Managing the Coaching Program

• the first steps to starting an organizational coaching program
• techniques for selling and negotiating a coaching program to achieve organizational buy-in
• the next steps in building an entire coaching infrastructure
• how to measure return-on-investment at many levels
• how to navigate inevitable challenges

Introduction: Coaching Task Force Case

Below is part of the proceedings from the second meeting of the Coaching Task Force (CTF) for HiTec, a large technology company. The meeting is being facilitated by the vice president of human resources, Mark Ryan. Participants include members of the human resources staff and representatives from various divisions, locations, and levels throughout the company. During the first meeting, everyone agreed on the need and value of implementing a coaching program and developed a list of action items, concerns, and general goals.

Mark: I’m really excited about you all agreeing to be part of the CTF, and I think we all agree that we have a lot of work ahead of us. We all seem to be aligned on the need and value of introducing a coaching program within HiTec. As a reminder, our objective today is to brainstorm the characteristics and components of the kind of program we would like at HiTec. We will then consolidate all of our thoughts into a formal project plan and submit it to the Executive Board for review and acceptance. As I explained last time, the board has blessed the idea in theory, and now a complete business plan is required. So, as we brainstorm today, I’ll jot down our ideas on the flipcharts.

Jan, marketing director: Mark, I shared our preliminary thoughts from the first meeting with my department, and they have a few suggestions. Specifically, they have a concern about confidentiality and how the coaching program will tie to performance appraisals and other developmental activities already provided by the company.

Mark: Excellent points. Let’s continue the list we started last time. Obviously, we need to develop very clear confidentiality guidelines. Also, we need to be very clear on how coaching is going to be aligned with our other programs.

Bob, director from Dallas: Yes, that’s my concern. For example, let’s say I already have a mentor, do I also get a coach? And if I do, what’s the difference?

Mark: Exactly. We want to make sure we demonstrate how coaching is part of our total systems approach and how an employee may choose certain avenues of development in combination or separately with other tools. For example, a person might take part in a 360degree evaluation, choose to have a coach to assist in developmental areas, sign up for attendance at our six-month leadership development program, and work with a mentor who might help with advice on how to get into sales or international work. Folks need to experience the elements of the system in a distinct yet mutually beneficial way.

Angela, member of the training department: I like the linking idea and think those of us in HR need to be particularly sensitive to making sure those linkages happen. I have another concern, however, and it has to do with money. Let’s face it, this is going to require resources, and I want to be the first to put my personal agenda right on the table. How is this program going to affect the limited resources we have? I’m concerned that money that might otherwise go to training or one of our other successful programs might now go to the coaching program instead. I think we have to be careful about hurting the programs we already have.

Mark: I understand your concern, Angela, and I support the notion of maintaining the integrity of our existing programs. We need to consider the financial resources and allocations in our cost-benefit analysis. Because of this, we might need to present a staged approach as opposed to offering coaching to everyone at once. Given systems thinking, we might treat our developmental activities like our flexible benefit accounts where each person is allocated a certain amount of dollars for development and he or she then has choices among our various developmental options. That’s just an idea, but we need to be creative.

Dina, director from New York: That’s a good idea, Mark. Building off of that, I think we need to learn from our experience with introducing our benefits plan three years ago. We did not do a very good job of educating everyone, and there were delayed services and a lot of confusion. I suggest we create a comprehensive communications plan, complete with focus groups, articles in the newsletter, and department visits. There are going to be many people who don’t know what coaching is and others who might have the wrong idea. So, we almost need a marketing campaign around this.

Latasha, member of the information technology department: Being the voice of technology, we need to identify the technology needs and parameters.

Eric, vice president of finance: And knowing Linda [the president of the company], I think we all know we have to be very clear on how the coaching program supports our strategic goals. The project plan should include a strong business case, explaining how a coaching program meets our bottom-line needs and the consequences of not having one.

Mark: I’ll put that down at the top of the list, Eric.

Larry, member of the human resources employee relations: A good thing here is that we developed and published such great HR guidelines last year. Now all we would need to do is add a chapter on coaching, so that should work out well. I would like us to describe the entire process, complete with examples and directions for participation. I don’t want anyone to be able to say that they weren’t informed—which brings us to the importance of educating all managers so they can appropriately guide and support the program.

