The Library

Coaching & Leadership

Baron, Louis & Lucie Morin. 2010. The impact of executive coaching on self-efficacy related to management soft-skills. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 31(1):18-38

Purpose – Executive coaching has become an increasingly common method to skill development. However, few rigorous empirical studies have tested its capacity to generate outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the links between executive coaching and self-efficacy in regard to supervisory coaching behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper reports on a pretest-posttest study of a leadership development program using three training methods: classroom seminars, action learning groups, and executive coaching. Data are collected in a large international manufacturing company from 73 first- and second-level managers over an eight-month period.

Findings – Results indicate that, after controlling for pre-training self-efficacy and other training methods, the number of coaching sessions has a positive and significant relationship with post-training self-efficacy. Results also show that utility judgment, affective organizational commitment, and work-environment support have each a positive and significant relationship with post-training self-efficacy.

Practical implications – The paper first suggests that an organization that wishes to improve its return on investment with regard to coaching should implement a program with multiple sessions spread over a period of several months. This paper also suggests that organizations should consider coaching from a systemic point of view, that is, taking into account not only the design but also individual and situational variables.

Originality/value – This paper contributes to the scientific literature by investigating, with a solid methodological design, the capacity of executive coaching to increase self-efficacy related to management skills.

Bennett, John and Mary Wayne Bush. 2009. Coaching in Organizations. OD Practitioner, 41(1):2-7

The article discusses current trends and future opportunities in organizational coaching. It specifically refers to a study on organizational coaching, which identifies five leading trends for organizational coaching in the U.S. The trends show that coaching is evolving as a discipline and a profession and the demand for coaching is increasing. There is a move toward evidence-based coaching. Coaches have new technologies at their disposal to deliver coaching. Many organizations are implementing virtual coaching which is done entirely over the phone or Internet.

Coutu, Diane, et al. 2009. What Can Coaches Do for You? Harvard Business Review, 87(1):91-97

Today's business leaders increasingly rely on coaches for help in understanding how to act in a demanding and volatile world. These confidants and advisers can earn up to $3,500 per hour. To understand what they do to merit that money, HBR conducted a survey of 140 leading coaches and invited five experts to comment on the findings. Commentators and coaches agreed that the reasons for engaging coaches have evolved over the past decade. Ten years ago, most companies hired a coach to help fix toxic behavior at the top. Today, most coaching is about developing the capabilities of high-potential performers or acting as a sounding board. As a result of this broader mission, there's a lot more fuzziness around coaching engagements, whether it be with regard to how coaches define the scope of engagements, how they measure and report on progress, or what credentials a company should look for when selecting a coach. Do companies and executives get value from their coaches? When we asked coaches to explain the healthy growth of their industry, they said that clients keep coming back because "coaching works." Yet the survey results also suggest that the industry is fraught with conflicts of interest, blurry lines between what is best handled by coaches and what should be left to mental health professionals, and sketchy mechanisms for monitoring the effectiveness of a coaching engagement. The bottom line: Coaching as a business tool continues to gain legitimacy, but the fundamentals of the industry are still very much in flux. In this market, as in so many others today, we have to conclude that the old saw still applies: Buyer beware!

Mccormick, Iain and Giles St. J. Burch. 2008. Personality-focused Coaching for Leadership Development. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 60(3):267-278

The science of personality measurement in the workplace has developed a great deal in the past 2 decades, and the five-factor model (FFM) is generally recognized as the most notable taxonomy of "normal" personality. Meanwhile, coaching has become a well-established method of one-on-one leadership development in many organizations. Given the research investigating the relationship between the FFM and work-related behavior and performance, including leadership, the authors' aim is to advocate the profiling of personality against the FFM to provide a useful framework for behavioral change in executive coaching. Coaching typically deals with skill deficits, performance problems, change challenges, and issues raised by the executive himself or herself, and a research-based understanding of personality--behavior linkages can provide valuable insights for the coach and coachee and a path forward to a wide range of coaching challenges.

