Executive Coaching Case Histories

What is it like to be coached? How effective can it be? Let’s hear from those who have
been coached…

Case 1: Mid-level Bank Executive responsible for Country Operations, after 6 months
coaching:

Solid Learnings

• Ask more questions, covering a broader range (content, process, people). Don't be one-
dimensional around performance
• Don't compete with my team; compete with competitors (other banks, Group, other
countries)
• Awareness is important, but don't be overly self-critical; I can (and have done) much of
what we are working on
• Focus on other person's needs (e.g., Bill’s need to be seen as running his team)
• Inspire and connect with others by sharing my emotions
• Leadership will require listening, questioning, giving/receiving feedback, solutions focus,
coaching, and change management
• Getting better at each will require baby steps...but that's okay

Things That Have Made A Difference

• Coaches’ willingness to make me feel uncomfortable when I am gliding into my comfort

zone/bad habits (e.g., when I start competing with you to make a point, you point out that
I am competing with you, which is counterproductive)
• Coaches’ insightfulness about who I am, what makes me tick, and development areas
(e.g., my discomfort in asking questions about feelings)
• Coaches’ broader experience and the context this brings (e.g., the suggested approach
of bringing Bill into the fray proactively ahead of the Paris trip)
• Coaches’ genuine interest in helping me develop
• Coaches’ emphasis on helping me to find my own solutions in the future (teaching me to
fish)

Case 2: Mid-level CFO Executive responsible for Regional Operations, after 3 months
coaching:

• What are some benefits that are appearing evident? How convinced is the coachee
that this is the leadership style he wishes to exemplify?
The benefits are: “Managers are more forward in giving suggestions in problem solving;
feel that they are the contributing positively to the well being of the staff’s working
environment and increasing the productivity.

…I am convinced that this new leadership style is the way forward in my dealing with all
my managers and that both the managers and myself will also benefit from it in terms of
openness, improvement in mutual trust and increase in productivity, in the long term.”
 • What are some challenges that the manager is encountering in practicing
this new style of leadership?
More time consuming in arriving at a decision or taking action. Some staff thinks that he
has turned “soft”, not having his own opinion, indecisive, etc. He is confident that time
will prove that he is still as decisive, as action-oriented as before. The only change is
the newer approach he adopted.

• To what extent have there been instances of reverting to old habits when
there is pressure of deadline or heavy activities? What can be learned from
these to prevent future recurrences?
There are indeed occasions when old habit creep back. These happened when the
manager felt the pressure of deadline or events are out of his control. To prevent such
relapse, he would try to keep his cool, under all circumstances.

• What is being done to encourage staff to communicate directly with each

other? Why is this an important effort?
When staff brings out issues the solution of which may involve another staff, I will ask
whether he has indeed discussed the matter with that staff. If the answer is no, I will
encourage him to do so. I will also do a follow up to ensure that it is done.

This is an important effort as it inculcates a culture whereby the staff will resolve issues
amongst themselves and only bring up to me issues that cannot be resolved. Only
through this way that the managers could grow and be confident of making decision and
that I will be freed to have more time on other more pertinent issues.

Case 3: Branch Manager, Financial Services mid-coaching assignment:

I really was surprised at myself during the conversation we had because the coach was
able make me reflect on what I should do instead of assuming what I want to do. I was
too eager to want to rush in to do something without giving much thought about it first.
After talking to the coach, I will be planning to talk to the 2 staff whom I have identified,
using a more structured manner and using the skills that have been taught and be able
to convince them to commit on the objectives that they set.

After talking it over with the coach I plan now to do the following:
Briefly, for the new recruit, I will help him to build his confidence and competency level in
our company and to develop him into a professional Executive who will be able to work
independently in 6 months time.

For the second, I will help her to identify and develop her weaknesses and areas she
would need to improve and develop on things she has not done previously, before
embarking her on her future plans and ambition to want to move up the corporate ladder
quickly. I will set a time frame of 12 months for her to get her ready.
Benefits of Coaching

Manchester Inc. recently released the results of a study that quantifies the business
impact of external executive coaching. The study included 100 executives. Companies
that provided coaching to their executives realized improvements in productivity, quality,
organizational strength, customer service, and shareholder value. They received fewer
customer complaints, and were more likely to retain executives who had been coached.

In addition, a company's investment in providing coaching to its executives realized an

average return on investment (ROI) of almost six times the cost of the coaching.

Benefits to companies that provided Among the benefits to executives who

coaching to executives were received coaching were improved:
improvements in:
Working relationships with direct reports
Productivity (reported by 53% of (reported by 77% of executives)
executives) Working relationships with immediate
Quality (48%) supervisors (71%)
Organizational strength (48%) Teamwork (67%)
Customer service (39%) Working relationships with peers (63%)
Reducing customer complaints (34%) Job satisfaction (61%)
Retaining executives who received Conflict reduction (52%)
coaching (32%) Organizational commitment (44%)
Cost reductions (23%) Working relationships with clients (37%)
Bottom-line profitability (22%)

Strategies for getting the best out of coaching:

• Manage the entire coaching process to ensure consistency and quality.

• Prepare clients in advance for coaching and don't force coaching on anyone.
• Offer clients the ability to select their coaches.
• Provide coaching strong organizational support.
• Ensure coaches are grounded in the company’s business and culture.
• Allow each coaching relationship to follow its own path.
• Build performance measurement into the coaching process.

Source: Case Study on the Return on Investment of Executive Coaching, Prepared by: Merrill C. Anderson,
Ph.D., MetrixGlobal, LLC, November 2, 2001