Mark: Great, Larry, we don’t want managers falling through the cracks. Something we also have to work through is whether we are going to use internal coaches, external coaches, or some kind of combination. We need to create clear parameters on a typical coaching engagement and provide tools for tracking and measuring all aspects of the program. That goes back to what you said, Eric. We need continual data to keep the program energized, supported, effective, and efficient.

Well, it seems like the CTF is off to a good start! Members of the team are raising important issues that will need to be researched, planned, sorted, negotiated, and tested. The considerations are multidimensional. The entire program needs to support the organization’s strategic plan while also meeting the individual developmental needs of employees. There are cost implications and personal agendas concerning areas of accountability, resources, and various stakeholders. Employees need to be educated, and managers must buy in to the process. Careful communication is necessary so coaching is viewed as a benefit for growth, not as a punishment for poor performance. Proper protocol must be followed in presenting a business plan, justifying the resources, and outlining the benefits. Details and guidelines must be understood, measured, and fairly used.

The workplace learning and performance coach can be the best coach in the world, and yet be thwarted by inconsistent practices, budget constraints, or lack of stakeholder buy-in. Conflicting agendas, conflicts with other learning or human resources programs within the organization, poor communication, and ignorance of the program benefits and goals can undermine success. Planning a coaching program for your organization is a challenging task. Such planning requires creativity and attention to details. An important point to remember during planning is that the process is iterative. You and others will move forward and backward and will cycle through steps several times as pieces of the plan take shape.

This culminating chapter steps up to embrace the bigger picture: planning and managing of the coaching program. We will discuss the elements of designing, implementing, and managing a coaching program at the individual, team, and organizational levels: apply a systems approach, create a program vision, assess an organization’s readiness, develop a set of guidelines and steps, sell the program and negotiate roles, measure and publicize results, and navigate common challenges. As demonstrated in the case study, planning is necessary before coaching is actually initiated within an organization. However, we discuss planning and managing last as a way to bring all the pieces together. This step is posted on the content side of the overall organizational coaching model in figure 9-1 because details around vision, guidelines, roles, and measures must be included within a coaching infrastructure.

Apply a Systems Approach

This chapter comes full circle as we re-emphasize the necessity of using a systems approach to integrate a coaching program with all stakeholders, organizational roles, and learning programs within an organization, as shown in figure 9-2. It is important to link any coaching program with existing infrastructures, such as performance appraisals, 360-degree inventories, career development tools, needs assessment surveys, organizational surveys, leadership competency models, training programs, and other developmental tools. When an integrated approach is used, a coaching program can further reinforce and build an entire learning organization and support organizational drivers.

Create a Vision

Futurist Joel Barker says, “Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is merely passing time. Vision and action can change the world” (The Power of Vision 1993). Before embarking on the implementation of a coaching program, it is necessary to brainstorm the overall purpose and objectives of the system you are creating. First, you need to answer the question, “What organizational drivers are pointing to the need and purpose of a coaching program?” You need to paint a picture of how the program will look; what it will achieve; what the outcomes will be; and what the benefits will be for individuals, teams, and the organization. Just as organizations create visions—a future picture of what they are striving for—a coaching program should also embody a vision. You can begin to develop such a vision by considering the following questions:

• Why should we have a coaching program?
• What will the benefits of a coaching program be?
• What organizational drivers will be fulfilled through such a program?
• What else within the organization would support such a program?
• How would such a program support our culture and organizational goals and values?
• What would be the outcomes of such a program (for individuals, teams, and the organization)?

As the vice president of finance expressed within the CTF, it is important to be able to explain how coaching supports organizational strategies and goals. What will a coaching program do? For example, might it

• create more competent executives who can build stronger teams
• align personal goals with organizational goals and reduce turnover
• create aligned structures and processes for increased productivity
• establish a culture of learning, dialogue, and continuous improvement so higher goals and results become more of a norm
• create a high-performance organization and better meet bottom-line success?

