Ace coaching alliances: A head coach and an organizational sponsor make up the ultimate coaching team - Coaching

Training & Development, Jan, 2002 by Madeleine Homan, Linda Miller

As James Anderson and Sharon McDade chatted while waiting for their conference call to begin, they realized how far their organization had come during the preceding six months. When they began talking about instituting a coaching initiative within their organization, no one was quite sure how it would unfold. Now, the implications were staggering: Sixty-five people with supervisory responsibilities within the division were engaged in the coaching process, leaders were using a common language when communicating their coaching experience and learning, and the organization's leaders were pleased with what they were hearing.

Anderson and McDade, who served as internal sponsors of their company's coaching initiative, agreed that clearly defining who the clients would be (the organization and the individual end-users), as well as how information would flow between their organization and the coaching company, were major factors in the successful outcome. Much time was spent in discussions prior to start, and it was clear that those conversations established a strong alliance between the two organizations. As a result, the initiative was one of the most successful in the history of Anderson and McDade's division. Their executive vice president, usually difficult to please, said the coaching had been the most effective development effort he'd seen in 25 years in business.

When an organization brings coaching into its ranks on a scale that requires more than one or two coaches, it's presumably to increase productivity, improve performance, and retain top talent. Numerous studies--such as those completed by Xerox, Public Personnel Management, Manchester Inc., IBM, and Coaching.com--show that coaching positively influences productivity, quality organizational strength, customer service, and retention of best employees. Knowing that positive benefits accrue from coaching, the burning question is, Who is the primary client? Is it the client organization because it pays for the coaching? Or is it the individual end-user because coaching requires an environment of trust to be effective? According to McDade and Anderson, the answer is a resounding, "Both." They see the value in the company being the client of the coaching organization and in the individuals being the clients of their coaches.

Ace alliances

The alliance between the end-user client and the coach is the most visible and obvious. Though critical, it's by no means the only important coalition in an effective coaching initiative.

The first key relationship is between the head coach and the organizational sponsor. The head coach oversees the coaches working with clients within the specific initiative and is responsible for managing the information coming in from the coaches. The organizational sponsor is already employed by the company and is responsible for managing the internal aspects of the coaching initiative. Anderson and McDade, who served as the organizational sponsors, view both roles as critical. "Establishing a strong relationship with the head coach was vital to the health of the coaching initiative, as were the relationships between our people and their coaches," they say.

The organizational sponsor and the head coach begin by establishing and articulating objectives for the coaching initiative. The sponsor is responsible for communicating with senior leaders within the organization to ensure that all objectives are clear. Pre-initiative surveys can be done to make sure that the focus can be properly measured. The sponsor and head coach also must create clear agreements regarding roles, responsibilities, and timelines. The coaching recipient needs to know that his or her coaching is confidential. If the end-user doesn't feel that the process is entirely confidential, coaching can't be effective. The people who receive the coaching must be able to say anything they need to say to overcome the obstacles in their path.

In our experience, it's clear that organizations appreciate having a coaching company oversee their initiatives rather than try to manage individual coaches. A coaching company provides a buffer between the individuals being coached and the organization's management team, and that protects confidentiality. McDade and Anderson considered hiring several coaches, which began endless discussions about setting qualifications, managing multiple external coaches, and determining a system for feedback while maintaining confidentiality.

A head coach is in the perfect position to oversee multiple coaches rather than having the organization's leadership be in direct contact. Clear agreements about how information is shared and with whom ensures complete confidentiality.

Information flow

From the start, it's imperative that the organizational sponsor is clear about what information the organization is looking for to assure that the coaches and clients are working toward specific goals. The clearer the goals are, the easier it will be for the sponsor to measure the results quantitatively and qualitatively. Together, the sponsor and head coach decide the frequency and type of meetings they'll have so they can monitor whether the goals are being achieved.