LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT THROUGH
EXECUTIVE COACHING

Coaching is provided for a variety of reasons. Three approaches will be given here, but the second two are based on the first process for General Executive Development. The three approaches are:

1. Executive Coaching Program for General Executive Development

2. Executive Coaching Program for Performance Issues

3. Executive Coaching as Needed

Part One: Executive Coaching Program for General Executive Development

Overview

The Executive Coaching Program for General Executive Development (to be referred to as "ECP-General") is the formal leadership development program designed for executives who are generally performing well. Executive coaching is provided because:

1. Effective executives need a confidential source for continued self-development. On-going Self Development is indicated in research to be a core competency of effective leadership.

2. Executive is generally performing well, but there are certain areas of responsibility that require specific focus and development.

3. Executive is being targeted for advancement. Coaching insures that the right skills are being developed so that the promotion will be successful.

4. The Executive Team is striving to work together as effectively as possible, and coaching is one of the activities that positively impacts the team effort.

There may be other reasons as well. The core process for General Executive Coaching is as follows:

1. Executives are targeted to go through a leadership development process. Often the whole group goes through leadership development training, and coaching is provided to assist each executive in developing and implementing their own executive development program, tying back to the common core values and principles brought out in the training

2. The coach meets with the executive for an initial interview, or series of interviews. The coaching process is explained, why this executive is being targeted, and a personal history is obtained. Further discussions are around the areas of responsibility, the strengths and challenges the executive sees him or herself to have in carrying out their areas of responsibility, their understanding (perception) of how others see them, their personal goals and ambitions, etc.

3. The coach meets with the direct superior of the individual (often the CEO or even the Board) and obtains their input. Sometimes the meeting may take place with both the targeted executive and his or her boss together.

4. A "test battery" is administered, which are a series of inventories usually specifically related to management, leadership, conflict management skills, organizational skills, and other areas. Some inventories are 360 degree administered. Psychological tests that are effective for the workplace may also be administered. Each test battery is unique, depending on the person and the industry, unless a number of people from the same executive group are being coached. Then the battery may be standardized, and inventories related to group efforts may be included.

5. Feedback is given, discussed, and the most important points to be focused on for development are agreed upon. The ultimate goals of the executive and of the company, the test battery results, and the personal needs of the executive all drive this part. Conflicts between organizational and personal goals are openly addressed.

6. Action plans are developed for each item in a specific "commitment" process that has been developed by JPA International.

7. Coaching and a plan on how to feed back the results to other parties (boss, employees, etc.), if needed, is set up.

8. A pattern for frequency of interaction between the executive and the coach is set up. The standard process for frequency of follow-up meetings is usually 2 times a month for 6-9 months, one hour for each meeting. Follow-up meetings can be done by phone or in person.

•Follow-up meetings are generally very goal-directed and behavioral in orientation. The executive will often have had very specific tasks to do in-between meetings.

•The results of accomplishing these tasks (or addressing barriers for tasks not being accomplished) are discussed and new tasks related to the ultimate goals determined.

•The personal needs and goals of the executive and those of the organization are all kept in mind.

9. Coaching is a very personal process. Since JPA addresses both the psychological and organizational issues of being as effective a leader as possible, both areas are covered when setting goals and action plans. The focus is on changing behavior, but also attitude and perspective as well. Often issues outside of work affect executive skills, and are addressed as needed.

10. Executives usually enjoy the whole process!

Part Two: Executive Coaching Program for Performance Issues

Overview

The Executive Coaching Program for Performance Issues (to be referred to as "ECP- Performance") is similar in process to the ECP-General, but it has a different purpose, focus, follow-up focus, and outcome. This program is designed specifically for executives that are not performing to acceptable standards in one or several areas of their areas of responsibilities. The manager of this person would like to see, given a structured coaching process that focuses on performance management (and measurement), if the executive will be able to respond and increase their performance to acceptable standards. Parts of the ECP-Performance might be combined with the ECP-General process as needed.

This is a good program to use for:

1. A manager is not performing to standard but you want to see if they can be turned around with specific and targeted guidance.

2. Coaching is provided and documented to show that sufficient effort was made to improve performance before discharging or demoting the person from the current position.

3. Executive coaching to address performance issues may be combined with a General Executive Coaching program.

4. To determine where the organization needs to strengthen their communication of their expectations of results executives are to achieve. Sometimes performance issues occur due to organizational factors as well as the executive.

