There are many experts who estimate that well over $1 billion per year is spent on executive coaching in the U.S. No doubt some of this money reaps tremendous results, but how many organizations pay attention to the quality of executive coaches and measure the return on investment?
Executive coaches come in many guises. To start with, there are the professional, well-accredited, results-oriented, credible coaches. However, there are also those who label themselves “certified” with no more than 100 hours invested in learning the basics, who just love “talking to people,” and who adopt a loose approach to conducting any coaching relationship.
So how can organizations find the experts among the masses?
Some organizations rely on the screening and integrity of coaching organizations, which act as intermediaries and introduce the coaches they have on their books. This approach is not without its risks. Coaching organizations are in business to serve clients and provide quick and evaluated access to a population of experts, but also to make money by earning commission from coaches placed with clients.
In 2014, a large energy company based in Houston embarked on a journey to build a “stable” of executive coaches who would be suitable to partner with members of the executive team. Historically, executive coaches had been engaged through personal connections, chance meetings or word-of-mouth recommendations: clearly not the highest quality approach. Making connections with the most reputable coaching organizations across North America provided a large database of names for potential executive coaches.
Although many coaching resumes look impressive, with certifications, testimonials and organizations that have engaged them, the energy company chose to add an additional layer of validation before pursuing individual coaches. The company developed a screening process to interview coaches before they were included in a list of potential matches for executives. This process included a one-hour interview to evaluate their suitability for engagement. The interview contained questions such as, “Can you describe your coaching philosophy (i.e., the methodology and structured approach that you adopt with clients)?” and “When measuring the success of a coaching intervention, can you recall a specific client example of how you went about this intervention and what the outcomes were?” Other questions explored the coaches’ connection with their profession, such as, “Have you observed any recent trends in the coaching profession that you find particularly compelling or are skeptical about?”
These interviews trimmed the list of coaches by approximately 50 percent from the lists provided by the coaching organizations. Interestingly, the coaches who successfully made it through this interview process were very grateful for the rigor and attention given to screen out the “also-rans” from the best.
Clearly, it is important for any organization or individual to ensure that an executive coach is going to provide a high-quality, impactful intervention that meets their needs. Business experience, the ability to articulate their craft with expertise, certification as a baseline rather than a badge of honor, and the ability to intelligently discuss the value they bring are all essentials for securing the best executive coaches.
Once you identify a high-quality executive coach, it is equally important to ensure you receive value from the engagement. First, is coaching the right solution? It may be that the executive in question needs an intervention from their line manager or HR before your consider coaching. Whatever the case may be, executive coaching should not be used as an alternative for effective management or to satisfy the ego of an executive. It is also often sensible to offer two or three potential coaches to an executive and encourage them to conduct a brief interview themselves and then make a choice. Chemistry is also a very important ingredient in a coaching relationship. Other important components of executive coaching include defining the precise need, setting goals and outcomes, monitoring the relationship, measuring the value, and observing the outcomes.
Finding expert executive coaches among the masses is essential, not only to build the credibility of the profession, but also to build the credibility of those acting on behalf of executives who are looking for a coach to work with them.
