PEOPLE FOCUS - CIPD

COACHING
PEOPLE FOCUS
Coaching experience.
The issue here is around the appropriate
level of experience in terms of seniority
of client and the breadth, depth and
complexity of issues worked on. The
number of coaching hours and years of
experience is also an important
consideration. Each of the
professional bodies, the International
Coaching Federation [ICF], the World
Association for Business Coaches
[WABC], and the Association for
Coaches [A for C] offer benchmarks
ranging from 3-5 years to achieve the
‘Master Coach’ category or a graded
route from 250 hours (Associate
Coach) to 750 hours (Professional
Coach) to 2,500 hours (Master Coach).
It is unlikely that any more than a small
preparation of practising business
coaches can claim 5 years experience and
2,500 coaching hours.
3. FIT
Coaching context.
The critical variables here are the coach,
the client, the nature of the assignment,
the organisational culture and in
International work, wider cultural issues.
What is for sure is that no coach is right
for all coachees, assignments or cultures.
The challenge is to find the best fit
between those variables. This has
implications for selection and suggests
purchasers may need to look at the
coach, not the coaching company.
Sector/industry experience.
Some client organisations want to be
re-assured that the coach has familiarity
with their sector in order to more readily
appreciate and tune into specific
challenges and issues. This is
understandable but needs to carry
the health warning that coaches
from the same professional
background as their clients are more
likely to stray into the ‘been there,
done it’ territory and offer advice or,
worse still, adopt the role of
surrogate manager.
4/5. PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE AND
QUALITY STANDARDS
Relevant training and development.
Experienced coaches tend to have had
careers where they have undertaken a
wealth of relevant training – such as
management/leadership development,
OD consultancy and an array of self
development activities including being
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coached themselves. Advanced level
coach education is also an essential part
of the coaches’ development journey.
Ideally this needs to be at postgraduate
level with programmes of this kind lasting
anywhere between one and three years
(part-time). Typically coaches from a
business psychology background will
also be trained in assessment processes
such as psychometrics.
Supervision/CPD. All professional
bodies support and advocate that
coaches are in regular professional
supervision. This is a CPD activity where
the coach works with an experienced
supervisor or with peers to reflect on
their work and gain support, learning and
development. Supervision can also be a
protective mechanism for clients ensuring
that coaches have a check and balance
system built into their practice.
Professional bodies. Several
professional bodies now exist and there is
no single lead body. The issue here is
that coaches need to be members of a
professional association and adhere to a
recognised code conduct of ethics with
an associated complaints procedure.
Membership of such a body also provides
the coach with the opportunity to stay
up-to-date with best practice.
Qualifications/accreditations. There is
still a great deal of confusion about the
difference between awards
(qualifications) which are bestowed by
universities and accreditations which
involve processes set up by professional
bodies. Purchasers of coaching
services need to look beyond simple
membership of a professional body to
coaches who have postgraduate level
coaching qualifications and separate
accreditation with a recognised
professional body such as ICF, A for C,
WABC or Association for Professional
Coaches and Supervisors [APECS].
6. VALIDITY
Results.
In the final analysis results matter most,
particularly where substantial fees are
involved. Coaches need to be able to
demonstrate successful outcomes from a
range of coaching assignments and show
evidence of return on investment (ROI).
References.
References should be sought from a
minimum of three former clients. Some
purchasers of coaching services prefer to
speak personally to previous clients. This
can be a good way of getting a stronger
feel for the coach’s key strengths and
best fit assignments.
SUMMARY
Despite the current economic downturn
organisations are using external coaches in
all sectors. Making informed decisions
about which coaches are suitably qualified,
skilled and credible will continue to
challenge HR managers. Hopefully, this set
of criteria will serve as a useful reference
point for what to look for when arriving at
those decisions. The Coach Assessment
Grid also provides a framework for more
intensive coach selection processes ■
Peter Bluckert is the MD of PB
Coaching specialising in executive and
team coaching, coach training and
developing coaching cultures. He is
co-founder of the professional body
EMCC; Programme Director of the
UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate
Business School. Advanced Coaching
Diploma and author of ‘Psychological
Dimensions of Executive Coaching’
w: http://www.pbcoaching.com