23 November 2005
Successful Intentions Newsletter
Hi ,
When there's under-performance in your neighbourhood - who're you gonna call?
Coach Busters!
Here they come, ready or not! Riding in from the West. Versace suits shimmering in the noon day sun. Psychometric tools swinging from their Gucci belts. And ROI promissory notes tucked into their Prada saddlebags! They are the "Magnificent Seven" of the corporate rangelands. The "fixers" of recalcitrant managers and errant executives. Defenders of high performance culture. Protectors of human capital. They are - the Coaches!
1. Explaining Coaching
Who are they, these "Pale Riders", these Bollé-masked strangers? When pressed they may say something like:
"I am a solution-focused, results-based, facilitative, evidence-driven, agent of change transforming managers into authentic leaders and inspiring teams to achieve higher performance through collaborative self-exploration and the enhancement of emotional intelligence to achieve exceptional results for stakeholders and a positive ethical shift in global consciousness…going forward….at the end of the day…."
But what does it all mean? How can they explain what they really do without sounding like a cross between Jack Welch, Dr Phil, and Harry Potter!
2. The Sports Metaphor
Is it possible to talk about anything in commercial enterprises without resorting to a sports metaphor?! How does the life of an elite athlete - surrounded by a dedicated support team and a fawning public - have anything to say about achieving performance targets with a team of village idiots, month after month, year after year! Inspiring, yes. Informing, no.
The similarity between sports coaches and executive coaches is like comparing monkeys and peaches. They're both furry and appealing, but simian jam is an acquired taste.
3. The ROI
ROI (Return on Investment) is one of those terms HR and L&D people sprinkle about to convince Executive Managers that they're worth keeping. But as the eminent HR Practitioner William Shakespeare said, "ROI is a term full of sound and fury, signifying nothing!" Or something like that.
Perhaps ROI stands for, "Raising Our Indifference", or "Reeking of Indulgence", or "Resist Own Investment". Can we truly expect to measure the benefits of increased mindfulness, enhanced attention, and a deeper application of soul that often follow good coaching? Does it matter? Maybe ROI should be changed to ROHC (Return On Human Caring)
4. The Stakeholders
Everyone owns a piece of the coaching client. "Don't tell him/her, but in my opinion…" prattle the stakeholders. Who is closer to the truth? Often it's the stakeholders who are projecting their own inadequacies onto the client. It's never just about one person but about the whole dynamic of the team, the business unit, the company.
Who are the legitimate stakeholders in the individual's development program? And why do they keep holding onto the steak when it's time to cook it? If they hold the steak too long it'll go off (and what does this say about the BBQ as a metaphor for office politics)!
5. The Fee
Application of the "Coaching-as-Therapy" model leads to "sessions" being charged at an hourly rate. The implication is that the client comes in to be "healed" of their performance disorder. But if there's any healing to be done it should involve the whole client system. Executive coaches can be a disruptive force for good in both small and large systems, so why not adopt a consulting framework where engagement is charged out on a daily (pro rata) basis, or a monthly or annual retainer? That way all the necessary travel time, waiting time, "exploratory coffee" time, stakeholder proposal and report writing time, can be packaged up for the client's sponsor.
There's often so much time spent in meeting everyone with something to say before actually engaging with the client that it would've been easier to apply for a job in the place and avoid the caffeine addiction!
6. The Beauty Pageant
Coaches are often corralled into a "coaching panel" and then lined up for prospective clients to choose from to see if the chemistry is right - A sort of "try before you buy" approach. Of course the "fit" has to be productive. But clients may end up selecting the coach who makes them feel good rather than the coach they really need. Sometimes the coach who gets the most engagements out of this process is the one who knows how to audition for the part.
7. The 360 Feedback
Done well the ubiquitous 360 Feedback tool can reveal gaps in the client's self-awareness. Like a kind of corporate dentist! But usually it's done poorly. The questionnaire items often access a polyglot of behaviours, attributes, personality, and job competencies. Or worse, when they're linked to "how we do things around here". Sample selection itself may profoundly skew the results. Who wants to critique the boss in an inflamed political environment? Or, individuals may use it as an (apparently) anonymous vehicle to inflict maximum damage in "Latham-esque" retribution!
Far better to apply psychometrically rigorous individual assessment as a springboard to deep personal exploration. Paying too much attention to what others think is a bit like making political decisions based on popularity polls. It doesn't win elections. People generally respond to substance over style.
So, watch out for the coaching cowboys or you could get tangled up in a shootout at the OK corral! When it comes to intentional development, who're you gonna call?
Coach Busters!
Look out for the Christmas edition of the Successful Intentions Newsletter
Keep your intentions clear,
Peter Webb
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