70 50 TOPEXECUTIVECOACHES
assessment. I may be in a minority today, but I don’t believe that coaching by
phone can be effective, particularly before rapport has been established. In
any event, I am trying to make a decision about the probability of her sincer-
ity and her capacity for change.
Participant-Observation
Ifwe decide to proceed, I come back and observe her for two to three normal
days. I watch what she does and how she interacts, using what anthropologists
might call the “participant-observer” technique. The value of that approach
is simple. Most people can’t fully describe what they do on a daily basis. It’s
very important to see them in their environment under normal circumstances
to get an accurate picture. I watch how they work with different individuals.
I look to see if those patterns are consistent across all individuals or if they
are specific to particular subordinates and issues. I look to see how my client
spends her time and how she communicates. I also make note of what she
doesn’t talk about or doesn’t spend time on. What people don’t do is often just
as telling as what they do.
At checkpoints, during those first few days, we will take time out so that I
can ask questions. I want to get clarity about what I have seen. I’m not only
interested in observing; I need to learn her personal perceptions about the
things she did and why. In doing so, I am also trying to instill a discipline for
self-ref lection. That’s an underdeveloped capacity in many executives since
they are typically, by nature, action-oriented people focused on making
things happen.
Nex t, I’ll interview the people around that manager. If she’s a senior exec-
utive, there are usually only one or two levels above her; so I will interview
those individuals, as well as a number of peers and direct reports. If I have
time, I like to go one or more levels below the direct reports as well. Most
coaches assume that close perceptions and distant perceptions are identical;
but research holds that those perceptions can vary greatly. A leader ’s style
must be effective at close range and far away.
If360-degree surveys have been previously done, I ask for access. I re-
search the coachee’s past performance to see how she has behaved in other
circumstances. I’m trying to confirm or raise questions about the coachee’s
personal perceptions and where she has had persistent problems. All of that
data helps me get a fully informed sense of her two or three most important
developmental needs.
I’m looking for patterns, not one-off situations. If specific relationships
are problematic, I put those into a separate pile. I am also looking at patterns