It is a common
perception that the success of an executive coaching session depends primarily
on the type of relationship shared between the coach and the trainee. However,
there are other stakeholders involved in the process, who hold the key to
making these coaching sessions truly effective. The most important of these
stakeholders is the manager or supervisor of the executive undergoing the
coaching. This is because, it is the manager who identifies the need to
initiate the coaching process and who also defines the level of success and
progress made by the trainees, after the completion of executive
coaching in China.
Identifying The Coaching Objectives
One of the
primary responsibilities of the managers, while initiating executive coaching
sessions, is to familiarize the coach with the developmental needs of the
executives. They should also be able to access whether or not the individual
and the situation are amendable for coaching besides having a clear
understanding of the consequences of success or failure of these sessions. They
should believe that the improvements being sought through the coaching are
achievable and hence investing in it will prove to be a worthwhile decision for
the company.
Communicating With The Coach
The managers also
need to shoulder the responsibility of holding detailed discussions with the
executive coach to acknowledge or address any systematic issues that might
influence the coaching process. These might include the financial constraints,
cultural tendencies or even the expected organizational changes. They should
also be willing to discuss any ideas that might be the outcome of the coaching
process and can help improve the overall organizational systems in s
significant manner. It is based on these factors and aspects that the managers
should create a coaching schedule in consultation with the ICF
coaching firm in China, whose services they are hiring.
Help With Goal Achievement
Apart from
handling the communication and planning aspect of the coaching process, the
managers also play a critical role in helping the executives to be coached in
attaining the stated goals. This is done in the following ways.
·
They should provide a positive and
constructive feedback to the executives being trained on a regular basis. This
will not only help enhance the progress of the executives but also motivate
them to do even better in the remaining sessions.
·
They should make it quite clear at the
beginning of the coaching session itself that accountability for achieving the
established goals rests on the shoulders of both the executive and the coach in
an equal measure. This makes both the parties adopt
a proactive approach towards the fulfilment of these objectives from the word go.
·
The managers should be willing to work towards
removing any obstacles or barriers that might hinder the path of successful
fulfilment of the objectives by the executives. They should motivate and
support them in any and every manner gets
the expected results from the coaching process.
·
The managers should work towards building a
relationship based on mutual trust and respect with the coach and the
executives. This can be ensured by preserving confidentiality and sharing self-disclosure
and personal insights about the coaching process.