Appendix 1 – Survey questions
Personal information
- Name (optional)
- Gender
- Years of working experience
Your coaching experience
Have you ever worked with an executive coach? (yes/no)
How would you rate the coaching you received? (1-poor, 5-neutral, 10- excellent)
- Skills of the coach
- Comfort with coach (trust, rapport)
- Support (including challenge/feedback) from your coach
- Insights / learnings you gained from being coached
- Ability to apply your learnings to your personal and/or professional life
- Results / impact for you and/or your company)
Open ended questions
- Please list the types of training /background that you consider important when choosing an executive coach.
- Please list the qualities that you consider important when choosing an executive coach.
Ranked questions
How necessary are the following qualifications when selecting/hiring and executive coach? Add any from question #1 that aren’t included below (not necessary, somewhat necessary, necessary, and very necessary)
- Coaching credentials/accreditation (e.g., ICF)
- Continual Professional Development Experience/training in business
- Experience/training in organizational development
- Experience/training as a psychological therapist
- Experience as a coachee
- Experience working in a similar setting
- Experience coaching in a similar setting
- Status as a thought leader
- Training as a coach
- Track record as a coach /Evidence of results
- Quality of client list
- Other (please describe)
How important are the following qualities when selecting/ hiring an executive coach? Add any from question #2 that aren’t included below (not important, somewhat important, important, and very important)
- Ability to give feedback
- Ability to ask the right questions
- Ability to keep confidence
- Commitment to personal development
- Direct communication
- Ethics/ Integrity
- Empathy
- Trustworthiness
- Ability to follow-through
- Honesty
- Interest/curiosity
- Listening skills
- Ability to remain non-judgmental
- Objectivity
- Observation
- Personality / presence
- Rapport
- Self awareness
- Other (please describe)
How important are the following characteristics in having a successful coaching engagement? (not important, somewhat important, important, very important)
- Manage contract
- Build relationship (trust, intimacy)
- Clear methodology/ proven coaching method/processes used
- Facilitating awareness / understanding
- Use of models and techniques
- Promoting action
- Outcome orientation
- Provide encouragement
- Evaluation
- Other (please explain)
Appendix 2 – Verbatim comments from internal survey
Background
- Accredited with national organization Demonstrated practical approach. Likely not a psychologist by training
- I don't know anything about how coaches are trained. This is a relatively new field I would feel comforted by the idea that the coach has had relevant training, but I would not know how to assess the quality of that training
- I have only had one experience, and the primary focus of the sessions was communication and presence. On these two topics, I consider that the trust, rapport, being able to openly and honestly talk, discuss and hear the coach's opinion is key. The coach was selected and hired by [my company], not myself.
- Prefer someone with some practical work experience, not simply an academic background. Helpful when the coach is able to provide some personal, analogous examples to situations I might face vs. only theoretical or examples from others they have coached.
- Personality is key, not too pushy, takes the time to understand the person and the issues before trying to solve the problem
- Credentialed professional, type of background depends on coaching I am seeking (e.g., presence training better suited to TAI coach vs. employee relations better suited to psychologist / life coach). Personal references are also highly valued
- Practical experience in real world as a leader + matched with depth in philosophy and frameworks
- Experience in similar business environment (work, not just education), psychology, organizational behavior, or similar understanding
- A rooting in behavior or psychological fundamentals experience in [my company] or facile ability to understand [my company] specific context
- Training credentials and experience, top-notch leadership credentials, real life experience in senior positions, deep understanding of assessment tools and frameworks
- Understanding of business environment, challenges/strain on particular position, ability to grasp character types in organization, provides multiple vs single options to issues.
- Both theoretical training (Masters on Psychology or Organizational Behavior or similar) and practical "real life" experience in a similar corporate environment. And of course substantial coaching experience
- I would begin by saying "to each his own". Chemistry is very important. I had an informal meeting with three executive before I went and chose my coach. I liked the humility he brought with him and the idea that the interaction will be on a mode of self discovery and not about him telling me the answer or analyzing me. In summary, first impression based on meeting, the chemistry created between the two are important in choosing the coach.