Vickers, Amanda. 2009. Can Managers Be Coaches? Training Journal, 61-64

The article overviews the real essence of truly effective coaching in a large firm in Great Britain. It reveals that 71 percent of employers adopt coaching in their organization to enhance the skills of business managers and for future business developments. Coaching is recognized as the most powerful approach for creating business success and effective working environments.

Learning

Griffiths, Kerryn and Marilyn Campbell. 2009. Discovering, Applying and Integrating: The Process of Learning in Coaching, International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching & Mentoring, 7(2):16-30

Coaching is a rapidly expanding field with interdisciplinary roots and broad application. However, despite abundant prescriptive literature, research into the process of coaching is minimal. Similarly, although learning is inherently recognised in the process of coaching, the process of learning in coaching is little understood and learning theory makes up only a small part of the evidence-based coaching literature. In this report of a grounded theory study of coaches and their clients, the process of learning in coaching across a range of coaching models is examined and discussed. The findings demonstrate how learning in coaching emerged as a process of discovering, applying and integrating new knowledge, which culminated in a process of developing. This process occurred through eight key coaching processes shared between coaches and clients and combined a multitude of learning theories.

Gender, Minorities & Culture

Laff, Michael. 2009. The Guiding Hand: Mentoring Women. T+D, 63(9):32-35

Despite the need for more women to serve as mentors, the process of building a rapport is not nearly as fluid for them as it is for men. Observers point out that the landscape is changing, albeit slowly, as men are volunteering in greater numbers. There is little debate, however, that men seek and offer to mentor more readily, whereas women still need to be found and encouraged. The benefits of mentoring are highly intangible and thus difficult to measure in a results-obsessed business culture. But women who benefited from a mentor's guidance say it helped them advance their career, especially when coming of age as the sole female in a testosterone-dominated industry. There is no blueprint for designing a mentorship program for women, but analysts agree on the necessary ingredients. The protégé needs to take the initiative to identify issues for discussion and not expect the mentor to produce a curriculum. For individuals who are unable to find a mentor independently, the consensus is that institutional guidance is necessary to ensure that meetings continue. Most analysts believe that structured mentoring is the preferred route over an informal program, because advisory relationships between men and women do not develop organically.

Lessons From Beyond the Glass Ceiling. Coaching at Work, Jul/Aug 2009, 4(4):12-13

The article discusses important issues that women bring to and which emerge during coaching. It cites the problems of women in terms of job management including transition into new roles and their vulnerability to stress as well as the development of self-confidence. Other coaching areas tackled are relationship management, finding an influencing style, development of organizational skill, managing home and/or family with work role, leadership, career management, ability to self assert, and self awareness.

Ludeman, Kate & Eddie Erlandson, Eddie. 2004. Coaching the Alpha Male. Harvard Business Review, 82(5):58-67

Highly intelligent, confident, and successful, alpha males represent about 70% of all senior executives. Natural leaders, they willingly take on levels of responsibility most rational people would find overwhelming. But many of their quintessential strengths can also make alphas difficult to work with. Their self-confidence can appear domineering. Their high expectations can make them excessively critical. Their unemotional style can keep them from inspiring their teams. That's why alphas need coaching to broaden their interpersonal tool kits while preserving their strengths. Drawing from their experience coaching more than 1,000 senior executives, the authors outline an approach tailored specifically for the alpha. Coaches get the alpha's attention by inundating him with data from 360-degree feedback presented in ways he will find compelling--both hardboiled metrics and vivid verbatim comments from colleagues about his strengths and weaknesses. A 360-degree assessment is a wake-up call for most alphas, providing undeniable proof that their behavior doesn't work nearly as well as they think it does. That paves the way for a genuine commitment to change. In order to change, the alpha must venture into unfamiliar--and often uncomfortable--psychological territory. He must admit vulnerability, accept accountability not just for his own work but for others', connect with his underlying emotions, learn to motivate through a balance of criticism and validation, and become aware of unproductive behavior patterns. The goal of executive coaching is not simply to treat the alpha as an individual problem but to improve the entire team dynamic. Initial success creates an incentive to persevere, and the virtuous cycle reverberates throughout the entire organization.

