Executive coaching playing a crucially important role in UK business, survey finds

Citation

(2001), "Executive coaching playing a crucially important role in UK business, survey finds", Journal of Management Development, Vol. 20 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/jmd.2001.02620eab.001

Executive coaching playing a crucially important role in UK business, survey finds

Executive coaching playing a crucially important role in UK business, survey finds

Executive coaching is playing a major role in improving the calibre of UK businesses and in maximising competitiveness, according to a new survey from a leading change management and human resources consultancy. One senior respondent to the survey estimates that she was able to bring more than £15 million of added value to her organisation through new initiatives which coaching inspired her to undertake.

The survey, which involved interviews with senior executives of 25 bluechip organisations, was designed to assess the effectiveness of coaching as a management development tool. The survey revealed an across-the-board consensus that coaching was one of the most powerful strategic and tactical weapons open to businesses today because of its ability to enhance areas of executive expertise that were already at a high level and to establish skills that were previously absent or weak.

The comments of one respondent, a head of organisational development at a leading bank, were typical of the positive attitude respondents held towards coaching.

I see coaching as a gift and a positive and energising experience which above all enables an executive to shake off what may in fact be deeply held automatic beliefs and behaviours that are inhibiting performance and career development. I spent twenty-six years at my previous employer and my confidence increased so substantially as a result of coaching that I declared an ambitious commitment to the directors to win additional business. I estimate that I was able to add more than £ 15 million of extra value through interventions I initiated directly linked to what I had learnt in coaching.

Another respondent, a senior executive at a leading telecoms company, conceded that an admission by an executive that he or she is undergoing coaching is still seen as carrying something of a stigma in the UK.

I think we can learn from the US, where people are actually often proud to admit that they are being coached because they see it as indicating the importance their employer attaches to them. In the US it is taken for granted that performance will improve significantly as a result of coaching, although certainly it is also accepted that deep-rooted negative attitudes and behaviours will take time – perhaps several months – to shift.

Coaching differs from other forms of personal development in that a coach will typically focus on a specific area of the executive's activities or career development. It helps an individual to reach their own conclusions, and to make their own decisions, rather than pushing them willy-nilly along a particular track.

The survey was researched and sponsored by Coaching Connexions, a specialist unit of the UK based change management consultancy The Quo Group-

Areas examined by the survey include the use of both external and internal coaches, the increased emphasis on developing coaching as a management skill, how coaching is used strategically and tactically within organisations and in what areas of business process it is regarded as being especially useful. The challenge of resistance to the implementation of coaching is also examined, as is the selection process for appointing a coach. The factors that make a good coach are listed and techniques of feedback measurement are examined, as well as the crucial role in the implementation process played by HR departments. Future trends are also considered.

The survey suggests that coaching can be viewed in two differing ways. Firstly, at the personal level of the individual being coached it can be seen as a "personal trainer", helping an individual, usually fairly senior, to reach their own conclusions, without telling them what to do. A good listener, a coach will encourage the person being coached to think and act differently. Empathy and personal rapport are also important.

In contrast, many large organisations may see coaching as just one of a number of development tools, and would look towards it as providing specified enhancement in a particular area of expertise required for an employee.

Coaching is viewed positively on the whole, especially when senior management has espoused the idea and is actively involved in coaching. Delays in implementing coaching can occur if those at the top of an organisation do not consider it of value. If adopted, coaching can be used in three distinct areas – externally, using consultants; internally, using trained managers; and as a development skill for all employees.

Internal politics and people issues can be addressed via coaching, especially for young dynamic leaders with little or no people management skills. Organisations felt once the coaching relationship became predominately social – rather than business focused – then the coaching objective had been achieved, and it was time to end the relationship.

The survey found it important that the coach had experienced working life, to provide short cuts and insights of benefit to the person being coached. Some people considered that gender and age were important issues – "grey hair and gravitas". Practical experience was seen as vitally important so as to avoid a dry "academic" approach. Finally the coach was seen as more credible if they had a similar background to the person being coached.

Trust and chemistry are seen as success signs for a good relationship between the person being coached and the coach. For companies cost was seen as a critical acceptance factor.

What makes an effective coach? Most frequent factors mentioned by respondents were:

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  highly developed interpersonal skills;

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  credibility;

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  an ability to build rapport;

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  effective use of coach/client chemistry to achieve results;

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  relevant professional expertise;

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  ten plus years' experience;

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  at least 30 – or more – years of age;

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  an ability to convey empathy;

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  understanding of how people learn and develop;

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  a background in training and development work; and

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  an understanding of an organisation's culture and sensitivity to its politics.