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the same person if chemistry and a trusting relationship are established. At
the same time, I do think it is important to have a methodology. It helps cre-
ate the discipline and focus that coaching needs to drive change and results.
The executives who are most receptive to coaching are usually in some
type of transition. Perhaps they’ve been promoted to an enterprise role or
have a new boss or have been assigned to a high-visibility task force. Re-
search shows that transitions are the most likely windows where people are
open to learning. If people are in a certain degree of pain, that can be quite
helpful because it makes them more open to relief, learning, and ref lection.
The greater the stakes and the pain, the higher the motivation for achieving
successful change.
It’s also important for an executive to have a fairly healthy ref lective
side. It is a great sign when people are curious. Are they good observers of
themselves? Have they been in trouble or hit a plateau before? If so, how
did they respond and learn? I’m looking for that kind of mix of qualities and
background.
Not everyone is open to coaching. It has its limitations. Sometimes, the
change requires a fundamental change in personality, which can be difficult
to manage in a timely way under real business circumstances. Sometimes, the
person has no desire to change and perceives himself to be highly successful,
which is usually a precursor to failure. Sometimes, perceptions about what
needs to be changed are inaccurate. On top of all these limitations rests the
most critical restriction of all: Coaching is expensive. It’s an intervention
that only a few in a company can afford. Naturally, those few are most often
at the very top of the organization. We are already moving to new models of
coaching to address this challenge. Increasingly, I am teaching executives
how to be better coaches!