An example of the organizational drivers and vision that the CTF developed for HiTec is in exhibit 9-1. The format is less important than presenting an energizing future picture that drives people to action.

Assess Organizational Readiness

Even a clear, well-developed vision will not guarantee success in a nonsupportive climate. Questions to consider when analyzing the readiness of an organization are outlined in exhibit 9-2. A negative answer to any of the questions does not mean you can’t implement a coaching program; rather, it merely indicates that you need to plan around the challenge and put contingency efforts in place.

The following business needs are strengthened through the coaching program at HiTec:

• constant focus on customer service so service becomes our signature reputation
• mutual support in performance management so there is continuous improvement within every job and our human resources are challenged and used effectively
• open dialogue and efficient project management to facilitate good decisions, quality outputs, and productive teams
• strategic thinking so we maintain a future-focused organization, emphasizing leading-edge thoughts, ideas, and goals
• increased commitment toward goal fulfillment and alignment of personal goals with organizational goals
• alignment of all systems within the organization so our infrastructure supports what we do and what we say.

Design the Program

Once you have developed a vision and assessed the organization’s readiness, it is time to create the overall design of the program. This is the guts of the planning: What will the program look like and how will it be run? A design has many components that must be integrated into a coordinated whole. Each component must be researched, thought through, and outlined in appropriate detail to be carried out. Since a plan must be tailored to a specific organization, it takes time and cannot be completed overnight. The checklist in exhibit 9-3 can guide you through a design process.

Coaches need to consider all facets of the program—from budget, roles, administration, tools, and policies to identifying specific coaches, formatting typical coaching situations, matching coaches with clients, communicating results, and working with stakeholders.

• Establish whether external coaches, internal coaches, or a combination will be used.
• Develop criteria and processes for choosing, educating, orientating, tracking, and measuring coaches and allocating time.
• Investigate and determine costs and how costs will be budgeted and tracked.
  — If internal, where will the costs be allocated?
  — If external, what will the cost and payment structure be?
• Establish guidelines for who can be coached, by whom, and the process for matching coaches and clients.
• Define the levels or job categories to be coached.
• Decide which types of coaching are appropriate and in which situations.
• Determine who will own and be administratively responsible for running the program.
• Establish how the program will be communicated: online, brochures, written guidelines, policy manual.
• Establish roles and protocol among key stakeholders: coach, client, client’s manager, human resource, leadership, owners of other related programs.
• Determine the kind of data gathering that is appropriate—surveys, 360-degree instruments, paper and pencil, online, internally developed, off-the-shelf, style or personality inventory—as well as costs involved, how data will be shared, and with whom.
• Outline what a typical meeting or coaching engagement might include and look like, and create guidelines and formats to be followed.
• Determine typical coaching challenges, and include guidelines for how to handle such challenges: confidentiality break, coach and client not getting along, manager wanting coach to perform management duties, client needing therapy instead of coaching.
• Develop guidelines for how coaches, clients, and the program will be measured, and determine the necessary infrastructure to support such measurement.
• Determine what is necessary to sell and market the program to all constituents and how that will be done.
• Decide what other programs or infrastructures may be necessary to support a successful coaching program: 360-degree instruments, established competencies for leadership development, career opportunities, the concept of coaching embedded in training programs, the concept of dialogue embedded in coaching programs, technology support, organizational surveys, goal-oriented performance appraisals, clear role descriptions and expectations, information-sharing culture.
• Who has access to what information, and under what circumstances?

The planning results for HiTec and the decisions the CTF made to support the program’s vision are displayed in exhibit 9-4. Although you are encouraged to create a design based on the specific needs of your organization, this design is a typical one.

Sell the Program and Negotiate Roles

When trying to convince an organization to introduce a coaching program, it is important to educate while gaining support. People will want to know how this program relates to other programs, how the program benefits them and the organization, the process and guidelines for participating, the budget and costs, and the overall roles and expectations. You need to implement a carefully crafted negotiation strategy where you stipulate the key stakeholders, think through conflicting agendas, and navigate the political climate within the organization. You must use your best dialogue techniques to create win-win situations. Components to include in your marketing strategy are listed in exhibit 9-5.

