TPS explores the role of Executive Coaching in today's modern workplace
Scores of major UK companies have made coaching a core part of executive development. The belief is that, under the right circumstances, one-on-one interaction with an objective third party can provide a focus that other forms of organizational support simply cannot.
Coaching was once viewed by many in the UK as a tool to help correct underperformance, today it is becoming much more widely used in supporting top producers. In fact, a study by Harvard Management revealed that 86 percent of companies said they used coaching to sharpen the skills of individuals who have been identified as future organizational leaders.
"Coaching has become hugely popular in all types of industry," says Sally Vanson, Managing Director of The Performance Solution, whose clients include Reuters, Mazda and Vodafone. "There is a demand in the workplace now for immediate results in response to challenging market conditions, our clients can clearly see the benefits of their investment in coaching."
How? By providing feedback and guidance in real time, says Sally, 'Coaching develops leaders in the context of their current jobs, without removing them from their day-to-day responsibilities.'
At an even more basic level, many executives simply benefit from receiving any feedback at all. "As individuals advance to the executive level, development feedback becomes increasingly important, more infrequent, and more unreliable," As a result, many executives plateau in critical interpersonal and leadership skills.
So, should you have a coach? And which managers in your sphere of responsibility might benefit from working with an outsider to help sharpen skills and overcome hurdles to better performance?
The right approach to answering these questions still varies a great deal depending on whom you ask, but input from several dozen coaches, and executives who have undergone coaching, does provide a useful framework for how to think about the role of coaching.
For further information about Executive Coaching please contact Ceri Heathcote direct on 01225 867 285 or alternatively email [email protected]