264 THECOACHINGALMANAC
This may indicate that there is a growing recognition of the need to
develop middle managers and leaders.Summary
In addition to our survey data, we have collected many comments from or-
ganizations and individuals using internal /external coaches from interviews
over the past year. Here are some of our overall conclusions:
•Investments in all areas of leadership coaching appear to be on the in-
crease, with approximately 33 percent of the respondents indicating in-
creases in budgets going-for ward for all categories.
•There is surprising evidence from respondents that investment in mid-
level managers and leaders will increase disproportionally to the cur-
rent spending in that category.
•There appears to be strong evidence that coaching through electronic
mediums, including telephone and e-mail, is increasing, with e-mail
and telephone indicated by respondents to be greater than 60 percent.
Nevertheless, face-to-face interviewing still ranks as the most preva-
lent form of coaching.
•Respondents rated cost as an important aspect in the selection process
of outside coaches. However, the most important aspects of coach
selection are coaching experience, level of business experience, and
area ofexpertise. It is suspected that once a decision is made to expend
funds on coaching, cost becomes less important.
•There is no question that 360-degree feedback in the coaching process
plays the biggest role in setting up the relationship, as well as in assess-
ing the success of the coaching intervention.
•It is significant that among respondents there is a high degree of satis-
faction for both internal coaching and external coaching with a slight
statistical advantage to external coaching. This is good news for those
practitioners of coaching.
•It is interesting to note that there is a strong indication that there are
new leading-edge coaching methods and models being used by coaches
inside of organizations and by outside coaches (e.g., action learning,
appreciative inquiry techniques, and behavior modeling). However,
tried and true peer interviews and supervisory interviews are still sig-
nificant techniques used by respondents.
•There seems to be evidence that there is a trend toward open-ended
coaching assignments, as well as coaching assignments in specific time
frames.