• Coaching guidelines are available on the company intranet and are reviewed and updated every year. The guidelines provide administrative procedures and also define coaching, outline the typical process, and provide research and additional resources concerning the field of coaching.
• The coaching program is administered through a CTF with special decisions escalated to the Executive Committee. The vice president of human resources sits on the CTF to provide assistance with issues requiring human resource expertise and coordination.
• A pool of external coaches (who meet our contract requirements concerning expertise and experience) are available for director-level positions and above.
• Internal coaches—specially trained in the coaching discipline and who meet established criteria in terms of training and certification—are available for employees below the director level.
• Costs of the program are embedded in each department’s training and development budget. There is also a corporate coaching budget managed through human resources to support administrative activities, ongoing development of internal coaches, and special cases where additional funds might be necessary.
• Employees and their managers discuss and decide whether coaching should be a part of a particular person’s development plan, along with other developmental activities, such as career development, training, mentoring, and job rotation.
• Based on specified needs and goals of the coaching, each person is given three possible coaches to interview and then a formal match is made.
• The formal coaching process includes six one-hour meetings, usually a combination of telephone and in-person meetings. Coach and client stipulate the exact schedule and develop a coaching agreement.
• The coaching process will include the gathering of data from at least two sources: 360-degree instruments, one-on-one interviews, open-ended surveys, personal inventories.
• The coaching between a coach and client is confidential. The only information a coach might be required to report are
  — the dates of all coaching meetings conducted
  — a start-up coaching list that the coach completes with the client at the beginning of the process
  — a completed coaching checklist that the coach completes with the client at the end of the process.

1. Consider key stakeholders, link your agenda to their agenda, and strategize appropriate negotiation strategies for ownership.
2. Relate the coaching program to all other pertinent programs, and demonstrate mutual support.
3. Carefully plan costs, both short-term and long-term, and develop a cost-benefit analysis.
4. Prepare support materials, charts, graphs, role descriptions, and other marketing materials to guide your implementation plan.
5. Assess political climate within the organizational culture, and plan for contingencies, formal and informal power channels, decision makers, and how things usually get done throughout the organization.
6. Develop dialogue meetings and presentations, and obtain the assistance of key supporters to move the implementation forward.
7. Network and get in front of allies, advocates, and stakeholders.

Selling a coaching program to key stakeholders within an organization is similar to any other business proposal that decision makers face. Holding problem-solving discussions and working through possible glitches up front lessen the chances of future conflicts. An ideal strategy is to conduct a series of information sessions with management and employee groups to pave the way, gain support, and foster excitement. Special attention needs to be paid to three groups: decision makers, stakeholders who might have conflicting agendas, and managers.

Decision makers need to be part of the planning process at the very beginning. Presenting a cogent business plan that outlines costs and benefits is essential to gaining organizational support.

Holding small-group or one-on-one meetings with key stakeholders is essential in stipulating boundaries, ensuring that each person’s agenda is being considered, and building a partnership with those who might otherwise derail your efforts. People are more inclined to support an activity if their input has been solicited, valued, and incorporated into the process.

Lastly, managers need to be engaged. Management ranks within organizations can make or break a program. It is important to provide managers clear, step-by-step guidelines, scenarios of coaching working and not working, and tools that can be used to facilitate the process. Managers are pulled in many directions. They will more readily use and support a program that is user-friendly and accompanied by an actual roadmap.

Measure Process and Results

Once the coaching program is in motion, the job has just begun. Like any well-run machine, the program needs to be continually monitored, tracked, and maintained. It is important to demonstrate return-on-investment at many levels. This requires clear responsibility, measurement tools, continuous improvement of policies and procedures, and ongoing communication with the entire organization.

The various measurement categories that should be tracked within a coaching program are outlined in table 9-1. Tools and actions for each category are listed. Many of these tools are purposefully repetitive, and it is wise to create tools that evaluate more than one dimension at a time. For example, a well-worded survey can measure the success of a team that has been coached, the actual outcomes demonstrated, the coach involved, and the budget and costs that were spent.

