Executive coaching is no meager investment, and it does come with risks. Companies pay for executive coaching to hone the leadership skills of their senior management, and while many studies have shown the effectiveness of executive coaching, this is not the complete picture.

The Other Side of the Coin: Who benefits from Executive Coaching?

Senior managers, CEOs, directors and key-executives are the ones who often receive company-paid executive coaching. Such sessions help them become better in their roles and thus improve your business to some extent. But who gets the most value out of this? Is it the employee or the company? According to recent studies, the positive effect of executive coaching is mostly limited to the individual being coached and the people who work with him.

Why?

Because in some cases, after the executive has received coaching, he moves on to a new career. Who will benefit of his newfound confidence and leadership skills? His new employer. Paying for executive coaching for senior management is an investment, and like other investment, it does have risks.

The risks aren’t limited to finding another employer though, as some leaders have other challenges that might hinder their ability to do their job well. In some cases, the executive doesn’t have the power or resolution to execute what he has learned to improve others.

We can’t Help those Who don’t Want to be Helped

Executive coaching won’t work, or at least won’t be as effective if the person being coached doesn’t want to be helped. Learning and improving requires an open mind. The employee being coached must be honest enough to admit that he needs and wants to improve and develop.

Finding a Perfect Fit

When hiring employees, you check if a candidate will fit well with your company, right? You should do that, too, if you’re hiring a coach. The executive coach should at least have an understanding of your company’s goals and the challenges the executives are facing. It would also help if the coach’s approach fits well with the personality of employees.

A good coach can improve the leadership skills of your executive team, and at the same time challenge them to stretch themselves into playing a bigger role in the organization. Coaches should be impartial in providing advice and honest enough to point out issues that others would most likely skate over.

The Real Cost of Coaching

You already know this, but let me say it again- executive coaching is an investment. It is an investment; one that could significantly improve the performance and leadership skills of the organization’s senior management. Choose the employees that would be coached according to the value of his role to your organization. The more valuable an employee’s role is, the bigger the impact of his improvement will be to your business.

© 2013 Incedo Group, LLC