Is Exec Coaching Worth it?

At the very excellent HR Leaders Unconference in London on Monday, I kicked off this conversation - in part as a gentle provocation, in part as a genuine inquiry. ?You can’t wander around the HR/ L&D/ OD/ Change world and stick out your elbows without bumping into a coach – full disclosure, I am one of them – but from the conversation, it seems those coaches are having various types and degrees of impact – good and bad. So let’s get into it.

As you would expect, many of us defended coaching as a concept and a practice. The general consensus was that the skills all good coaches need and use -rapport building, active listening, questioning, critical thinking, summarising, reflecting, challenging – are just good basic people and communication skills. We want all managers and leaders to use these – we know it helps grow and empower others when we use a coaching style in teams. We also know that being directive has a place.

Many of us have moved away from the “pure” coaching practices we are taught when we qualify. We defined “pure” coaching as being non-directive practice, very much framed in the assumption that the client will have the answer – ask questions only – don’t put yourself or your experience into the frame. For the majority in the group, this approach, especially with senior leaders, is unsatisfactory for both coach and client… what’s the point in having 30 years’ experience as an HRD and not be able or willing to offer in a perspective from that knowledge?

I know this gets hotly debated. This is where ethics come in – coaches are not leaders. They get about a 1-hour window into someone else’s full-time choices. They can suggest action, without fully understanding the impact…and certainly don’t hold organisational accountability. ?They can hold sway with their client. Coaching conversations can be deeply influential, deeply personal – so how do we stop anything nefarious and untoward happening?

Turns out you can’t, always – examples arose of coaching practices that made me want to bang my head off the table. Coaching relationships that lasted non-stop for 7 years (red flags around dependency, purpose, outcome, cash-cow cosy conversations). Coaching conversations that lacked challenge to harmful assumptions or toxic behaviour (red flags around collusion, perpetuating status quo, not reflecting back problematic behaviours in a useful, shifting way) Coaching relationships that over-stepped the coaching remit, as coaches up-sold and grew their own power base (red flags around de-facto ?becoming Exec Member Without Portfolio, around shadowy cape-wearing-heroic-fixer behaviours that disempower and deskill others).

?Depressingly, it’s all still there.

The antidote, I argue, is working with people who have a clear philosophical and ethical framework around their coaching practice that lends itself toward something akin to “First, Do No Harm”. ?Personally, I like an Exec Coach who appears to be doing ongoing self-reflection and personal development. If I were commissioning (and sometimes I do help clients set up coaching frameworks) I’d want to work with coaches who take supervision and review of their practice seriously.

This is where the AI/ Mass online coaching started to come into the frame. We didn’t get into it fully, but examples such as Better Me (health coaching) came into play - how do you manage the ethical and personal impact of self-directive, non human app-based or online interventions? For some, it works. Others may need something different. This still feels like unfolding territory.

With human coaches, along with ethics, good contracting is key. Beyond the picking of ethically sound, experienced people who understand how to run and navigate a commercial, adult, working relationship, you want clear contracts – psychologically and practically. You want something time-bound. 6 – 9 months. Clear review points and exit points. Purposeful. Defined. You want the client to feel the time and the need for improvement or difference in that time. You want that conversation space to be precious and useful – either to create a lightbulb moment, or to really nail how that shiny moment is translating into difference.

Sometimes HR Leaders are not involved in the selection of coaches – ?I have experienced this many times, when I’ve been approached directly to work with someone. It can feel awkward, especially if you are taking development budget. As HR leaders, sometimes the power lies in creating or recommend a framework for working with coaches who can demonstrate experience, qualification and articulate their ethical practice ( the EMCC does a good job of laying out an ethical framework to work with, if your senior team are working with anyone who gaslights such work, be very cautious)

Senior leadership can be isolating. The politics and expectations can be brutal. For those needing headspace, a moment in time to reflect, regroup or redirect themselves, coaching conversations can be invaluable. Whilst it’s hard to run a specific ROI on Exec coaching, we could easily identify where potential value existed – better confidence, competence, capacity etc. ?

Did we reach a conclusion? Perhaps not specifically – but therein lies the joy and the bind of Unconference discussions, where you roll ideas and views around collectively and you take what you need from the conversation. There were things we touched on – AI, budget etc – but didn’t dwell on. I have subsequently done more research - from a deeply cynical op ed in The Economist, to a much more positive research paper cited by Forbes, to ICF's own 2019 researach, which I'm now curious about , post-pandemic... it seems the picture is mostly Pro Exec coaching, but with caveats - see above.

For me, I was struck by my deeply held beliefs in the need for ethical and contracted practice. As ever, I make my terrible The Only Way Is Ethics joke… but I stand by it, every time.

About me:

I'm Julie Drybrough - Founder of fuchsia blue ltd. An Experienced Organisational Consultant, Executive Coach/ Supervisor, Writer & Speaker.

Pragmatic, forthright and kind, I work with people & organisations to improve conversations, relationships & learning. Doing stuff with love.

Find me on Twitter @fuchsia_blue

If you want to talk to me about Coaching, Supervision, Leadership or change contact fuchsiablue to find out more or book a space to chat.