Dedicating resources to measurement tracking and analysis needs to be incorporated into the coaching program in the planning stages. Otherwise, like so many other organizational activities, the effect of the work is never acknowledged nor realized. Data are needed to make ongoing decisions concerning the viability of the program and to make adjustments and modifications to meet the changing needs of the organization. If the strategic goals of a company change, leadership competencies shift, financial resources decline, or the organizational structure is realigned, the effect of these trends need to be incorporated into the coaching process.

In addressing the measurement of executive coaching, Phillips and Phillips (2005) reminds practitioners to evaluate levels of satisfaction, learning, on-the-job application, business effect, and return-on-investment. Gathering such coaching measures can be part of a larger measurement activity or a solo effort. For example, a survey might be distributed to those who have been coached and questions might center only on the coaching experience. Or a longer employee climate survey might be used that asks a series of questions on several human resource activities: coaching, performance management, training, mentoring.

Coaches should create a tool that incorporates Phillips and Phillips’s five areas of measurement. Results can then be efficiently communicated and managed in the following four categories.

Efficiency of the program costs. Work with your accounting department to allocate specific codes that will capture pertinent coaching costs. Possible cost areas might include money spent on outside coaches, partial or total salaries of inside coaches dedicated to coaching, training workshops for internal coaches, coaching guidelines and materials, and data-gathering instruments. It is also useful to capture intangible costs, such as time spent in coaching meetings. In addition, it is also important to note direct and indirect costs due to inefficiencies when coaching is not offered, which should then be aligned with the findings in the fourth area, effectiveness of coaching. For example, time and money lost to conflicts, poor performance, ineffective decisions and interactions, and turnover.

Effectiveness of the administration and process. Areas to explore in administration and process include effectiveness in matching coaches with clients, timeliness and responsiveness of service, clarity and usefulness of the guidelines, number of failed and successful coaching assignments, overall ratings of the pool of external and internal coaches, frequency of use, comparison in relationship to other human resource development programs, and user’s assessment of the overall quality.

Competency and effectiveness of coaches. In assessing coaches, it is important to have a preset list of competencies and criteria to measure and rate each coach. Such a list would include many of the characteristics that are outlined in chapter 2: has credentials in coaching methods, follows ethical protocols, establishes ground rules and agreements, stipulates clear goals, upholds confidentiality, treats clients and the organization with respect, develops working action plans, follows the company’s administrative procedures in terms of paperwork and accounting, and measures progress.

Effectiveness of the coaching. Two dimensions of coaching need to be measured. The first is a basic comparison of the achievement of goals from the beginning to the end of the coaching assignment: Were objectives achieved? To what extent have established goals been met? Is there a tangible difference in behaviors or results due to the coaching? The second dimension is the larger context: What effect is coaching having on the organization? To what degree has coaching had a positive effect on the overall culture, leadership, and direction of the organization? Through the use of a cost-benefit analysis, how do the monetary benefits of the program compare to the program costs? In essence, this measure provides the return-on-investment of coaching.

Given that coaching is one of many activities that might influence organizational outcomes, it is helpful to demonstrate the indirect influence of coaching and its role as a key component in overall effectiveness. For example, the cause of decreased turnover in a particular department could be the result of:

• a new leader positioned in the group
• a coach working with the new leader
• a coach working with the management team (as a group) within the department
• new technology that streamlines the work processes
• new office space and furniture for that department.

The important message to get across is that coaching is being tracked and included as part of an entire performance effort so its role in success is acknowledged. With the help of trained researchers, more specific and direct measures can be designed and used. Diane Stober, in “Approaches to Research on Executive and Organizational Coaching Outcomes” (2005), cites the results of several research studies on coaching. One study tested the post-coaching behavioral outcomes within Fortune 100 companies. The researchers interviewed 75 executives and their coaches. Substantial gains were noted in the areas of:

• task accomplishment (increased effectiveness in staff assignments, staff development, conducting meetings)
• long-term adaptability (increased flexibility, wider repertoire of behavior, increased observation before action)
• personal effectiveness (increased patience, confidence in dealing with superiors)
• identity shifts (increased self-knowledge, self-confidence, validation of views).

