Introduction
How2 develop your executive coaching programme
Main
STEP 1: Align executive coaching with your executive development and business strategies
Coaching initiatives not only influence individual performance, they can greatly affect your organisation's capacity to execute. Therefore, it is critical that you take a strategic approach to executive coaching.
Ask yourself: Why are we doing this? What is our business objective? Is it to build bench strength? Is it to retain top performers who are at risk of leaving? Is it to prepare key executives to take on new strategic roles? Or is it to manage potential "stars" who may have serious shortcomings?
Answering such questions will help you to develop a coaching programme that supports individual, organisational and business needs.
STEP 2: Carefully assess each coaching inquiry
Requests for coaching can mask other issues. Determine if executive coaching is the best solution for both the individual and organisation. Ask questions like: Is the individual's need for development best suited for one-on-one coaching? How open is the individual to feedback and learning? How motivated is the individual to change? Is the organisation ready to have executives coached? Will people be supportive?
STEP 3: Clarify stakeholders roles
In any coaching engagement, you must manage the responsibilities and expectations of a variety of stakeholders (e.g. the executive, his or her manager, coach, HR partner, executive development manager, etc.).
The roles and expectations of these stakeholders will vary depending on the situation. However, each coaching engagement requires a written contract that explicitly documents who is involved, roles, intended outcomes and other agreements.
STEP 4: Establish confidentiality guidelines
Why do coaching engagements fail? The most common reason is the breakdown of trust. Put yourself in your executive's shoes, who will be likely to ask such questions as: Who knows that I'm being coached? Who will have access to my information? How can I be assured that what I say won't be shared with people I don't trust?"
The coach and others will have access to delicate personal and company information. Create general confidentiality rules for the programme and then establish particular guidelines for each coaching engagement. Make sure that guidelines are jointly agreed upon in the learning contract before coaching begins. Then steadfastly maintain them during and after the coaching.
STEP 5: Set learning and business contracts
The best coaching happens behind closed doors after you have established clear standards and a learning contract. Learning contracts include: purpose and objectives, timelines, scope and types of assessment, measures of success, identification and roles of stakeholders, confidentiality agreements, use of personal and coaching information, communication and distribution of information etc.
Business contracts include: purpose and objectives, total costs of service (including who in the organisation is paying for the service), fee and payment schedules, company-sponsored proprietary and confidentiality statements, expense reimbursement rules, etc.
STEP 6: Assign someone to manage the executive coaching programme
A senior HR person adds value by overseeing the programme. This programme manager acts as the contact point for coaches and executives, conducts needs analysis, creates and maintains standards, sources and qualifies coaches and resolves issues. The programme manager ensures that the coaching is a solid investment for the business and individual.
STEP 7: Carefully select internal and external coaches
Finding and qualifying experienced coaches with a wide range of expertise is time-consuming but necessary for a successful programme. Look for overall competence and coaching experience, expertise, industry experience, business savvy, cultural fit, maturity, forthrightness, integrity, relationship building skills, coaching philosophy/perspective and willingness to partner with you.
STEP 8: Match potential coaches with executives
A critical success factor is allowing the executive to choose his or her coach. Consider the coach's experience, skill sets, style, perspective and unique criteria when fielding a slate of potential coaches for the executive to interview. Suggest to the executive that he or she choose a coach who makes him or her "comfortably uncomfortable".
STEP 9: Orient the coaches to your company and individual
Make sure the coach understands your company's norms, structure, and history. This is an efficient and effective way to help the executive and coach get started. Provide background and context to the coach about the individual executive's coaching needs.
STEP 10: Define and monitor how success will be measured
Set goals and business metrics for both the individual engagement and the overall coaching programme. Measurements may include: behaviour change, learning goal achievement, overall satisfaction of stakeholders, business improvements, retention figures and performance measures.
Conclusion
Implementing these guidelines will go a long way to ensure that each coaching engagement is worthwhile and that the executive coaching programme is a valued investment for your company.