Ten Commandments of Executive Coaching

First Commandment: Thou Shall Not Provide Executive Coaching to Leaders Who Are Derailing

A couple of years ago, I wrote an online article about how Executive Coaching “was having a moment.” Organizations and leaders seemed to understand how to best use it. Coaching clients liked it or loved coaching. Executive coaches were improved at providing what they did.

Then the pandemic happened.

Now I agree with my colleague, and one of the world’s finest executive coaches, Karol Wasylyslyn [author of Destined to Lead] who says that “Executive Coaching is having a mid-life crisis.”

What should we do?

This means we need to get religion again- metaphorically speaking. That’s why I’m posting my Ten Commandments of Executive Coaching. This first commandment, “Thou Shall Not Provide Executive Coaching to Leaders who are derailing” is probably the most important.

As a leadership coach and trainer of Executive Coaches, I have heard too many stories that “executive coaching doesn’t really work that well in our organization.”

When I inquire about this, I hear things like this (not a verbatim quote but based on multiple true stories.)

Executive Coaching was not well-planned nor designed at the organization. It’s been quickly set up in order to attract the attention of leaders and employees throughout the organization. It is being offered to everyone. We think it will be great.

Years of research on executive coaching has shown it shines when it’s offered to key talent and high potentials. And the best coaching is provided by well-trained and/or experienced executive coaches who know what they’re doing. Often, they show a diagram of an arc of the coaching from beginning to end to clients. Coaching begins with a coaching chemistry match between coach and client, a kick-off or agenda-setting meeting between coach, client and manager and several other key components.

It should be known that executive coaching is about helping the client change key agreed upon behaviors. It is not only about having a client feeling good. Behavior change needs to happen. Otherwise, it’s not worth the time or the expense.

If you violate the First Commandment of Executive Coaching, you’ll find your organization is wasting money paying for coaching for leaders who will soon be exited from the organization. Worse, you’ll notice key executive talent no longer wishes to sign up for coaching. The reason? They don’t want to be seen as identified with derailing talent currently seen using coaching. Therefore, they opt out. All possible benefits of coaching in your organization die. Your employees may become less engaged. You risk losing or not retaining talent recently onboarded.

If this is happening at your organization, you need a quick but basic change. Contact ceocoachrobinson@gmail.com to inquire about getting your talent management executives or yourself trained in designed and exceptional executive coaching at www.icoachglobal.com.