The Coaching Process There is no real hard and fast process to effective Executive Coaching - each client and the issues to be addressed must be taken on their individual merits. However, there are some fundamental guidelines and an established framework that must be adhered to for the coaching to be successful.

When an Executive Coach is first brought into an organisation it is important to be absolutely clear what the outcome for the coaching is. The first task will be to speak to the manager and ask them what they want for their staff member from the coaching and in what areas. A key question that the manager must be able to ask at this stage is "How will you know if the coaching has been successful and what are your success criteria?" The manager and the individual must then agree the number of sessions and a framework is established for how long and how often.

Feedback to the manager is a fundamental part of the understanding whether or not the coaching has been successful and the recommended approach is for the person who is being coached to brief the manager. This is because although the manager has brought the coach in, there is a strict confidentiality between the coach and the person being coached. Direct feedback to the manager from the coach is only given if permission by the coachee has been given.

Setting Up With The Person To Be Coached

Having established the brief with the manager, the next step is to do the same thing with the person who will be coached. It is important that this person be able to answer the question "How will you know when the coaching has been successful and how will your boss know?" Throughout the whole coaching process clarity of the outcome and criteria for knowing when that outcome has been reached is paramount to its success.

The First Session

The first session is generally about 3 hours long and designed to begin the right relationship with the coachee to ensure a successful outcome and kick start the coaching. At this session the approach is agreed which will include clarity of the outcome, timing and location of sessions, feedback models, commitment to agreed tasks, principles of the coaching approach and client preferences on how to be coached. The coach will confirm this by way of a written agreement between them and the client to reinforce the importance of the commitment being made.

Subsequent Sessions

Subsequent sessions are generally 2 hours long will take place on average at 2-4 week intervals. The number of sessions will vary depending on the nature of the outcome and the agreement with the manager. Typically 3 - 6 sessions are usually sufficient to achieve the required result. About halfway through the coaching a meeting will take place with the manager, often to assist them in giving the Manger the appropriate feedback about their progress towards the outcome.

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