Executive Coaching - NOT for every executive!

Every executive coach should have some non-negotiable conditions that need to be in place before a coaching relationship starts so that it has the greatest likelihood of realizing its intended outcome. Here are some that my colleagues and I share:

1. The executive wants to be coached – wants to be coached because there is a result (a future) the executive is committed to that is a risk – it cannot be authentically promised and delivered drawing on past-based knowledge and experience. Or, current events or circumstances are stopping, blocking and thwarting the executive’s efforts in realizing of that future.
2. The executive is willing to “try on” the coaches’ perspective – and think and act from that perspective and see what transpires – even (especially) when the coach’s perspective seems illogical, unreasonable, infeasible – or just plain wrong from the executive’s point of view.
3. The executive needs to be grounded in the realities of his/her world. Which means a finely tuned sense of whether he and his organization is exceeding stakeholders’ expectations, meeting expectations or failing to do so.
4. The executive being coached needs to demonstrate being in, and committed to, his/her own game. He/she knows the key registers of performance (KPI’s), and is responsive when there are variances. The executive is engaged with all the key elements of the business (accountabilities, project, assignment) that he/she is working with – as in hands on.
5. Being accountable is essential. Operating from, “I am accountable”. Holding him/herself and others to account. Being willing to look at what is present, and in the way, and what is missing, that needs to be provided. Being his/her word – keeping promises and holding others to account for their promises.
6. The willingness to make “unreasonable” promises is critical – with the authentic intention of acting consistently with the promise. And when time has elapsed review “what happened” so that what works can be distinguished and built on, what does not work can be distinguished and eliminated, and what is missing can be identified and put in place.
   
7. Executives who are unwilling to “interrupt the flow” of business as usual and, by doing so, put themselves at risk of failure – by making unreasonable promises and requests – are not candidates for coaching.