A second study tested 100 executives who had been coached. The results of this study demonstrated success in goal achievement, overall satisfaction of both the client and the client’s manager, and both tangible and intangible outcomes:

• Eighty-six percent of participants and 74 percent of stakeholders (immediate supervisors and human resource personnel) reported being very satisfied or extremely satisfied with the coaching they or the executive client received.
• Seventy-three percent of established goals were effectively achieved.
• Tangible outcomes included increased productivity, quality, organizational strength, and customer service.
• Intangible outcomes included improved relationships with direct reports, peers, and stakeholders; improved teamwork; increased job satisfaction; and reduced conflict.

The justification for a coaching program is quite simple. When organizations are quick to list required competencies, administer 360-degree evaluations, and allocate goals against which employees are measured, an organization has the obligation to provide tools, avenues, and assistance in achieving what is being demanded. Coaching is an integral part of fulfilling that need.

Publicize Results

It is important to communicate the results of your coaching program so its value can be readily acknowledged. You can create a self-fulfilling cycle where successful coaching leads to successful results, which can easily be done through appropriate communication and the publicizing of results. The list below outlines some ideas for publicizing results and keeping the concept of coaching in the forefront of the organization’s agenda:

• Publish a monthly coaching tidbits newsletter or segment as part of the organization’s newsletter (online or print).
• Visit staff meetings around the company, conducting mini-coaching updates, distributing job aids, and increasing learning.
• Establish learning community meetings or online interchanges.
• Conduct group coaching and team building, using coaching techniques.
• Build coaching into existing program protocol (for example, 360-degree surveys every two years for leadership, followed by three coaching meetings).
• Have key leaders share their successful coaching experiences at pertinent meetings, training sessions, and other employee gatherings.
• Train all managers to be coaches to build an entire coaching culture

Develop Coaches

For a coaching program to remain strong, participating coaches—whether internal or external—need to keep their skills sharp. As a workplace learning and performance coach, you are a role model for the rest of the organization and you need to present yourself continually in top form. This requires discipline toward skill practice—keeping up with coaching literature and tools, attending workshops, and perhaps pursuing certification through the International Coach Federation. Managing a coaching program must include a development component for all coaches, which can be satisfied through a variety of structures, such as the following:

• separate library (room or online resource) for coaching materials
• networking opportunities, both internally and externally (This can be formal, such as membership in coaching associations, or informal, such as having lunch with fellow coaches every month.)
• monthly coaching forums where coaches meet, discuss successes and challenges, share learning and resources, and perhaps listen to a guest speaker or instructor
• yearly seminars on advanced techniques and strategies (internally or externally).

Navigate Challenges

You planned carefully. You have buy-in and support from the organization. Your coaches are off and running, and clients are anxious to be coached. Then, problems begin to surface. Don’t panic! This is to be expected. Like any program where people and organizational policies are involved, there will be issues, from interpersonal conflicts to budget cuts. The key is to expect these challenges, plan for them, and move quickly to resolve them. Typical challenges and ideas for managing such situations are discussed below.

The client and coach don’t get along. Have guidelines for matching coaches and clients and for making changes when necessary. Your coaching guidelines should clearly outline how coaches are matched with clients (clients should be able to interview two or more coaches and choose) and also give specific steps to be taken if either the coach or the client believes that the match is not working. Causes of a failed match might be many:

• Personality conflicts between coaches and clients.
• The coach does not have the specific expertise that the client needs.
• Clients, for whatever reasons, decide that coaching is not something they want to continue (time involved, discomfort with one-on-one nature).
• A perceived or real issue of trust, confidentiality, or boundaries emerges.
• The coach’s style (too passive, too aggressive) does not meet the needs of the client.
• Client keeps canceling and fails to follow agreed-upon ground rules.

A good coach will be able to test whether the problem is one of normal push-back that happens when people have to take accountability for their development versus an underlying problem that is best dealt with by assigning another coach. The organization should also provide the option of having a third-party assess the situation and smoothly negotiate sides. Whatever the reason, feelings must be respected on all sides. This should be done without judgment or blame and simply accepted as something that happens from time to time.

