Business Intelligence

Published February 2009

The Case for Coaching

Helen Peters

Continued

As the coaching profession matures, there will be more standard contracts, vetting of credentials and ways to measure return on investment, as well as return on expectations. The profession is moving away from a cottage industry model of individual practitioners in the direction of credentialed professionals who are part of a larger association, consulting group or coaching agency.

Organizations that are using coaching to maximize leadership bench strength and get the best return on development dollars are increasingly looking for coaching vendors who can provide:

• A cadre of prequalified coaches.

• Consistent coaching services across organizational boundaries.

• Validated and appropriate coaching tools and techniques.

• An understanding of global leadership issues.

• Partnership with the organization in defining, tracking and measuring success.

Executive coaches should be highly credentialed business executives and senior practitioners in the areas of leadership development and organizational performance. Coaches must be able to demonstrate a balance of diverse and relevant business experience, an understanding of organizational dynamics and proven executive coaching capabilities. The AMA and Institute for Corporate Productivity found that the three most common criteria for selecting coaches are business experience of the coach, recommendations from a trusted source and interviews with prospective coaches to ensure best fit.

Futurists say there have been more changes in the past 50 years than in the previous 50,000, and in the next 50 years we can expect even more radical changes. The recent global financial crisis is just one example of what may be ahead. In this environment, leadership that can adjust to meet new challenges will be critical, and successful organizations will not be able to leave leadership development to chance.

Executive coaching provides a development strategy that meets today’s needs while preparing the leadership team for the future. The results can be clearly defined and measured. ROI can be directly observed in changed leadership behavior, increased leadership competency and greater organizational impact. Consulting firms providing executive coaching can be your strategic partner in preparing the leadership team for turbulent times.

Helen Peters heads leadership development for Torchiana Mastrov & Sapiro, a provider of executive search, leadership development and career management services, and a member of Career Partners International. She can be reached at editor@clomedia.com.

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