Finding 2: Less than Half of All Coaching
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33
34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67
68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84
85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101
102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118
119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135
136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152
153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169
170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186
187 188 189 190 191 192
Relationships Evolved Beyond Quadrant 2
It takes time for a coaching relationship to run the course through
all four quadrants. In fact, few coaching relationships complete the
cycle. Figure 14.2 shows the percentage of coaching relationships
that cover the four quadrants of the Leading with Insight model.
This figure shows that, for example, only 15 percent of the total
coaching relationships successfully dealt with issues related to “Original
Actions” (Quadrant 4). These percentages are cumulative, so the
The Value Nexus: Organization Value and Individual Values 253
15 percent of the relationships related to original actions were also
included in the other three quadrants of Finding Focus (Quadrant
1), Building Bridges (Quadrant 2), and Creating Alignment
(Quadrant 3). This figure also shows that 43 percent of the relationships
dealt with Creating Alignment (and Finding Focus and
Building Bridges), whereas 77 percent dealt with Building Bridges
(and Finding Focus). All coaching relationships in the data (100%)
dealt with issues about Finding Focus.
Of course, not all coaching relationships should cover all quadrants.
The specific quadrants covered relate to the specific issues the
coaching client needs to have addressed. Once these needs are
addressed, then the coaching relationship has achieved its goal and
the relationship can be concluded. Chapters 3 and 4 offer case
studies to this effect for Quadrants 1 and 2, respectively. On the
other hand, in most coaching relationships, as one door closes
another opens. There may be, for example, a presenting problem
that must be immediately dealt with. As this problem is resolved,
new issues pop up and the coach and client then tackle these new
issues. Each new door that opens deepens the relationship and
254 Coaching That Counts
15%
43%
77%
100%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
4. Original Action
3. Creating
Alignment
2. Building Bridges
1. Finding Focus
Figure 14.2 Percentage of Coaching Relationships That Covered the Four
Quadrants of the Coaching That Counts Model.
explores more profound issues. At least four factors limit how the
coaching relationship may evolve:
1. The skill level of the coach. There is great variability in the education,
experience, credentials, and personal development of
coaches. Not all coaches are capable of guiding clients through
all four quadrants. This opens up a “buyer beware” situation
for those people who wish to engage coaches in their organization.
Fortunately, groups such as the International Coach
Federation (ICF) have established rigorous and consistent criteria
for certifying coaches and accrediting coaching schools.
An ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC), for example, must
have 2,500 hours of documented coaching experience and 200
hours of approved education in coaching. With fewer than
1,000 MCCs in the world, however, there are too few of these
coaches to go around. There are other groups and other certifications
as well. Some coaching companies will qualify
coaches based on a set of skill and experience criteria. It is
essential that coaches experience all four quadrants through
their own personal and professional development in order to
guide clients to do the same. It is important to note that the
experiences do not need to be the same. Ever person who goes
through the depth of personal and professional development
described by the Leading with Insight model will travel
his own path; however, the underlying dynamics in each quadrant
have similarities that can only be appreciated through
experience. The point is for people who hire coaches to explore
the qualities and qualifications of the coaches and to know
what the coaches bring to the party. As we will see later in this
chapter, coaching relationships that cover all of the quadrants
tend to generate benefits that are more strategic in nature
and result in higher monetary value. In launching a coaching
initiative, selecting coaches who do not have the ability
to guide their clients in all quadrants may limit the strategic
value of the initiative. The added investment in higher quality
The Value Nexus: Organization Value and Individual Values 255
coaches may produce a greater monetary return on the
investment.
2. The willingness and ability of the client to explore deeper issues.
Just as variability exists among coaches, so too with coaching
clients. Not all clients are willing to dig deeply into their own
reactions, emotions, and values, in order to grow and develop.
Clients must be deeply committed to their own development
to devote the time and energy required to realize results in
Quadrants 3 and 4. Not all clients are willing, or in some cases,
able to undertake the complex, but deeply rewarding, challenges
that are at the core of these later quadrants. Some clients
may choose to take a break from coaching after attaining their
goals, and will resume a coaching relationship later when they
have the need or desire to further their own development.
Interviews with some clients revealed that they were not
willing participants in the coaching initiative. They were told
to be coached. In many of these cases, coaching did not go too
far.Coaching should always be a voluntary decision. To do otherwise
does not serve the person, the coach, or the organization.
Even for those who are willing participants in coaching,
there is still an initial skepticism that must be overcome.
Coaches must, as soon as possible, establish rapport and allow
the skepticism to dissipate.
3. The demands on rapport, intimacy, and trust. These demands
increase as the relationship moves to the higher numbered
quadrants. The coaching relationship evolves to the extent that
the coach and client infuse this relationship with mutual trust
and feel comfortable with higher levels of intimacy. This takes
time to happen as the relationship matures, and still many
coaching relationships do not mature to the point that a sustained
and successful exploration of Quadrant 4 issues can be
done. It is a very powerful partnership when both the coach
and the client are ready, willing, and able to work their way
through to Quadrant 4. The client must trust the coach, and
the coach must trust herself. Coaches must be willing to reflect
256 Coaching That Counts
very clearly the dynamics that they see, including telling clients
things that they don’t want to hear. It takes a lot of courage
on both the part of the coach and the client to step into this
revealing place.
4. Internal versus external coaches. Many organizations have
decided to develop a cadre of internal coaches. These coaches
may be hired from the outside and perform full-time coaching
services or be drawn internally from the ranks of people in
HR, training, leadership development, organization development,
or other areas. The rationale for having internal coaches
varies among organizations, although cost considerations are
usually at or near the top of the list. Full-time professionally
credentialed coaches hired into organizations can be as effective
as external coaches as long as these internal coaches are
perceived to be independent agents with no axe to grind or
politically tainted in any way. One of the first decisions to be
made, and perhaps one of the most important, is to whom
these coaches report. Generally, the higher the reporting relationship,
the greater the perceived independence the coaches
will be. Having the lead coach of the group report to the CEO
is likely the best solution, although this may not be practical
in all situations. Alternately, having smaller groups of coaches
report to the heads of the business units in which they work
may be a good solution.
Let’s turn our attention now to internal coaches drawn from the
ranks of HR and other groups. People who have been tagged to be
coaches are often sent to an external coaching school. This education,
while often excellent, needs to be combined with the experience
of coaching and being coached. It is surprising how many
internal coaches have never received coaching themselves. It takes at
least a year or two of full-time coaching to develop the requisite skills
and applied knowledge to be an effective coach. Part-time coaches
will take longer. Organizational leaders who develop their own
internal coaches must recognize the time and resource require-
The Value Nexus: Organization Value and Individual Values 257
ments. It will take time for these newer coaches to develop the skill
set, insight, and experience to coach in all four quadrants. To gain
the greatest impact from coaching programs it is essential to calibrate
the needs of the leaders to be coached with the coaching capabilities
of the coaches assigned to work with them. Inexperienced
coaches are unlikely to offer the high-quality coaching the leader
needs or the high-impact coaching the business requires.
Finding 3: The Impact of Coaching on the Business