The client blames the coach. Sometimes the coach can become the scapegoat for the client’s problems or lack of results. It is important to have regular status meetings and protocols for assessing client involvement and responsibility.

The coach is ineffective. The coach may not be adequately prepared to deal with coaching situations within your organization. Have specific guidelines and checks for coaching competencies and education and specific tools for coach evaluations.

The coach gives advice that is not in line with the corporation. Have coach preparation meetings with coaches, making sure they understand the strategy, culture, climate, processes, and goals of the organization. A coach needs to know enough about the organization to assist the client within the structure and culture of that particular organization. If clients are feeling unfilled because the organization “won’t let us do anything,” the coach needs to be able to assist the clients in determining how their styles coincide with the organization and the implications of what that may mean.

The client doesn’t need coaching. Assess early in the process whether coaching is the best solution for the manifested issues. Be ready to recommend other programs—separately or in combination with the coaching—as appropriate (therapy, employee assistance programs, training, university degree program, on-the-job skill development, outsourcing, career development, process improvement).

External coaches are selling themselves. Make agreements or contracts with all external coaches on what is acceptable and not acceptable in terms of recommending their services to clients within the organization. Usually, when a coach is working with a manager or leader, it is best not to also conduct other organization development work with other members of that same department. It opens the door for issues concerning confidentiality, trust, and conflicting motives.

Administration of the program is poor. Designate a key owner and administrator to coordinate activities, negotiate with other stakeholders throughout the organization, track measures, make decisions, manage resources, and screen coaches. Employees and managers need a designated person to contact concerning questions, process, budget, or special cases.

Coaching surfaces other organizational issues. During the coaching process, an issue might emerge that transcends the client’s control. Clarify with clients what is a coaching issue and what might really be a bigger problem in terms of the organizational structure, leadership, job responsibilities, or business processes. It is the coach’s job to work with the client in terms of what can be done or not done in working the bigger issue and concentrate on what the client can control. It might also be helpful to have quarterly discussions with all coaches and other human resources or organization development professionals to share organizational trends that seem to be surfacing during performance reviews, coaching sessions, surveys, and other feedback vehicles. It is important to stress that the point of discussion is to identify trends that emerge from composite feedback and interactions, not anything personal or confidential to a particular person or situation.

Through such feedback loops, coaching becomes a part of the organization development strategy. By pooling and focusing on such trends, workplace learning and performance professionals can take positive action toward continuous improvement. For example, if 15 participants in the latest leadership training class and 10 managers involved in coaching all surfaced a problem with the new online budgeting process, that’s feedback that should be collated and shared with the appropriate people.

This chapter—the last step of the coaching model—provides the infrastructure for all other steps. Planning must start before a coaching program is ever launched. Managing, measuring, and communicating results of the program must happen throughout the process. When initiating coaching systems within your organizations, coaches should design a process that aligns with other practices, supports strategic goals, fits the culture, and meets the needs of individual employees. Administrators of the program need to be clearly identified, and it is their job to gain buy-in from all stakeholders, work through conflicting agendas, gain financial support, and publish clear guidelines for an efficient and confidential approach. The job aids in this chapter provide an excellent roadmap for the development and implementation of an ethical and successful coaching process.

Moving Ideas to Action

You are a workplace learning and performance professional, and you want to start a coaching program in your organization. Or perhaps there already is a coaching program, and it needs to grow and improve.

If your organization already has a coaching program, use table 9-2 to evaluate the existing program and make recommendations for improvement. If the organization doesn’t have a program, use it to design a program that fits your organization. Refer to the charts and checklists throughout this chapter for help in formulating your plan.

1. Goals/objectives/visions of the program:
2. Other programs within the organization that the coaching program should be linked with:
3. Challenges/readiness issues that need to be handled:
4. Design:
   • Owner/administrator of the program:
   • Type of coaches:
   • Protocols for getting a coach:
   • Typical coaching engagement:
   • Training and qualifications of coaches:
   • Confidentiality issues:
   • Measurement and publicity of results:
5. Strategies for selling the program: