Corporate Coaching Finally Comes of Age
By Bernard Chanliau, Friday 27 July, 2007
Corporate Coaching Finally Comes of Age
Prince George Citizen (06/29/07) , P. 40; Sankey, Derek
Canadian business leaders and coaches claim coaching is now being used much more for leadership instruction, succession planning, and retention tactics, due to the fact that the sector has strongly established itself as a successful and efficient solution for firms, according to Calgary Association of Professional Coaches president Warren Redman. Certain businesses are hiring entire coaching teams to focus on superior employees who are believed to have management potential. Last year, energy conglomerate EnCana Corp. introduced a pilot project employing a pool of around 21 certified coaches who had a great deal of experience. The program teamed workers with coaches in order to deal with numerous challenges the company faced in a competitive labor market. In addition, the program works well in promoting EnCana's wider leadership development goals and associated programs. The program has been a success because it helps merge coaching skills with leadership instruction and promotes EnCana's succession plans as superior employees ascend the ranks. While there are also bottom-line results, workers have discovered how coaches can help them meet their career objectives. Employees were coached as well about improving their own coaching abilities in an attempt to facilitate the transfer of information between generations of workers.
The Rise of the Listening Guru
Financial Times (07/18/07) ; Stern, Stefan
Coaching has come from the shadows into its own, with several trade organizations developing their own codes of ethics and professional guidelines. These groups help coaches understand their ethical obligations to clients and provide them with direction in the business relationships. Not only has the industry stepped up, but also executives are more forthright about their coaching experiences. The International Coaching Federation estimates coaches across the globe generate $1.5 billion in revenues, with 50 percent of that coming from the United States. When executives seek coaches they are looking for someone who is a good listener and will help them achieve their personal and professional goals. The mark of a good coach is a distinct ability to listen carefully to the questions and concerns of the client, ask clear questions about how the client thinks they can improve, and hold clients accountable for reaching or not reaching specific goals after six months or a year. Companies increasingly turn to coaches to smooth out transitions within a firm or get new CEOs up to speed on various aspects of their positions, but some firms engage in the creation of a coaching culture for all workers to foster worker improvement and productivity. Experts note that coaches that intimidate, quickly decide on a plan of action without asking questions about a given situation, try to make themselves the crux of an individuals decision-making process, or betray confidences are not the best tool for executives or workers.