By Noel Brady (United Kingdom)
Today executive coaching is widely used by a broad spectrum of businesses across the world. Many of the original concepts came from the field of sports coaching aimed at improving individual and team performance. Good sports coaching focuses as much on mindset as on technique and peak physical fitness. Sports coaches such as Timothy Gallway started to focus on the corporate sector from the early 80’s in order to help business executives develop the mindset of a peak performer.
In the past coaching has often been used in a remedial way to help executives that are failing. Today, coaching is usually used when business leaders transition into a new role or face a new challenge. It can help leaders quickly develop the right mindset and behaviours to ensure success. A good coach creates an environment for their client to deepen self-awareness, stretch thinking and form sustainable breakthroughs in work performance for themselves and their teams. Although there is general consensus that good executive coaching can really accelerate personal growth and performance, it is not uncommon for the board to question whether this type of investment actually delivers worthwhile results. Unfortunately, this is because sometimes coaching just doesn’t deliver what’s promised or expected. Here are some of the very common causal factors:
Source: iCN Issue 14 vol.2 (Marketing for Coaches); pages 36-38
About Noel Brady
Noel Brady is the Managing Director of Inside Out®, a global executive coaching firm established in 1991 that works with senior executives in many leading companies across the world.
