Many people feel a degree of trepidation about contracting with an executive coach or organizational consultant. Some interpret the suggestion that they might need help as a sign of weakness—no matter how the suggestion was made or by whom. Others wonder if opening their work lives up to examination or change might make them feel exposed or vulnerable.

The Coach or Consultant as a Trusted Ally

It’s understandable, perhaps advisable, for people to have such concerns. But you can rest easy if you choose the coach or consultant wisely, because an effective one will be a true ally. In essence, executive coaching and organizational consulting boil down to two avenues for growth:

1. Growth by gaining support
2. Growth by overcoming challenge

Leaders, executives, and managers typically overemphasize the challenge side of the equation: what staff is doing wrong, what they should be doing better, the goals they should be meeting, and so on. Therefore, the coach or consultant’s job often is to balance things out by emphasizing the support side:

• What people’s strengths are
• How to build on these strengths
• What support systems can be put in place to bring out people’s best
• How to build competencies and confidence

Helping YOU Calls for a Unique Process

An effective coaching or consulting process has to be adaptable to meet the specific needs of a person or team. This is because each one is at a unique stage of growth and professional development. That said, the following steps usually occur in effective coaching and consulting engagements, thought not always in exact order.

1. Pre-engagement needs assessment—defining what the person, group, team, manager(s), and organization want from the engagement.
2. Coaching or consulting agreement—agreeing on the scope of work, time frame, and budget.
3. Discovery phase—determining whether or not the presenting issues are in fact the real issues.
4. Feedback and recommendations—clarifying the real issues for all involved and gauging willingness to address these issues.
5. Coaching or consulting plan development—revising coaching agreement to more accurately specify growth areas and measures of success.
6. Implementation and action learning—enacting the coaching plan in keeping with the budget and schedule.
7. Evaluation of progress and results—assessing what has improved and to what degree—on the basis of evidence.
8. Transition to long-term development—identifying further opportunities for growth along with a long-term plan for professional development.

Building on Your Strengths

No matter what the scope of the coaching or consulting program might be, we always focus first on emphasizing people’s strengths and ensuring that they’re actually being used in the workplace. This creates a solid foundation for building additional knowledge, skills, and behaviors needed to achieve personal and organizational objectives. Another cornerstone of all our programs is to build people’s innate desire, capacity, and skill to further develop themselves in years to come. Providing people, groups, and teams with the motivation and ways and means for continuing to grow and develop over the long haul might be the most valuable service we provide.