Coaching and Mentoring - It's All About Relationship
The tidal wave of executive coaching has been sweeping boardrooms over the last few years.
It is still the hot solution in many organisations for meeting senior executive development needs - spanning business, functional and personal issues.
Yet the value added from this expensive process has been little explored.
In terms of cost, for instance, fees of around £2,000 per day are not uncommon. This compares with an average daily fee of £975 per day among UK management consultants.
In part, it has been a victim of its own success.
Questions have been raised about qualifications and certification. At the moment, almost anyone can claim to be one -particularly if they are working in the 'life' coaching arena.
The key message for you therefore, - if you decide you need the help of a professional to work on your own development agenda, be sure to do your own due diligence - thoroughly.
Check out references. Meet with a number of different people, from a variety of organisations. Seek out recommendations from friends and colleagues.
Remember that coaching relies on being able to establish an effective and trusting working-relationship. Do you 'like' this person? Do you connect in terms of personality or does something about them annoy you?
Take your time to make a careful selection. Your leadership development could depend upon the choice you make.
There are a lot of people unfit for purpose out there.
In my own work with individuals and executive groups, particularly when I am working at a business school, I
sometimes suggest that people seek out the on-going help of an effective practitioner. Either myself, or another skilled professional.
I have found that introducing regular, goal-focused and objective input in this way, can produce beneficial results faster and more thoroughly than struggling on your own or by over-using the good graces of friends or loved-ones.
"I think the moments that difficult questions were asked about my behaviour or (I got) honest feedback about
what I have said, stand out for me. I enjoy the direct feedback during our conversations, about the job and the whole environment around it."
Chief Technology Officer, Telecoms Industry
Of course, some of the issues about being coached are just as relevant in your role as leader i.e. developing and training those who work for you. Being able to coach effectively is generally recognised as the number one skill facilitating the performance of your subordinates.
By developing a commitment to ceaseless and deliberate coaching, you can transform your own leadership profile from moderate to outstanding and your team will benefit - exponentially.
Team development is dealt with more thoroughly later on
What makes this Special Relationship Work?
From the coachee's point-of-view having an attitude of helpfulness is frequently cited as important.
They often say that their coach was 'helpful', though they describe different types of intervention as being helpful - from assisting in setting achievable and measureable goals; to listening - deeply and profoundly.
In general, helpfulness is associated with 'being understood; 'being heard or listened to'; 'being encouraged'
and increasingly also with releasing interventions.
'Releasing' means that the coach is able to help her client 'let go' of deep-seated attitudes or behaviours which have often accumulated since early childhood. As a result of letting go, the client can experience a new lightness and sense of well-being and they often say that they feel a new energy and optimism about their future.
We should also spare a thought for the coach at the same time.
Remember that she is also likely to experience some anxiety and struggle with her work.
This is because she is dealing with deep issues with her clients and nothing is routine or formulaic in such work.
Even the most experienced professionals can experience periods of vulnerability and uncertainty.
My Own View
* The value in the process is that two people decide to
engage in a mutual relationship, to which they bring all of themselves, the joys and sorrows, the ups and the downs
- if they are going to have a successful outcome.
* A successful relationship is not a 'power play'. The interaction between both parties is supportive, respectful and equal. One person does not sit in judgement of another, but sits alongside.
* The client needs to be an equal participant in the process. Too often one hears of exchanges where the client is made to feel that they are sitting-at-the-feet of an expert.
* The focus must always be upon the issues of the client.
Beware of 'professionals' who talk too much and constantly 'insert themselves' into the conversation!
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Now - Some Specifics.
I shall be looking at the following kinds of coaching; click on the headings which link to the relevant web pages.
1) Business or Executive Coaching
2) Training Skills
3) Skills Coaching
4) Performance
5) Consultancy
6) Personal or life coaching
7) Counselling
Is Coaching the Same as Mentoring?
People very often confuse these terms.
Both are processes that enable individual and corporate clients to achieve their full potential. They share many similarities so it makes sense to outline the common things that they both do.
Both techniques:
* Facilitate the exploration of needs, motivations, desires, skills and thought processes to assist the individual in
making real and lasting change.
* Use questioning techniques to facilitate the client's own thought processes in order to identify solutions and actions rather than take a wholly directive approach.
* Support the client in setting appropriate goals and methods of assessing progress in relation to these goals.
* Observe, listen and ask questions to understand the client's situation.
* Creatively apply tools and techniques which may include one-to-one training, facilitating, counselling & networking.
* Encourage a commitment to action and the development of lasting personal growth & change.
* Maintain an unconditional and positive regard for the client, which means being supportive and non-judgemental at all times - no matter what the views, lifestyle and aspirations of their client.
* Ensure that clients develop personal competencies and do not develop unhealthy dependencies on the relationship.
* Evaluate the outcomes of the process, using objective measures wherever possible, to ensure the relationship is successful and that the client is achieving their personal goals.
* Encourage clients to continually improve their skills and abilities to achieve their goals.
* Work within their area of personal skill and experience.
* Possess qualifications and experience in the areas of training or development that they are offering.
* Manage the relationship to ensure the client receives the appropriate level of service and that the length of the
programme is neither too short, nor too long.
As you can see, this is a compelling list of attributes that either professional should possess as well as being a deliberate assessment of how the process ought to be conducted.
You could usefully use this as a check-list for assessing your own success in either arena.
Alternatively, if you are about to or have already engaged a practitioner, you might want to evaluate her performance against these standards.
The Difference Between the Two
Clearly, there are many similarities between these professional approaches to executive development!
Mentoring, particularly in its traditional sense, enables an individual to follow in the path of an older and wiser colleague within the organisation, who can pass on knowledge, experience and open doors to otherwise out-of-reach pportunities.
Coaching, on the other hand, is not generally performed on the basis that the practitioner has direct experience of the client's actual role - unless the process is specific and skills focused.
The Moral of the Story
it is essential to determine what your needs are and to ensure that the person that you select, can supply you with the type and level of service you require - whatever that service is called!
To see what kind of coaching or consultancy or counselling would be most appropriate for your situation,
try the questionnaire
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