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Article from The Business Times, Jul/Aug 2012
IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU
By PAUL HENG
Executive coaching in Asia is fast catching on, and more companies are exploring the use of external coaches as part of their talent development initiatives. But what exactly is coaching? One of the key differentiating factors is coaching involves more questioning, than telling/instructing. A coach does not tell the coachee (the person receiving the coaching) what best to do under a specific set of circumstances.
In coaching, the spotlight and focus in on the coachee, rather than the coach. The coach asks skillfully crafted questions to facilitate self-awareness and learning; and the singular objective is to coach the coachee from where she is, to where she wants to go.
In the process, the coachee will be challenged to think for herself, stretch her thinking, discover options, consider the pros and cons of these, and in the process, make better decisions for herself, and the business.
There is an element of learning in hiring a consultant. However, with a coach, you do your own thinking, and make your own decisions. There is always the tendency to over-rely on a consultant as subject-matter experts. With a coach, you learn to fly solo, and the dependency element is dramatically reduced, and may not even be present.
This is precisely why coaching is so powerful as leaders ‘learn’ to be more effective and self-sufficient through the coaching process. There are many scenarios where coaching can be effective - proactively preparing leaders for higher level roles is just one of the more common ones. Other examples useful to SME leaders could be:-
- Performance management
- Delegation
- Inspiring and motivating others
- Leadership
For now, there is almost zero entry barriers for coach wanna-bes. When you are exploring the option of investing in the expertise of an external coach, it is imperative that you shortlist at least three coaches for face-to-face exploratory sessions.
Besides the presence of professional coaching expertise, it is also important you feel comfortable with the chemistry-fit with your coach - the ideal situation when it comes to this is when you arrive at a point, typically after a few coaching sessions, of being able to bare your soul to your coach. This will be a breakthrough in itself, and will ensure that the coaching journey can be as effective as possible.
Quiz each shortlisted coach on his/her coaching track record, what is their coaching methodology, success (and failure) stories, and ensure you are happy with the responses, and feel a certain level of ease and confidence before you decide on the coach to work with.
Continue looking if none seems to fit your bill. This is one of those situations in your career where you would not want to rush, and make a mistake. That could be pretty costly – both from the emotional and financial perspectives. Coaching gone wrong is a real possibility – and the coachee is usually the one who emerges (badly) scarred.
Coaching fees can range from a mere $100 to $2,000 per coaching hour. Caveat emptor would be a good rule of thumb when you are engaging a coach. Perhaps, these are the three most important factors:-
- Professional coaching training and credentials
- Personal chemistry
- Positive testimonies from other coachees who have been coached by the coach you are planning to work with
There is no real need for your coach to have hands-on working experience in the industry you are operating in – however, some basic understanding will always be useful.
The writer is founder/executive coach of NeXT Corporate Coaching Services
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