According to executive coach Bill Hamilton, HR practitioners must learn to work with personal coaches, and welcome them into the firm.
Personal coaching is a relatively new phenomenon, used by executives who are facing a specific challenge or simply want an extra boost to help them get up the next rung of the corporate ladder.
Often an executive will personally hire an executive coach, who may "shadow" her during the day, commenting on her professional style and decision-making ability.
Some HR practitioners feel threatened by personal coaches, believing their role is to help the executive excell in order to leave the organization. This may be somewhat warranted, since, as with any training, sometimes the trainee does move on after acquiring new skills.
However, it's not a good basis on which to approach a personal coach coming into your organization.
Hamilton says you'll get more out of the coach — and your executive — if you embrace the learning he brings to the company.
While most personal coaches are hired by individual employees, sometimes they are hired by the company to help an executive tackle an issue or improve her communication style.
A coach can play many roles, including sounding board, boss, strategist, consultant, career planner, agent, psychiatrist or nag. The coach may help the executive deal with long-term issues or a short-term challenge.
Tips
Here are Hamilton's tips for working with a coach:
Often an executive will personally hire an executive coach, who may "shadow" her during the day, commenting on her professional style and decision-making ability.
Some HR practitioners feel threatened by personal coaches, believing their role is to help the executive excell in order to leave the organization. This may be somewhat warranted, since, as with any training, sometimes the trainee does move on after acquiring new skills.
However, it's not a good basis on which to approach a personal coach coming into your organization.
Hamilton says you'll get more out of the coach — and your executive — if you embrace the learning he brings to the company.
While most personal coaches are hired by individual employees, sometimes they are hired by the company to help an executive tackle an issue or improve her communication style.
A coach can play many roles, including sounding board, boss, strategist, consultant, career planner, agent, psychiatrist or nag. The coach may help the executive deal with long-term issues or a short-term challenge.
Tips
Here are Hamilton's tips for working with a coach:
- let the employee choose his own coach rather than imposing one;
- If you hire the coach, treat his fees as you would for any other executive development program. Your return-on-investment will likely be higher than that for a university course.
- Establish coaching in the culture, rather than as a one-time event.
- When choosing a coach, ensure he is committed to taking on a partnership role with your executive. Be wary of coaches who sell a rigid process into which the corporation and the individual must fit.
