A Harvard Business Review article (December 2004) asks this question:
Is executive coaching at U.S. companies destined to play the role occupied by psychoanalysis in some Neil Simon version of Hollywood: A virtual prerequisite for anyone who aspires to be anyone?
Companies should not jump on the coaching bandwagon expecting stellar results simply because other fast track organizations are doing it. Executive coaching is not an end unto itself.
In spite of its apparently robust potential, the very act of hiring a coach will not get the results needed unless there is sufficient preparation and planning. In other words, don’t seek coaching just because other fast movers in the firm seem to be benefiting from it.
Coaching is effective for executives who can say, “I want to get over there, but I’m not sure how to do it.”
Here are some questions to ask in order to enhance the return on the investment in a coaching program:
- As an organization, are you committed to coaching as a process rather than just an event?
- Is the coachee’s immediate supervisor committed to the coaching process?
- What are the types of changes that you hope will result?
- Have you established internal measurements to identify when you have achieved success?
- Do you have benchmarks on those measures to identify the baseline?
- Are you using the right period of time (at least 18 to 24 months) to properly achieve the results you are looking for?
- Have you considered indirect measures such as employee satisfaction or turnover?
- Have you ensured that one of the measurements is perceived improvement, as viewed by those who work with the coachee on a frequent basis?
Based on everything that you know about the coachee, is there a reasonable probability that the coachee will change?