Coaching – the #1 leadership development tool!

Introduction

How do you retain key leaders, improve managerial and business performance, and successfully develop managers and leaders? The answer - executive and managerial coaching! Today, more and more organizations are faced with rapid and continuous change that places increasing demands on executives and managers. To help executives cope with these demands, leading organizations have embraced coaching and seen dramatic results.

Coaching for Success
Coaching, as seen by executives, is a more effective and useful alternative to traditional training and development methods. Executives see coaching as a safer haven where they can share fears and vulnerabilities and develop a trusted relationship with their coach. Executives see the organization investing in them, which encourages commitment to the organization.

How You Benefit

• Improved effectiveness.
• Greater self-awareness of style and its impact on others.
• More effective behavior with peers and direct reports.
• Improved skills in leading/facilitating groups.
• Effective leadership of people and key initiatives.
• Improved climate in the executive’s work unit.
• “Sounding board” for decisions.
• Retention of key executives.
  

Coaching Services
There are a variety of situations where Excalibur ’s coaching services can be applied:

Professional Development
Develop skills and competencies required for current and future success.

Tactical Planning
Decide how to approach a given situation, agree on actions to pursue, debrief after actions are implemented.

Problem Resolution/Crisis Management
Analyze a current problem/crisis, review alternatives and decide on actions to deal with a specific problem or crisis.

Performance Improvement
Create awareness of areas for improvement and assist the manager in improving performance.

COACHING PROCESS
Typical coaching formats involve 1-3 hour meetings with the manager over a period of 3-8 months.

The following steps provide a general guide to the coaching process. The actual coaching process is very fluid and flexible, geared to the needs of the manager at a particular point in time.

Contracting

• Meet with the manager, manager’s boss and/or human resources contact.
• Identify the coaching context.
• Establish ground rules and parameters, including confidentiality.
• Settle on the scope of work.

Assessment

• Gather data using a variety of methods as applicable:

  	360 Feedback
  	Interviews
  	Focus Groups

• Meet with the manager

  	Career Perspective (Past/Present/Future)
  	Job Perspective (Customer/Supplier/Stakeholder Analysis)
  	Style Instrument
  	Assess Skill & Motivation

• Prepare findings report.
• Review findings with manager and others if applicable.

Action Planning

• Work with manager to acknowledge issues, identify alternatives, develop action steps and goals.
• Create Development Plan, Performance Improvement Plan, or Tactical Plan as required.
• Develop ad hoc actions to deal with developmental, performance, or tactical issues.
• Spend 1/3rd of the time during coaching sessions on tactical matters discussing what’s foremost on the manager’s mind.
• Conduct instructional activities and offer coaching suggestions as required.

Implementation

• Monitor progress against the plan.
• Observe manager’s behavior.
• Revise plan as necessary.
• Reassess manager’s skill and will to continue implementing actions.

Closure

• Review lessons learned.
• Document progress made and determine continued support if required.
• Identify next steps.

Getting Started

To begin a Coaching Process, simply call Excalibur Consulting at 978-664-0862 to set up a scoping meeting or fill out our contact form. At this meeting we will review the coaching situation and recommend a coaching approach that is suitable to your needs and budget.

We can design individual coaching approaches or comprehensive coaching programs where many people are assigned coaches.