Executive Coaching - A Guide For The HR Professional.pdf

What Is the Boss’s Role? 93
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The frequency of feedback is almost as important as the content
of the feedback. When the boss observes changes in the client’s
behavior, it is very helpful to communicate these observations to the
coach and to the client. Particularly early on in the assignment, it
can be very rewarding for the client as well as the coach to know that
favorable behavior changes are evident. Just how well the boss thinks
the changes are going is a topic worth sharing with the coach, who
is in a position to mediate this information with the client. If the
boss does not see much change, then this fact is best communicated
first to you and to the coach. There may be some reasons why behavior
changes are not evident, and a three-way discussion may help to
elucidate the reasons for this before involving the client.
If the boss thinks that the behavior changes are going well, the
boss may want to be liberal with praise. This will reinforce the new
behaviors and signal to the client and the coach that they are on
the right track. In the long run, it is the boss’s opinion that matters
more than that of others, and any reinforcement from the boss is
likely to have stronger effects than if the same words were to come
from another source.
Helping the Overall Effort
How the boss communicates about the coaching effort can make or
break its success. If the coaching is viewed as another way to accelerate
the learning of new skills and behaviors, then it may more easily
gain acceptance by the client and key stakeholders. If the
coaching is viewed as a last-ditch remediation or a final desperate
attempt, then the outcome may be seen as less hopeful and not worthy
of the energy required to be expended. When coaching is viewed
in a positive light, the motivations of the client, the coach, and the
rest of the organization are focused on a successful outcome and it
can become a win-win situation.
The boss’s attitude about coaching is at the foundation of
this matter. It’s important that the boss believe in the employee’s