Jennifer McClure`

Helping Leaders Leverage Influence & Create Maximum Impact.

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Can an Internal Coach or HR Pro Be Trusted With Your Secrets?


At The Conference Board’s Executive Coaching Conference
that I recently attended, we spent some time in one of the sessions discussing concerns with HR pros being designated or trained as
internal coaches in organizations due to trust and credibility issues. (Note: attendees at the conference were primarily external coaches and OD professionals.)

Here’s a tweet I sent out during the discussion:

TCB Coaching tweet

I guess the discussion made me a bit #sad because as a former Human Resources pro myself, I felt like I was effective as an internal “coach”. Whether working with an employee as part of their career development process or providing support to some making it through performance improvement plans, I worked hard to balance their need for confidentiality in the process with my responsibilities to the organization. I took pride in being someone that employees at all levels could talk to and one CEO even referred to me as his Consigliere – which considering some of the bullets I took for him, was kind of fitting.

But I do recall a conversation I had one day with an employee who was experiencing some issues at work. When I offered to listen and provide support, she said “Unfortunately, I can’t talk to you about this. It’s not that I don’t trust you personally. It’s the chair that you sit in. You have the authority to fire me. And I can’t risk that.”

After she left my office, I thought about what she’d said. I wanted to be offended. But I kinda understood where she was coming from. While it was frustrating that she wouldn’t allow me to try to help out just because of my position in the organization, I also knew that sometimes it was part of my role to be involved in making decisions about her career. So sharing a weakness or performance problem with someone who has that type of influence could be perceived as a risk.

Fast forward to today, where I work with clients as an external Executive Coach… The feedback I’ve received from clients is that one of the most helpful aspects of the coaching process is the opportunity to speak confidentially with someone outside of the organization who can listen, support, challenge and guide them. I’ve listened as senior level clients have shared with me a variety of potentially career damaging things – being afraid of making decisions, that they’re intimidated by a peer or they’re unhappy in their jobs. We’ve been able to work through and resolve those issues, but I’ve often wondered if it would be a challenge for me as an internal coach to have access to that same information.

HR often seems to get thrown under the bus in regards to confidentiality and credibility issues (if you’re the one causing that to happen, then please STOP), but I don’t agree that credibility/trust of internal coaches is an “HR” issue. I think it’s more about the perceived confidentiality that an external coach can provide – no matter how good an internal coach may be.

I think it’s hard for employees not to feel at risk when sharing information with people in a position to influence their careers.

What do you think? Can HR pros serve as effective coaches inside their organizations? Do external coaches have an advantage over internals?

The conversation at the conference has caused me to wonder if maybe the employee who was preoccupied with where I parked my derriere each day was on to something…

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Executive Coaching: What Are Global Coaching Leaders Discussing?

The-Conference-Board Recently, at the invitation of The Conference Board *, I had the opportunity to attend their 2010 Executive Coaching Conference in New York City. As an Executive Coach, I was thrilled to be able to attend this event and learn from some leading coaches and global organizations about best practices and current trends. Today’s post is the first in a series where I’ll share some of my experiences, takeaways and observations from the conference.

Below is an overview of my experience at the Executive Coaching Conference via take-aways and quotes from the speakers that I shared on Twitter using the hashtag #tcbcoaching. (Also included are some tweets from fellow conference blogger Barry Zweibel of GottaGettaCoach! Incorporated). During the conference, there were a number of great points made about internal & external coaches, measuring ROI of coaching and some interesting potential future applications were discussed (texting & Second Life).

Please forgive the abbreviations and shortened words in some tweets due to the 140 character limit!

Conference Keynote (Marshall Goldsmith – Author & Executive Educator)

Peak Personal Performance Session

  • 4 sources of energy – all critically important: Purpose (direction) Physical (quantity) Emotional (quality) Mental (focus)
  • “Strategic disengagement” – new way to say “take some rest”.
  • There are 20,000 moments in every day where you can make a difference. Are you an Eeyore or a Tigger?
  • Research shows that having an “attitude of gratitude” can add 5 years to your life.
  • “The only difference between a rut and a grave are the dimensions.” Important to keep moving forward and stay sharp.
  • Powerful things: 1) Craft a Purpose Statement 2) Get clear on Ur Top 5 Roles in Life 3) Define 100 Things U Want to Do in Life
  • 80% of heart attack victims never change their behavior. 20% that do? They have someone who holds them accountable for change.
  • It takes 21 days to establish a new habit. Invest extraordinary energy in it during that time & build in accountability.

