indicates e.g. the following benefits:
Coaching enhances leadership skills
Coaching increases career capital in the international context
It accelerates effectiveness and decision making
The executive learns coaching skills during the coaching process
Coaching enhances the implementation of new behaviours and actions in the daily working life
The coach acts as a professional dialogue partner
Coaching is tailored to the individual needs (agenda & timing)
Coaching has a stress decelerating effect
It helps to deal with intercultural differences
See the video of Executive coaching on BBC site
In an organizational setting, where the company is sponsoring the coaching process, the organization’s and individual’s needs are clarified and combined. However, the coaching process is always confidential, and the coached individual is the one who decides what information is shared with others. An effective coaching process includes a triangle discussion about the objectives of the process (discussion between coachee, her/his supervisor, and coach), a clear contract, is well structured (timing and duration), and is evaluated & measured.
Depending on the objectives of the process, an individual executive coaching process may begin with interviews of subordinates for data gathering purposes, and it may be combined with a psychometric tool or 360 type of assessment, which gives a solid foundation for an individual development plan. An executive coaching process should be based on voluntarinessand desire to develop of the coachee. Best results are achieved when executive coaching is part of the leadership development strategy of the company and when it is supported by the top management.
