STRATEGYCOACHING 191
the direction of the company? Many of those ideas simply cannot be dis-
cussed internally because they involve the future of the key individuals in
the group that reports to the CEO. Meanwhile, former colleagues or new
reports are trying to reposition themselves for power and inf luence. Inter-
ests may conf lict. Skeletons may be hiding in closets. The traditional recipe
for success may have become a dangerous orthodoxy. If the CEO wants to
develop strategy in a thoughtful, objective, and ultimately successful way,
then a coach who is credible, experienced, and trustworthy totally will be a
valued partner.
Although not all strategy coaching is done with new CEOs, a look at that
circumstance will help explain the strategy coaching process. Along the way,
the challenges I describe will clarify some of the attributes of a good strategy
coach while describing the nature of a successful coach-client partnership.
Developing a Strategic Point of View
Whether the company is a troubled one or not so troubled, the newly ap-
pointed CEO is immediately under the gun to produce value for sharehold-
ers and customers. The temptation to engage in cost cutting is strong
because it buys time while generating profits. But although layoffs or di-
vestments (or even the acquisition of a competitor as a creative means of
cost-cutting) may all exist within a zone of comfort, they probably do not
constitute a successful long-term strategy. When the profit increases even-
tually taper off, people will figure out that they have been watching a one-
time, unsustainable improvement.
Prepare before Taking Charge
Ideally, in today’s time-compressed climate, a strategy coach should be
brought on board before the appointment takes effect, say 100 days, so that
the CEO can gain a running start. Although the changeover may not be an-
nounced yet, the CEO has been picked, the board of directors is in agree-
ment, and the job has been accepted. It’s time for the CEO to survey the
portfolio of the business, the financial situation, the culture of the organiza-
tion and the competitive landscape to understand the opportunities he or she
will have in order to make a distinct impact.
A strategy coach first helps a new CEO develop a point of viewon exactly
what he or she has inherited. This point of view is developed not so that it can
be imposed on the organization but so that the CEO will be able to listen in a
discerning fashion and calibrate what he or she is hearing. Even if the CEO