Executive coaching has myriad benefits in all applications of professional and personal conduct. Executive coaching can assist individuals and groups of individuals with opportunities for personal growth, it can help realign bad workplace and personal habits to a more productive and satisfying outcome, and it can be a relatively inexpensive way for professional organizations to garner positive output in the workplace.
Either of the two types of professional development would benefit organizations in fostering an efficient and productive workplace. Diagnosis and development coaching, with its emphasis on self-awareness and collaborative planning, allows organizational groups to participate in the growth process. This ensures participant buy-in of the concepts as well as participation in the implementation of developmental plans that are the outcome of the executive coaching. Prescriptive executive coaching, on the other hand, can also be an operative process for change within the group, organization, or workplace.
Choosing an executive coach takes insight from the hiring team, as it must consider the makeup of the individual, group, or groups to be coached. In all cases, executive coaches must have exceptional interpersonal skills, experience with business and organizations, the ability to look at the big picture and figure out the details, and an adaptive and straightforward communication style. However, even in the best executive coach is hired, he or she will likely fail if the hiring organization does not fully commit to the process; additionally, if there are unrealistic expectations, resistant individuals or management, or expectations that are not obtainable, the executive coaching process will fail. Also, if the wrong coach is hired, consequences can be quite negative because “executive coaches who lack rigorous psychological training do more harm than good. By dint of their backgrounds and biases, they downplay or simply ignore deep-seated psychological problems they don’t understand” (Berglas, 2002).
My organization could take full advantage of executive coaching by fully participating in the process the executive coach recommends, requiring input from those being coached, following through on practices suggested by the executive coach, and continuing the dialogue of the coaching process after the coaching is finished.
Balancing power can be tricky in any organization. For those in low power situations, this balancing can be stressful and may lead to dissatisfaction with the organization or employer. With low power individuals and groups, it is especially important to ensure that there is open and honest communication between those who hold the power and those who do not. Caution must be taken to ensure domination and control of information and resources do not occur. Low power players in any company and organization need to realize their avenues for interdependence, engagement, and alternative ways to feel in control of their workplace or organizational activities and tasks. Remaining positive, asking to have needs met, ensuring understanding of expectations, and regulating the pace of the communication as well as the workplace or organizational activities can all help achieve a better balance of power. Requesting collaboration over competition, avoidance, accommodation, or compromise is also an effective way to balance power for both those in low power situations and those in high power situations.
In the workplace, labor is a market (Downs, 2012), and those will low power have little to lose by changing jobs. That is why it is distinctly crucial that those with low power in the workplace have outlets to voice their opinions, offer suggestions, ask for what is needed, and participate in some of the decision-making processes that affect their responsibilities and the overall viability of the company or organization. Those with high power who don’t allow these types of activities will continually find themselves in a state of turnover and decreased efficiency and profitability.
- Berglas, S. (2002). The very real dangers of executive coaching. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2002/06/the-very-real-dangers-of-executive-coaching
- Downs, P. (2012). The balance of power between bosses and workers. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/14/the-balance-of-power-between-bosses-and-workers/
