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Frequently Asked Questions About Coaching
I can imagine that if my boss said I could use a little help from a trained expert like a coach, I’d wonder if I was being sent to be “fixed”. Do you find that your
clients feel the same way?
Most organizations use coaching as a way to accelerate development of high performers and put them on the executive track. Often these high-potential individuals are being
groomed for promotion and need to mature professionally in one or two key areas. Knowing that no one is perfect, coaching is used as a “perk”. People who have a
coach are proud of it and don’t mind who knows about it! That’s why one-on-one coaching has proven to be the most effective way for people to improve their leadership
abilities in organizations worldwide.
In what ways would an organization benefit from an investment in coaching for their high potential employees?
Most organizations realize that they can’t grow as a company without making an investment in their human capital. When executives step back and ask themselves, “What does
it really cost to replace a person?,” they’d rather support the growth of a high producing individual rather than lose them or not be able to promote them to a higher
level. People feel more motivated to go the extra mile and to get out of their own way in order to meet their goals when they have a coach.
The emphasis on emotional intelligence in the work environment as presented by Harvard PhD, Dan Goleman, shows that the bottom line of a company is improved if employees
communicate and cooperate in ways that work and resolve conflict sooner versus later. Corporations, individuals, and small business owners hire leadership coaches like us
to work with individuals to improve their communication and interpersonal skills.
Companies that have used coaching as a development tool know that:
- everyone wins! . . . the person being coached wins, colleagues win, the company wins, even their family wins!
- their investment comes back with compounded interest.
- depending on the issues they address with their coach, individuals perform better, use their time to focus on the “right” things, raise their self confidence, their
clients are more satisfied, and internal morale improves.
- the organization retains current and future leaders!
(See How Organizations Benefit)
What research has been done on the return-on-investment for coaching?
The Washington Post recently reported, “Booz Allen Hamilton hired a consulting company to study the return on its coaching program. The study
found that all of the leaders applied what they learned to improve their own development, while 53% went beyond that to make significant improvements in their
relationships with peers and team members. Coaching for the prior year’s 45 participants cost $414,310, a 689% return on investment according to the study.”
(See How Organizations Benefit)
In what situations would an organization pay for someone to be coached?
The answer to that question is as varied as there are people and the dynamics in which they operate in the work environment. Basically, there
are behaviors that someone needs to stop doing and others that they need to start doing so they can be of more value to the organization. The emphasis on emotional intelligence in the work environment as presented by Harvard PhD, Dan Goleman, shows that the bottom line of a company is improved if employees communicate and cooperate in ways that work and resolve conflict sooner versus later.
Coaches usually specialize in one or two areas. Our specialty is in the area of interpersonal relationships and communication skills. We’ve worked with issues
such as:
- inadequate communication skills,
- conflict management,
- building a strong team,
- leadership presence and presentation skills,
- becoming more collaborative so others benefit from their knowledge and insight,
- behavior preventing the individual from performing at full capacity such as, interpersonal relationships that don’t work, poor time management, perfectionism,
inability to form relationships with colleagues and team members,
- getting off to a strong start in a new position or after a promotion,
- increasing someone's awareness of their own career-stalling behaviors so they can make changes,
- developing others so they can increase their impact or move up in the organization,
(See Coaching Stories section to see how some scenarios played out with clients.)
What do you mean when you describe “executive presence”?
Presence comes from the inside. The key to growing “executive presence” is found in the ability to stay centered and grounded. It says, “I
know who I am,” whether I’m dealing with my boss, my peers or my direct reports. It’s a sense of personal power and confidence, which has an influential effect on others.
What do the people who were coached say about the experience?
In general, clients say that coaching has energized them to change how they interact with and/or communicate with others. They say they get
what they want with less effort, which makes them more effective in all areas of their professional life. They often say this was the best thing they ever did for
themselves and their personal and professional growth.
(See Testimonials and Coaching Stories for what individual clients have said.)
What should I look for when selecting a coach?
Selecting a coach that is right for you is a subjective process. The most important thing to consider in your final selection is whether you sense this person is someone
you can trust with your thoughts and sensitive issues. You'll want to ask yourself if you want to work this person as a source of insight into your behaviors and the
impact they have on others’ perceptions. Another way of putting it is having a sense of personal “chemistry” with your coach.
You’ll also want to look for someone who:
- has ample experience as a coach and has worked on issues similar to yours. Seasoned coaches have been certified by the International Coach Federation, the governing
organization that sets ethics and standards for the coaching profession. Seasoned coaches will have earned a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) or Master Certified
Coach (MCC ), the highest distinctions recognized by the ICF.
- provides contact information or letters of recommendation about former clients so you can get a sense of pass success, a key indicator of your future success.
- wants to get a sense of the people you interact with on a regular basis to gain their perspective about your strengths and needs for improvement. They will also know
that the personalities of those in your work environment can have an effect on your performance.
- Intends to review your performance evaluations to ensure your goals match the goals set for you by your organization. They'll use data from their interviews with
others in your work environment, previous performance reviews, and your input to clarify measurable results you want to accomplish.
- Helps you discover for yourself what fits your personality and personal style.
- Keeps you involved in action, applying the self-awareness and knowledge you gain in your coaching sessions.
- Designs “practices” or “experiments” you will carry out between coaching sessions and asks you to reflect on what happened. (These assignments may be geared toward
self-observation to increase your self awareness or other exercises to help you develop new behaviors.)
Coaching is all about results. For thecoaching
process to be a catalyst for permanent change, youmust be committed to partnering with the coach you select. Coaches use proven tools and strategies, but unless you use the support your coach offers to practice new actions, the results won't happen.
What is the distinction between what a coach does as opposed to what a psychotherapist does?
There can be some slight overlap because both professionals create a confidential, safe environment where an individual gets feedback from a trusted professional. The main difference is that psychotherapists work with people to establish a different emotional relationship to issues from their past.
Your coach will help you set the stage for building the future you want. Your coach will ask “powerful questions” to help you explore opportunities and challenges you face,
question your assumptions and beliefs, and help open your thinking to new possibilities. From a new perspective, you will be able to take actions you had not previously
considered to build a successful future.
This sounds a lot like mentoring. What is the distinction between the two?
A mentor often focuses on knowledge about business operations while we focus on the development of personal and interpersonal skills. Typically, mentors are at a higher level inside the organization and are more seasoned than the person they’re mentoring. They have a lot to share with people who are less experienced and can take them under their wing by promoting company and industry networking, giving advice about acceptable ways to get things done in the company’s culture, and building influence among key players in the organization.
A coach has a very different role. Coaches help people find their own answers to issues they face in areas a mentor often isn’t comfortable or skilled to address. Our background and training focuses on addressing such issues as building leadership capabilities, growing communication and interpersonal skills, and working through conflict. We help people recognize and use their strengths to their advantage to work through transitions and show up powerfully in stressful situations.. We work to uncover our client's blind spots and ask powerful questions so they can discover possibilities and options that they hadn’t considered in evaluating their situations.
How do I know if I need a coach?
Those who have chosen to work with a coach know that it has cost them and their organization less to get headed in the right direction sooner versus later. Ask yourself
questions such as:
- Can I continue to go on the way I’m going now and be as effective and as productive as I know I can be?
- How many more times will I get “dinged” on my performance review if I don’t take care of these issues?
- What can I do to become a stronger leader?
- What can I do differently to affect the challenges I face?
- What can I do to get to the next level?
- What can I do to bring more success and satisfaction to my job?
- Can I afford to continue the way I’m going now?
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