There may be other reasons as well. The core process for Executive Coaching-Performance is as follows:

1. The executive may or may not go through specialized leadership (or other training) before beginning the one on one coaching. Often, this type of coaching results from concerns of the executive's boss, peers, direct reports, customers or any combination thereof.

2. Sometimes the company will arrange to have several executives go through Executive Coaching at the same time so that those who are not performing do not feel singled out. On the other hand, the executive will be made aware early on the specific reason(s) for their being coached, including performance issues.

3. The coach meets first with the manager (and sometimes HR and/or legal dept.) of the executive to be coached to gather information. This may be a small meeting, with a more extensive one occurring after the coach has met with the executive him or herself.

4. The coach meets with the executive (sometimes with the executive's boss, sometimes alone). The purpose of the coaching is discussed and the coach performs a special interview to assist in finding out the (usually) differing perspectives of the issues. Alignment of the executive's vision, goals, and values with that of the senior executive team and organization is determined. Strengths of the executive are brought out as well through the interview. Any documentation, assessment info, etc. available is looked at or discussed (depending on legal requirements).

5. The executive makes a specific, clear decision to be coached on performance. If a test battery appropriate to the issues has not been administered, testing is done. Please note that almost all assessments for performance issues include psychological testing as well. Also, a very specific process is used when analyzing the 360 assessments to determine "Managerial Self-Awareness" (MSA), which is the degree of congruence between how the manager perceives his or her strengths and weaknesses and that of those who have rated him or her. MSA gives important information especially useful for performance issues (and may also bring out performance issues that other executives or the boss didn't even know were there!). MSA may also be used in General Executive Coaching, but is not required.

6. Feedback is given on the results privately to the executive, and discussed. Plans of action and commitments to making specific changes are developed.

7. The executive gives feedback with the coach present to the manager of that executive. The manager also gives their input to performance actions, etc. Also discussed is whether further data needs to be collected to establish a baseline. A baseline is a measurement of how the executive being coached is currently performing in an arena. An assessment can serve as a baseline, meaning you have a current score, and then the assessment is retaken 6 months later to determine if the baseline score has improved based on changes in the individual's behavior. Sometimes, however, specific behavioral baselines need to be set up that are more specific to the changes in behavior being sought.

8. As with General Executive Coaching, a follow-up schedule is created. Coaching usually occurs face to face or by phone weekly for the first few months at least. If it appears progress is being made after a two-month evaluation, then the sessions may be 2-3 times a month. Length of time of follow-up coaching depends on the issues and on progress being made.

9. In ECP-Performance, the manager of the executive being coached is kept informed monthly on how well the person being coached is proceeding. This session may or may not include the executive being coached. Usually by the third month, the coach can tell how much further progress will occur and at what rate. However, the manager of the executive (and/or others- HR, legal, etc.) makes the final decision as to what to do.

10. As with ECP-General, the follow-up sessions are highly behavioral in focus, though again, psychological and attitudinal issues will also be worked with as necessary.

Part Three: Executive Coaching as Needed

This last process is more informal and ad hoc. Sometimes a manager is not sure if they want to spend the money (and time) on coaching a specific person. A shortened process is done with the main goal being for the coach to determine if the executive in question should be coached or not. There are a number of ways this process may occur:

1. An interview and shorter assessment process is conducted, with feedback being given to both the executive under question and his or her boss (separately or together). The coach also speaks privately to the boss with her specific recommendations on whether or not to go forward.

2. The coach mediates a session between the executive in question and his or her manager (or possibly someone else) to iron out issues. The coach also interviews the executive and manager privately. The coach then gives feedback to the more senior manager and recommendations.

3. The executive has been coached before and just needs some extra support in a particular area. The issue here is not so much performance as it is providing extra support for the individual.

The above examples are only some of the many ways clients have used coaching of their managers. This list is by no means exhaustive.

Summary

Joan Pastor of JPA International, Inc. is your best resource for the above coaching, and other management development, processes. Besides having over 21 years of executive coaching and executive facilitation experience, Joan has the training and credentials as well. She adamantly believes that it takes a person extremely skilled in both industrial/organizational issues as well as clinical psychology issues to be able to detect all the subtleties underlying people's strengths and challenge areas, and their interaction with an organization's unique culture and issues. Joan's educational background in cultural differences as well as her practical, international, experience in this area also is an asset for multinational organizations, and/or multinational endeavors.

In addition, Joan has worked alongside executives in financial, market growth, acquisition, ethical issues and endeavors and she understands perfectly both the for-profit and non-profit worlds. Executives have used her as a consultant, advisor and sounding board for many different endeavors.