Keynote: The Role of Virtual Coaching – Pros and Cons

  • “No correlation between fees that are charged and the Quality of coaching you get”
  • So true: “If you know where the conversation is going… It’s not Coaching”
  • “Really good coach helps redefine a clients goals” (via @ggci)
  • “The more detail you put into a definition, the less meaningful it likely is” (via @ggci)
  • Most coaches are under qualified – even those chosen by the executive (via @ggci)
  • “To be an effective telephone-based coach, you need to first be a good in-person and via-email coach” (via @ggci)
  • Case study done on an instance of Coaching by text. Hmmm… does it make me old-fashioned if I don’t think that’ll work?
  • Levels of coaching – skills, performance, behavioral, transformational (via @ggci)
  • Clutterbuck suggests not dismissing Second Life in terms of coaching either.
  • A broad sense of purpose has a higher correlation to success than goals. Goals are an outcome of your Purpose.
  • Important in Coach/Coachee relationship to have enough similarity to create rapport, but enough difference to create stretch

2009 Executive Coaching Practice Survey (results overview)

  • Exec Coaching survey: In large orgs, most resp 4 coaching are managed centrally re: strategy. Local takes active role in matching
  • Average length of coaching engagements (external coaches) – majority in 6 – 9 month range, very few lasting longer than 1 yr.
  • Survey: Majority (50%) of large orgs work with external coaches who have 1 – 5 coaching engagements in their orgs per year.
  • Survey: #1 reason for engaging an external coach – Development. 2nd 360 Debrief. 3rd Other assessment debrief. 4th Transition
  • Survey: Majority of coaches (0ver 50%) are paid as services are rendered or monthly. Only 2.8% are paid at end of engagement.
  • Survey: Internal coaching is on the rise and growing, but in its infancy. Internal coaches tend to be HR prof vs line leaders.
  • Survey: Almost 80% of internal coaches spend less than 20% of their time on coaching activities.
  • Discussion happening as to whether or not #HR is the right place for internal coaches due to trust/credibility issues. #sad
  • “Line business leaders trained as coaches have double the credibility – because they know the business” #HRopportunity

How Coaching Is Being Used With High Potentials (Panel)

  • Panelist: It’s more important for external Coaches to focus on gaining experience & strong reputation vs specific certification.
  • At Amex, coaching evolving into high-touch, targeted investment closely linked to business results. (via @ggci)
  • At NY Life, coaching is about culture change, and creating ‘distributed’ and ‘principles-based’ leadership (via @ggci)
  • At Microsoft, coaching program “allows emerging and experienced leaders to learn from each other.” (via @ggci)
  • At Microsoft, coaching dev plans include more observing/interacting w/senior leaders; building strong networks w/other hi-pos (via @ggci)
  • At Amex, “coaching must leave a footprint in the organization that builds our internal capability” (via @ggci)

Identifying & Developing Coaching Competencies for Managers (Panel)

  • Very cool job – panelist at #tcbcoaching = Coach at NASA. Challenge of getting highly technical folks to understand “art” of leadership

It’s a wrap!

  • Finishing up at The Conference Board’s Executive Coaching Conference #tcbcoaching. Top notch event with sharp speakers/attendees. Good info!

* Disclosure: By accepting TCB’s invitation to attend, I’m asked only to help them get the word out about their events and the programs that they offer to leading organizations and senior executives. I’m free to share my opinions (positive or negative) about my experience in attending and comment on the content shared by the speakers at the conference.

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6 Tips For Developing Executive Presence

While attending the SHRM Annual Conference, I attended a session led by Author and Communications Expert Dianna Booher titled “Creating Executive Presence: Communicate with Confidence in the C-Suite”.

6-tips-to-develop-your-executive-presence

As an Executive Coach who works with leaders to improve their skills and grow in their careers, it’s not uncommon for me to work with an otherwise successful leader who just doesn’t have the charisma or “it factor” that some are blessed which naturally compels people to follow them.

Thankfully, all hope is not lost, and Ms. Booher’s session provided some great tips about how changing some of the physical aspects of one’s delivery style can make an immediate and noticeable difference in communicating with confidence, style and substance.

