How can you involve the coachee's manager in change impact evaluation while maintaining coachee autonomy?

Undoubtedly, the vision of the coachee's direct boss, bringing to the table his or her strengths and points for improvement, is fundamental. However, it should not be forgotten that there are likely to be biases in that opinion. How to cushion that effect? By enriching the evaluation with the opinion of the coachee's peers, subordinates and former bosses. Even the opinion of friends and family may be of interest, thus completing what is called a "Public Identity". Collect 9-12 opinions with 3 strengths and 3 points for improvement of the coachee.

"Did the coachee benefit by not involving the manager?" should be the right question. End of the day, the line manager is the best judge of the coachee at the workplace; therefore, it is the most crucial relationship that needs to be aligned. Coach is the enabler from the outside and, therefore, is unaware (and rightly so) of the subtle details within the organization.

En mi experiencia, esta colaboración refuerza la integración del cambio en la cultura organizacional. La preparación del gerente no solo es logística; es un paso crucial para alinear expectativas y resaltar la importancia estratégica de su papel. Al comprender el propósito y los beneficios de la evaluación, el gerente se convierte en un socio activo en el proceso de cambio, ofreciendo su perspectiva única y respaldo. A su vez, la formalización a través de un Acuerdo de coaching no solo establece límites éticos, sino que también crea un marco de confianza. La participación comprometida del gerente no solo garantiza un entorno de aprendizaje y crecimiento para el coachee sino que potencia la efectividad de todo el proceso de coaching.

Recopilar información de más gente puede ayudar a que el coachee interiorice más aún sus fortalezas y puntos mejorables, ya que probablemente se repitan muchos aspectos en boca de diferentes personas, lo cual acentúa sus cualidades (y puntos de mejora). La evidencia se hace más robusta.

Undoubtedly. There are two mistakes that are frequently made in this regard: 1.- Being too generic (for example saying "you have to improve your leadership",). The action plan must be reduced to concrete and measurable actions over time. It should be a SMART plan and periodic follow-up meetings should be scheduled. 2.- Entering into too many topics. It is much better to focus on only 1 or 2 aspects for the year and leave the rest of the issues for the following year. Changing a single habit is a titanic mission.

In the initial stages of a coaching engagement, establishing clear boundaries between confidential coach-coachee discussions and shared insights with the manager is crucial. Aligning on goals and key results ensures progress relevant to both, preserving coachee autonomy while involving the manager in the impactful evolution of change. #CoachingForAction #LeadershipDevelopment

Consider implementing a “feedforward” approach, encouraging the manager to provide future-oriented suggestions for the coachee’s development, facilitating a forward-thinking mindset, and emphasizing improvement over criticism.