- Understands [my company] and worked with many in the company, good results and reputation,
Qualities
- Clarity re approach, expected duration, cost
- Authenticity - has the coach experienced something like the stresses of my own situation? Emotional intelligence - we should all have good technical skills. We need the coach for the "softer" skills where we are unable to observe ourselves.
- Chemistry, nice person, clear/transparent/honest communication, knowledge of the work environment of the client and culture of the company
- Practical experience, engaging/easy to develop a rapport with in order to create a "safe" environment to disclose personal challenges and receive feedback, can be helpful (but not required) to have someone who has previous experience coaching others in my organization (therefore have more specific understanding of our culture, what does/doesn't work well), etc.
- Discretion, good listener, ability to give tangible and practical advice that is customized to me and my workplace
- I think the person needs to be trustworthy. It is not easy situation at times to have this level of one on one interaction
- Connection, rapport, type of coaching they specialize in needs to align with coaching I am seeking
- Empathetic, good listener, asks good questions, direct, insightful
- Excellent listening and integrating skills Other-focus Encourages self-reflection and discovery (as opposed to solely telling what to do) Trustworthy Integrity, careful with sensitive information Encouraging, builds confidence Positive outlook (authentically!) Well-networked, informed about resources and learning opportunities
- Direct honesty, willingness to really challenge me, in a thoughtful caring way
- Role model of behavior/embodies what they are teaching, significant experience with executives, calm, humble and equanimous
- Fit, experience, track record with executive development, availability, well prepared.
- Empathy, pragmatism, practicality
- Experience in dealing with senior management; Humility; Good command over the language of interaction; Common interest are important to gauge interest - these could be simple things - like his/her attitude towards life, what drives them to work etc.
- Builds trust, listens, self aware, gets to root cause, honest feedback and advice, connection/personality
Appendix 3 – additional public surveys
HBR research report, the realities of executive coaching Participant responses to the question In general, how much importance should buyers of coaching services attach to each of the following in their selections of coaches? Please rate each of the following using a scale of 1–10, with 10 being extremely important.
Selection criteria | Top 3 boxes score |
Certification in a proven coaching method | 28.50% |
Experience coaching in similar setting | 65.20% |
Experience working in similar setting | 26.90% |
Clear methodology | 60.70% |
Background in organizational development | 35.30% |
Background in executive search | 1.50% |
Experience as psychological therapist | 13.20% |
Experience as a coachee | 36.70% |
Status as thought leader in the field | 25.40% |
Quality of client list | 49.90% |
Ability to measure return on investment | 32.20% |
AMA, Coaching- A global study of successful practices 2008-2018
References and Resources
American Society for Training and Development. Coaching Competency, ASTD Learning Systems Module 7, p. 1-9.
American Management Association. (2008). COACHING: A Global Study of Successful Practices- Current Trends and Future Possibilities 2008-2018, p.1-78.
European Mentoring and Coaching Council. (2009). Competence Framework, p. 1-7.
International Coach Federation. (2014). Core Competencies, www.coachfederation.com
Kaufmann, C. and Coutu, D. (2009). The Realities of Executive Coaching, HBR Research Report, p. 1-25.
The Miles Group. (2013). Executive Coaching Survey, Stanford Business School, p. 1-15.
Pennington, W. (2009). Executive Coaching – a definition and linguistic landscape, Executive Coaching World: A Global Perspective, p. 1-21.
Price Waterhouse Coopers. (2012). ICF Global Coaching Study, The International Coaching Federation, p. 1-14.
Smerek, R.E., Luce K., Kluczynski, P., and Denison, D.R. ( 2009). Executive Coaching: Does
leader behavior change with feedback and coaching?, The Linkage Leader, p. 1-8.
Smith, I. (2003). Managing the client in executive coaching relationships, Ashridge Business School Master Class, p. 1-4.
Thach, E. C. (2002). The impact of executive coaching and 360 feedback on leadership effectiveness, Leadership and Organizational Development Journal, p. 205-14.
Turner, C. (2006). Ungagged: Executives on Executive Coaching, Leadership, p. 1-2
Worldwide Association of Business Coaches. (2007). Business Coaching Competencies, www. wabccoaches.com.