How coaching can help the next cohort of leaders, not just individual execs
Increasingly, coaching companies have been asked by clients to become stronger partners in the leadership and employee development process. Gone are the days when an employee’s “life cycle” at an organization consisted only of orientation, socialization, job performance, ongoing development and, finally, succession planning. Executive coaching is now being used as an employee development tool throughout that rotation.
More and more HR departments are recognizing that the best strategy to foster the next group of leaders is to work in partnership with coaching consultants to build a leadership development program that meets their needs, budgets and in-house skills. As part of this process, coaches work around the company’s, and candidates’, specific requirements, and not use a pre-fabricated approach.
Many executives and senior managers have good coaching skills. However, the reality is they have limits on the time and energy they can invest in using those skills to work with the next generation of leaders.
By engaging in a solid coaching partnership, HR departments can assist both current and future leaders, allowing them to continually move forward with the core business competencies, while also learning the skills needed to be a business leader.
How does it work?
The initial step is to form a client team consisting of representatives from HR and the respective functional departments (such as sales or operations). The client team then works with the coaches to create a program for the effective development of future leaders. In a nutshell, the process is broken down into four main stages consisting of assessment, design, implementation and reinforcement.
Assessment focuses on two main objectives. The first goal is for the team to develop a leadership position profile. Jointly, the team constructs a list of behaviours, values and personal skills required to fill the leadership positions of the company. The second objective involves identifying certain individual traits of the prospective next generation of leaders. At this point, the client may put together a list of prospective leaders. Each member on this list is then asked to complete a battery of assessments measuring natural behaviours, values and personal skills.
The design stage involves comparing the results from the leadership position profile with the individual traits of the next generation of prospective leaders. The outcome is a gap report, used to identify areas for development. For instance, the “ability to influence others” is identified through the leadership position profile as a crucial trait to a sales leader’s success. However, if the next cohort of potential leaders lack these skills, the client team and coach would co-operate to design a unique curriculum targeting these competencies.
Implementation involves generating a coaching report for each participant. The results are reviewed by the participants and their respective coaches. The next step is a classroom session, with the ultimate goal of having participants come away with:
•a new perception of the world and their relationship to that world;
•life-long alteration in their ability to produce extraordinary results; and
•a freedom from current limitations as they will be able to recognize the source of their limitations and know how to alter that source.
To reinforce the training, coaches follow up with participants through monthly conference calls or “teleclasses” and regular individual calls, used to further reinforce the curriculum using every day issues faced by the client.
The duration and the content of the leadership development program can vary, based on the needs of the organization and the resources it is willing and able to invest in the individual. The more critical the individual’s function, the more likely an organization is willing to invest. Replacing key human resources is both time-consuming and costly.
The cost perspective
Choosing the appropriate method to train the next group of corporate leaders can be a daunting task, especially when looking at the financial feasibility of using coaches more routinely to develop employees — and not just limiting the service to executives and senior leaders. Most companies end up investing in potential leaders throughout their early career advancement in any event, through various off-site courses or management seminars. Individuals who are true visionaries will expect this type of ongoing outlay from the company as they grow. By using this approach, HR can ensure the leadership development is targeted, cost-effective, and tailored to meet the corporation’s requirements. This coaching method also eliminates many extemporaneous costs, such as travel expenses and the long periods of time spent away from the office.
Time and again, organizations are finding that by implementing an integrated coaching partnership, future leaders are not only fostered, but thriving and contributing to both the bottom line and the direction of the company.
Dan McNeill and Bill Bennett are coaching associates with The McNeill Group, a San Diego-based company with offices in Toronto and Vancouver. For more information visit www.mcneillgroup.com or call (416) 322-5004.
More and more HR departments are recognizing that the best strategy to foster the next group of leaders is to work in partnership with coaching consultants to build a leadership development program that meets their needs, budgets and in-house skills. As part of this process, coaches work around the company’s, and candidates’, specific requirements, and not use a pre-fabricated approach.
Many executives and senior managers have good coaching skills. However, the reality is they have limits on the time and energy they can invest in using those skills to work with the next generation of leaders.
By engaging in a solid coaching partnership, HR departments can assist both current and future leaders, allowing them to continually move forward with the core business competencies, while also learning the skills needed to be a business leader.
How does it work?
The initial step is to form a client team consisting of representatives from HR and the respective functional departments (such as sales or operations). The client team then works with the coaches to create a program for the effective development of future leaders. In a nutshell, the process is broken down into four main stages consisting of assessment, design, implementation and reinforcement.
Assessment focuses on two main objectives. The first goal is for the team to develop a leadership position profile. Jointly, the team constructs a list of behaviours, values and personal skills required to fill the leadership positions of the company. The second objective involves identifying certain individual traits of the prospective next generation of leaders. At this point, the client may put together a list of prospective leaders. Each member on this list is then asked to complete a battery of assessments measuring natural behaviours, values and personal skills.
The design stage involves comparing the results from the leadership position profile with the individual traits of the next generation of prospective leaders. The outcome is a gap report, used to identify areas for development. For instance, the “ability to influence others” is identified through the leadership position profile as a crucial trait to a sales leader’s success. However, if the next cohort of potential leaders lack these skills, the client team and coach would co-operate to design a unique curriculum targeting these competencies.
Implementation involves generating a coaching report for each participant. The results are reviewed by the participants and their respective coaches. The next step is a classroom session, with the ultimate goal of having participants come away with:
•a new perception of the world and their relationship to that world;
•life-long alteration in their ability to produce extraordinary results; and
•a freedom from current limitations as they will be able to recognize the source of their limitations and know how to alter that source.
To reinforce the training, coaches follow up with participants through monthly conference calls or “teleclasses” and regular individual calls, used to further reinforce the curriculum using every day issues faced by the client.
The duration and the content of the leadership development program can vary, based on the needs of the organization and the resources it is willing and able to invest in the individual. The more critical the individual’s function, the more likely an organization is willing to invest. Replacing key human resources is both time-consuming and costly.
The cost perspective
Choosing the appropriate method to train the next group of corporate leaders can be a daunting task, especially when looking at the financial feasibility of using coaches more routinely to develop employees — and not just limiting the service to executives and senior leaders. Most companies end up investing in potential leaders throughout their early career advancement in any event, through various off-site courses or management seminars. Individuals who are true visionaries will expect this type of ongoing outlay from the company as they grow. By using this approach, HR can ensure the leadership development is targeted, cost-effective, and tailored to meet the corporation’s requirements. This coaching method also eliminates many extemporaneous costs, such as travel expenses and the long periods of time spent away from the office.
Time and again, organizations are finding that by implementing an integrated coaching partnership, future leaders are not only fostered, but thriving and contributing to both the bottom line and the direction of the company.
Dan McNeill and Bill Bennett are coaching associates with The McNeill Group, a San Diego-based company with offices in Toronto and Vancouver. For more information visit www.mcneillgroup.com or call (416) 322-5004.
