Executive Coaching - A Guide For The HR Professional.pdf

96 EXECUTIVE COACHING
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In either case, there will be strong guidelines about how to do
goal setting, assessment, action planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Having this structure facilitates a cooperative, goal-oriented
relationship. The steps outlined in Chapter 4 provide a good general
approach to most coaching assignments.
Often, however, the coach has a good degree of flexibility and,
therefore, also the task of spelling out how these steps will happen.
This will be done at the outset of the engagement. The factors going
into the coach’s decisions include what the client is likely to need,
what the organization and the HR professional are familiar with,
and the coach’s own favorite ways of working.
Some coaches prefer to be very explicit about steps and stages,
while others are more comfortable with flexible arrangements.
Some do a lot of interviews, by phone or in person, while others use
360-degree surveys or psychological tests. Some prefer to have regularly
scheduled meetings. All good coaches reserve the right to do
mid-process reviews to see whether the initial structure is working
well.
The point is not so much how the coach works, but rather how
clearly the coach is able to describe the process. The primary goal is to
delineate what the process is, to take the mystery out of it so that others
will know what’s happening and can set their expectations accordingly.
It’s important to avoid assuming that all the stakeholders will
automatically agree on what coaching is or should be. A clear structure
also reduces the likelihood of “drift”—of a coaching relationship
wandering off target or becoming just a supportive friendship.
Communicating with Organizational Sponsors
The coach is often thinking about how to communicate to the
client’s boss and with the HR professional. Even if weeks go by with
no word to or from them, you are on the coach’s mind. If you don’t
hear from the coach, feel free to give him or her a call. Coaches get
busy too—new coaching clients don’t arrive in the coach’s life on