What Does Executive Presence Look Like?

To demonstrate her point, two members of the audience were invited up onto the stage to give a 60-second presentation about a project they were currently working on to the audience of several hundred.

Following their short speech, Ms. Booher took each person to the side of the stage, and provided just 30 seconds of coaching. Then, they were asked to deliver their presentation once again using the tips she had provided.

The first brave volunteer walked up to the stage with confidence, but once she faced the crowd and began to speak, she seemed to sink into the back of the stage and spoke very softly. When her time was up and the brief coaching was provided, she tried again. This time she looked out into the crowd, walked to the front of the stage, and shared her project once again.

When asked for feedback on the difference in the two presentations, audience members commented that the speaker was perceived as more confident, strong, engaging – and even “more beautiful”. (Huh? Not sure about that one.)

The second volunteer shared a brief story about the need to get in better physical shape in order to begin playing tennis with his college age son, so they could spend more time together. While sharing his story, he was casual, smiled and stood right in the center of the stage looking out across the room at the entire audience. He seemed comfortable enough, but after 30 seconds of coaching, he walked strongly to the left of the stage, poke about his challenge, moved to the right of the stage, and shared his plan to succeed. He also sprinkled in a few bits of humor during his delivery that engaged the audience in his story.

Once again, the feedback from the audience was that his second presentation was strong, confident, funny and focused. Unfortunately for him, no comments about his physical appearance, but we definitely liked him.

6 Tips To Demonstrate Executive Presence

So what were some of the secrets shared with the audience volunteers in 30 seconds of coaching that made such a difference? Booher’s tips included:

  • Use random, sustained eye contact with several members of the audience. Focus on a few people here and there while speaking. “If you’re looking at everyone in the room – you’re looking at no one in the room”.
  • Make sure that your body language is strong and confident in order to project that with your tone – because your voice always follows your body language.
  • Before you start to speak, stand up and stand still for 5 seconds. Doing so will make you look very much in control.
  • When addressing a large group from a stage – walk out: stand still for 5 seconds, then start speaking by making eye contact with one person in the far corner of the group to the left, and then one person in the far corner of the room to the right.
  • Gesture from the shoulder rather than from the elbow or the wrist because these types of moves make you look more powerful.
  • Use your space purposely. Stand still. Make a point. Move as you transition to the next point. Then stand still, make a point, move, etc.

Based on the impromptu demonstrations shared in the session today, it was easy to see how implementing these tips into your speaking style can make a difference in how you’re perceived by the audience.

The really good news is that you’re not out of luck if you’re not born with “executive presence”. Like most things, with intention and practice, it can be developed!

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2008 Sherpa Executive Coaching Survey

Everest Earlier this year, Sherpa Coaching LLC and the Tandy Center for Executive Leadership at Texas Christian University sponsored a global survey to gather information about the state of Executive Coaching from coaches, as well as those who hire them. Here’s an excerpt from the Executive Summary of the 2008 Sherpa Executive Coaching Survey results:

Executive Coaching is a maturing industry, with more veteran coaches plying their trade than ever before. Those coaches are more highly trained as well. As the industry matures, its credibility as a leadership development tool is rising, and standards for practice and process are starting to emerge. In Executive Coaching, there are major moves toward:

  • Coaching as a leadership development tool, rather than a problem-solving mechanism.

  • In-person coaching.

  • Regular and structured meetings, with fixed-length engagements.

  • Adoption of industry standards for training and certification.

This 2008 global report answers critical questions about the industry:

  • What is Executive Coaching?
  • Who gets a Coach?
  • How are services delivered?
  • Who becomes a Coach?
  • How do they get their training?
  • How much does coaching cost?
  • Is it worth the money?

To view a complete copy of the 2008 Executive Coaching Survey results, click here.

If you’re an Executive Coach or have responsibility for engaging coaches or leadership training in your organization, you may want to participate in the 2009 on-line survey (through mid-December). The survey contains less than 20 questions and only takes a few minutes to complete. Those who participate will receive a copy of the complete results when the program concludes in Januaryy 2009.

To participate in the survey, click here.

The 2009 survey is sponsored by Sherpa Coaching LLC and the Executive Education Programs at the University of Georgia and Texas Christian University.

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