13: COACHING TO SUPPORT DOCTORAL ROLE TRANSITIONS ■ 307■ EXECUTIVE COACHING
In Arthur Koestler’s “Janus” (1978), he tells a story about the captain of a
ship who is instructed not to read his written orders until he is out on open
sea. He looks forward to the moment that will end his uncertainty and con-
firm for him whether or not he has been on the right course. When he finally
opens the envelope, he finds that the salt air has faded his instructions be-
yond recognition; that he will never know if he is in the right place on the
high seas or following the right course.Executive coaching is one form of support for leaders who transition through unchart-
ed waters without a clear map, and for those who can use assistance to find their place
when the mandate is unclear. In its different forms, coaching has been used throughout
human history. Cave dwellers were probably coached on how to draw pictures of their
hunt on cave walls, as were young medicine women on how to find medicinal herbs.
The modern world of music and sports is accustomed to using one-on-one coaching to
support peak performance, but only recently has executive coaching become a resource
for leaders across a wide range of fields.
The International Coaching Federation defines coaching as “partnering with cli-
ents in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their
personal and professional potential.” This process helps clients dramatically improve
their outlook on work and life, while improving their leadership skills and unlocking
their potential (International Coaching Federation, n.d.).
The essential intention of executive coaching is to help leaders get unstuck from
leadership challenges they face and to transfer what they learn during the coaching
process into behaviors that move their organization forward (O’Neil, 2007).
We would add that its purpose is to support the person of the leader through tur-
bulent times and to facilitate leadership consciousness period needed.
There are many variations in how executive coaching is done. Some coaches work
only face to face, while others work on the phone or use modern technology like Skype.
Some will collect data by surveys and interviews, whereas others will work only with
the client’s own identification of needs. Coaches who have an expertise in organization
development may combine coaching with interventions that involve the client’s team,
or facilitate meetings with the coaching client and other key figures in the organization.
Regardless of the specifics of the executive coach’s methodology, all approaches involve
the following steps:
- Identifying the client (coachee’s) chal lenge
- Identifying specific coaching goals that will address the challenge
- Understanding the challenge in light of self-assessment
- Creating and brain-storming strategies to achieve goals
- Acting upon the strategies
- Tracking the success of the strategies, both the tangible outcomes and the cli-
ent’s subjective experience - Acknowledging the successes
- Evaluating the coaching process
■ EFFECTIVENESS OF EXECUTIVE COACHING
It has been our experience that coaching is an effective intervention for leadership de-
velopment. However, important questions face any organization that is considering the
time and investment that it involves. In 2010, a Forbes article said, “Business coaching