Understanding how to work with external coaches and develop your own internal coaching resources
Not long ago, saying “I’ve hired a coach”, meant a bus ride with friends. Not any more. With the explosion of the coaching industry both globally and in China over the past five years, when someone says “I’m a coach”, it doesn’t tell you what they do. Coaching has gone niche with life coaches, executive coaches, skill coaches, performance coaches, sales coaches and the list goes on. Coaching has also gone mass market and today numerous providers offer seminars, training workshops, accreditation courses and even coaching associations have popped up, to fill the demand for all things coaching.
While coaching as a process is undeniably a good thing (I have a coach), with a deluge of offerings, it’s hard not to become confused and cynical by the similar sounding pitches. Yes, we know that Tiger Woods has a coach and that’s great. But any decision requiring significant time and investment (coaching certifications run into the thousands of Euros), needs careful consideration. Let’s look at two perspectives in business coaching. First, hiring an external executive coach. Second, developing your own internal coaching resources.
The current strong demand for executive coaches will continue as companies seek to retain senior managers and help middle managers define career paths. While coaching occasionally comes tinged with a hint of “we’re going to fire this person, but see what you can do as a last-resort”, it tends on the whole to be positively viewed by most executives. Common areas an executive coach helps with include setting goals, overcoming obstacles, thinking bigger and from different perspectives, boosting self-confidence, increasing self awareness and supporting the coachee to take responsibility for their change.
External coaches
External coaches provide a fresh perspective free from company norms and internal politics. An experienced coach is a source of expertise with greater specialisation and understanding of best practices. Although all good coaches are objective, external coaches are regarded as more objective. When a CEO wishes to get ‘real’ feedback, he may prefer using an external coach as a sounding board.
When hiring an external coach, be specific on objectives or ask the coach to elicit them. Find a coach with industry experience in helping other clients reach similar objectives. Most successful coaches have high referral rates so examine their testimonials. Ask for a trial session before committing to the whole package, to check the rapport and respect between the coachee and coach. Often this is more important than the coach’s credentials and experience. Positive coaching relationships are about being honest and it takes time – especially in China - for the coachee to feel comfortable to resolve deeper challenges. Observe whether your coach is an active listener or if they do most of the talking. A good coach is an excellent listener and insightful questioner. Finally, consider their accreditation with international coaching organisations, like the ICF.
The downside of hiring external coaches is the extra investment. Senior executive coaching engagements cost tens of thousands of Euros per executive. Also, certain situations may require a deep in-house understanding – like joint ventures with state-owned enterprises. While theoretically, a good coach could manage the process, you may prefer to have someone with the specific inside know-how. Another obstacle is language and culture. Currently, expatriate executive coaches seem to outnumber local coaches, with experienced Mandarin-speaking coaches commanding a premium. This is changing rapidly as coaching becomes a more understood discipline and the number of local language accreditations continues to spread.
Internal coaches
As the coaching industry matures, focus has turned on developing internal coaches. There are a lot more managers in the world than consultants and every manager can benefit from understanding and using coaching as part of their toolkit. International companies lead this trend to develop internal coaching systems and as market offerings increase, more companies are expanding their in-house coaching resources.
But how should internal coaches be selected? Not everyone is a natural coach. Coaches need very strong listening skills, and an ability to be empathic with people. Does this sound like many managers in your organisation? This may suggest why HR are often the first people trained with coaching skills. While this is a good way to get things moving, ultimately, coaching will only become part of the corporate culture when top management embrace and advocate coaching. Start coaching C-level executives or identify a senior leader to sponsor the program and coach her directs. Good managers are coaching their people in some form already, so this isn’t an extra workload.
The next phase is to show busy managers the benefits of coaching. Certain managers may resist developing their people and prefer the directive approach. Also, team members may like being told what to do rather than have to find their own answers. The depth to which coaching will take hold will depend on how well engrained the corporate culture is on developing people. Everyone says people are their most important resource, but only the very best companies actually deliver on this promise. And secondly, it will depend on how well you formalise coaching into the management process - with executive support - and make coaching a part of every manager’s accountabilities and performance expectations.
These tips can help line managers adopt coaching. First, allow time to build relationships with your team before coaching them. Meet on a weekly basis to talk about their work projects and ask them what help they need to do their jobs better. Offer support, resources and give occasional feedback when asked. Don’t turn these meetings into a performance review. Keep it at the level of sincerely wishing to support your direct. After one to two months, identify an area that your direct needs to develop. Better yet, ask them what they would like to improve. This should be a 6-month project, so select an area that takes several months to improve. Examples include; to improve presentation skills, learn a new skill, or contribute to a ongoing project. Then, coach them in your weekly meetings – ensure that you are coaching and not telling. Gradually, as your direct starts to take responsibility for their development, identify areas that both benefit them and the company’s business goals. If your company has a very directive management style, this will take a long time to change so make small evolutionary steps rather than radical shifts.
Conclusion
While the coaching industry has a bubble feel at the moment and some people will feel underwhelmed by coaches they hire and some will get burned from paper-thin coaching accreditations, there is no doubt that business coaching is here to stay. When done well, it is a proven recipe to achieve higher levels of performance and awareness which translates into happier, more loyal and engaged employees. The coffee shops around China are set to continue to hum with the sound of coaching.
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Warwick John Fahy is an accredited coach and author of The One Minute Presenter. He works with CFOs to help them build executive presence and become more influential. Email him at 