Talent Management and Executive Coaching; Cincinnati, Ohio – Are there different types of executive coaching?
Each executive coach has his or her own style and approach.
There are a couple of areas worth noting that do differentiate coaches:
➢ First: The philosophical approach.
Some coaches work on enhancing their client’s strengths. They help the executive to understand what they do well and hone those traits for maximum performance.
Other coaches work on their client’s weaknesses. Their view is that the executive’s strengths got them to where they are and it is their weaknesses that are holding them back from maximizing their contribution. Addressing weaknesses takes more effort, and sometimes courage, on the part of the client. In our opinion, this approach delivers much greater return. Weaknesses that executives thought could never be changed are changed.
Many people ask which is the more effective approach – working on enhancing strengths or correcting weaknesses. Our view is that the two approaches are really just two sides of the same coin. Whether the coach is working on a perceived strength or weakness, the goal is the same – to modify a behavior to improve performance. A weakness in one business environment may be perceived as strength in another.
➢ Second: The coaching format.
Traditionally, executive coaches have used a “situational” approach. The client presents a challenge or a situation and the coach works through it with them. The problem with this approach is that the coaching engagement has no definition. Coaching sessions can go on indefinitely. The client will have an improved perspective, but only for that given situation. The client’s over all behaviors are not usually changed and their performance is not permanently improved.
Recently, there has been a movement to develop a process for executive coaching. Process driven coaching focuses on making permanent changes in client behavior and doing so in a specific period of time. Process driven executive coaching ensures that time is taken to cover every critical element in the coaching experience. A process approach operates within a specific time frame and thereby controls the indeterminate aspects of situational coaching.
American universities have kept a close watch on the efforts to develop an executive coaching process that can be taught as part of their executive coaching certification programs.
While some universities, such as Georgetown, have developed internal executive coaching certification programs, only one process methodology has met the strict standards of major U.S. business schools. It is the most comprehensive effort to date for an executive coaching process and is known as the “Sherpa method”. Sherpa is taught at major universities such as Penn Sate, Kent State in Ohio, and the University of Louisville.
The Sherpa process has three main parts:
1. It begins with an in depth self-assessment process for the client.
2. In the second part, it uses both traditional and customized tools to help the client address weaknesses and improve skills.
3. Finally, in the third stage, the coach and client use a series of techniques to make sure the changes will stay in place and that the client’s new behavior patterns are permanent.
