It is a myth that coaches adopt a purely non-directive approach, says a survey by leadership consultancy 121partners.
Only 2 per cent of coaches adopt a non-directive stance in coaching, says the survey. It also finds that “even in the post-recession economy”, only 15 per cent of coaches rank the needs and goals of the sponsoring organisation as their most important responsibility.
More than 40 per cent of coaches believe “big picture issues” such as sustainability and leadership ethics are irrelevant to the coaching unless raised specifically by the client. Twenty per cent would not confront a client who was in denial about underperformance.
John Blakey, co-founder of 121partners, said the findings show that “when the chips are down”, most coaches prioritise individual wants and that some are reluctant to hold clients accountable to organisational needs.“Ironically, these are the same behaviours that characterised the ‘me, me, me’ culture of the boom years where market traders pursued individual rewards without regard to the viability of the global banking system.”
Coaching at Work, Volume 5, Issue 4
Two-way street
“Who is feedback feeding?” This was one of the questions posed by executive coach Stephen Burt at the EMCC UK conference, writes Elaine Robinson.
Burt explored how two-way feedback can be in the coach’s and client’s interests. It can help the client by improving what they do with the coach and help them handle feedback from others. However, the coach may embody authority for the client so they should be aware of the potential to fracture the relationship.
See full story at www.coaching-at-work.com/2010/06/16/who-is-feedback-feeding/ and also: “Sticky business” at www.coaching-at-work.com/ 2010/05/24/sticky-business/
Coaching at Work, Volume 5, Issue 4