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A new look at a type of coaching that has collected outstanding endorsements from some of the UK’s top FTSE companies*

"When you put on the hat of manager for the first time in your life, you give up honest work for the rest of your life. You no longer drive the forklifts, open the mail, answer the phones or do anything of any direct economic value to the enterprise. Given that is the case, the only thing you have left is the way you spend your time." Dana Corporation Systems Chairman, Ren McPherson.

"The danger in managerial work is that managers will respond to every issue equally (and that means abruptly) and that they will never work the tangible bits and pieces of information input into a comprehensive picture of their work".
Henry Mintzberg, 'The Nature of Managerial Work'.

"If you are not truly interested in a distinctively increased level of quality of whatever - and if you are not, by gross calendar content analysis, spending fully fifty percent of your time on that single priority - then you do not care about it, pure and simple. Because the magic for Forrest Mars, for Dr. Wang, for Bill Hewlett, for Frank Purdue, is one word - FOCUS."
Tom Peters in his lecture, A Passion for Excellence.

* Testimonial letters available on request

Superior Results
The popularity of coaching in senior corporate echelons has soared in the last decade. Its profile has been raised by a number of well known sports coaches, who championed the idea that superior results can be obtained on executives by using the athletic coaching method of observing, questioning, challenging and motivating rather than instructing.

In business, the term 'coaching' has become a catch-all phrase that encompasses counselling, mentoring, career counselling, feedback, teaching, advising, and 'one-on-one' training.

The Institute for Business Technology in the UK has been using coaching for seventeen years and uses the term in a specific way.

1. Coaching … but not as we know it. Value Drivers.

Focus
The first round of coaching is prescriptive and it is aimed at an immediate and dramatic increase in performance through 'focus'.

The first day of coaching is devoted to obtaining a profile of exactly where and on what an executive places his or her focus and attention. It always throws up surprises. The coaching proceeds to steer the executive, within the appropriate performance strengths and personal workstyle, to discover and concentrate on those things that will add the absolute best value, in the executive's estimation, to the organisation (and the executive's career). Many execs report a 50% shift of focus as a result of this process. A shift of 20%-30% is typical.

If the exec has a dedicated secretary, they too are included in the session and she becomes a vital player in the delivery of the new level of focus.

Most individuals do the job 'on automatic'. They learn by osmosis and by inadvertently copying others in scenarios they have witnessed throughout the course of their careers. They rarely take the time, or have the opportunity, to sit back and truly examine which of their actions and routines really add value to the business and to the people around them.

The Value Microscope
This is often a vital and overlooked first step. The process does not, at this stage, examine 360 feedback or the interaction style of the executive. It simply asks what, in real terms, must the individual do to genuinely add the most value. And what must they cease doing - the lesser value activities - to make way for the changes? How exactly will they deliver the changes? It puts goals, objectives and deliverables under the 'value' microscope.

The coaching process is geared to take routines and actions and workstyles off automatic and give them back to the executive in a premeditated, structured way. The information streams, planned interaction with the executive's direct reports, meetings and other support factors are all examined to permit the new value driver activity to come into being.

A second day, some weeks later, and a third day a month or two later, are both devoted to 'bedding in' the new approach, making sure it aligns with others' areas of focus and with the correct objectives.

OTHER types of Coaching

2. General Performance Coaching

The collective gains generated from the value driver coaching, particularly when done across executive teams, often produces a result where no further coaching is needed. The general 'performance coaching' and 'personal coaching' elements are optional steps and may not be needed by all executives and managers.

Longer Term Work Patterns
In general performance coaching, the style is different. It is allows for more reflection and examination of personal style. It uses Daniel Goleman's (Emotional Intelligence) concepts of 'Primal Leadership' and uses the analysis of feedback, such as '360 Degree', to allow the executive to make holistic changes in his or her longer term working patterns and interactions, so as to get the best out of themselves, their colleagues and their teams. Despite the slight difference in style, the coaching method is nevertheless 'outcome focused' and uses as its guide the required deliverables, objectives and goals of the executive. It usually spans several shorter sessions (half day) over a six to nine month period. Some of the later steps can be done by e-mail or telephone. A specific outcome is identified at the start of the sessions as well as an evidence procedure to recognise when the result has been obtained.

Constant feedback mechanisms (some very simple ones) are used to
ensure the executive is able to adjust his or her course, as necessary, to the desired outcome.

3. Personal Coaching

There will be a small percentage of managers and executives who need to address specific issues in some detail on the road to general change. They can receive 'personal coaching', on a needs basis, to allow them to get the full benefits of the overall programme.

* The Lore Institute has no connection with the Institute for
Business Technology

The 'result' can be anything. Some frequently sought after results are: interacting better with team members, managing people and relationships better, dealing with difficult people or situations, managing a key result in the boardroom or in a business pitch, changing one's approach in a merger environment or new division, making a personal change for appraisal purposes or changing one's management (or leadership) style.

Summary
All coaching methods are 'outcome focused'.

•  Start with Value Driver Coaching to get immediate personal performance and business results. It needs to be piloted in small numbers first.

•  Follow with General Performance Coaching for the support in changes to longer term, more holistic work patterns.

•  Use Personal Coaching, on a needs basis, to get individuals through a specific situation and into or back into the main programme.

•  All IBT’s other performance programmes can be used independently or in combination to address results at every level of the organisation.