152 50 TOPEXECUTIVECOACHES
- Making the client successful, not the coach/consultant.Sometimes, it’s
easy to forget that the hero or heroine of a successful design should be
the client, not the coach or consultant. It is important to involve the
client in all aspects of the project and instill a feeling within the com-
pany t hat it is his or her work, not the work of the coach /consultant that
made it successful.
There are also some factors critical to the client:- Access to senior management.Because of the importance of CEO en-
gagement in the final product, I prefer to work with clients who are
either (1) positioned in the hierarchy to access the CEO, or (2) com-
fortable around senior executives by virtue of their senior-level per-
spective, or (3) a junior-level person who is not afraid to interact with
senior-level people or demand access to them. - Willingness to push the envelope.A conservative solution rarely has im-
pact. To change a leader ’s behavior, it is usually necessary to take them
out oftheir comfort zone. This requires some willingness to take risks
on the par t of the client in producing innovative and effective solu-
tions. This can be a challenge, because after the engagement is over the
client hopes to remain in the organization while the coach or consul-
tant moves on.
As a first principle, success should be measured in the eyes of the client.
Within the Alliance for Strategic Leadership Coaching & Consulting prac-
tice, we have a clear reminder of this principle. We tell clients that if they
are not happy with our coaching or consulting efforts, they don’t have to pay.
So, one measure of success is whether I got paid or not.
In addition, I work with my clients to establish a set of metrics that will
help them judge the success of our work. I have found that many clients
struggle with identifying measures of success. They too often want a single,
financial return on investment number that is elusive and requires many as-
sumptions. Short of this ultimate measure, I help clients identify indicators
ofsuccess that are easily measured and have credibility with line managers.