Perks, Jonathan. 2007. Should Coaches Change Style for Men and Women? People Management, 13(11):46

The article highlights the author's views on the need to change coaching strategy for men and women employees. He cited the similarities and differences between men and women in terms of emotional intelligence, competencies and self-regard. He claimed that the prevalence of women in executive coaching can be associated with their ability to establish rapport easily. The author argued that there is no generic coaching approach.

Peterson, David B. 2007. Executive Coaching in a Cross-Cultural Context. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 59(4):261-271

Many executive coaches today find themselves working with leaders from a variety of cultural backgrounds, as well as coaching leaders who work with culturally diverse teams. It is therefore increasingly important that coaches understand the role of culture in their work. This article begins with an overview of several ways that culture plays a role in coaching, including an exploration of how assumptions about culture can positively or negatively impact a coach's approach and their ultimate success with a given individual. A second section provides three general principles for coaching across cultures, emphasizing the importance of using cross-cultural knowledge as a way to customize coaching to each person. The third section focuses on five essential conditions for learning--insight, motivating, capabilities, real-world practice, and accountability--and how cultural differences can influence various steps in the coaching process. A variety of examples for each condition highlight specific tools and techniques that coaches can use.

Sparrow, Stephanie. 2006. The Gender Gap. Training & Coaching Today, 22-23

The article highlights the impact of gender differences on coaching. Jenny Daisley, CEO of Springboard personal development consultancy, believes that it is appropriate to have separate coaching for women and men. Women tends to acknowledge the emotional effect of being a leader than men, according to Career Matters founder Carole Pemberton.

Thomas, David A. 2001. The Truth About Mentoring Minorities: Race Matters. Harvard Business Review, 79(4):98-107

The article reports on a study of career progression in the United States which found that minority protégés should be mentored differently than their white counterparts. Whites and minorities follow distinct patterns of advancement, with whites entering the fast track earlier. People of color who advance the furthest have a network of mentors and corporate sponsors to encourage their professional development. Minorities who reached a plateau in their careers had received basic instructional mentoring. There are obstacles in cross-race mentoring relationships that can be managed from a developmental perspective. The ideal system would integrate opportunity, development, and diversity into management practices and human resource systems.

Tyler, Kathryn. 2007. Cross-Cultural Connections. HRMagazine, 52(10):77-83

This article explains that although cross-cultural and cross-gender mentoring programs have been around for years, many companies in the U.S. are rejuvenating them in light of the changing demographics of their workforces. The Hispanic population is now the largest minority in the country. Mentoring programs that target minority employee groups face hurdles such as how to bridge the gaps between cultures. It suggests that companies build a business case on mentoring programs for minorities.

Communication

Campbell Quick, James and Marilyn Macik-Frey. 2004. Behind the Mask Coaching Through Deep Interpersonal Communication.
Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 56(2):67-74

Executive coaching can focus on personal behavior change, enhancing leadership effectiveness, fostering stronger relationships, personal development, and/or work-family integration or specific performance issues on the job. K. M. Wasylyshyn (2003a) and H. Levinson (personal communication, 2003) suggested that executive coaching reaches for a deeper level of clinical and therapeutic intervention. The authors propose a health-enhancing, developmental model of coaching anchored in a process of deep interpersonal communication. This approach is neither a surface approach nor a therapeutic approach. It is an interpersonal approach focused on safe, secure communication in which difficult, complicated issues are addressed and where crucial conversations occur. In this process, the executive is approached as a person, one who stands behind the executive mask or facade.

Chan, Janis Fisher. 2009. Listening: The Foundation. Communication Skills for Managers, 5th edition, 11-26

Chapter 2 of the book "Communication Skills for Managers," Fifth Edition, is presented. It explains why listening skills are the foundation of clear communication. According to the author, real listening takes effort and attention. Obstacles to good listening are identified, which include noise, impatience and distrust, to name some. Steps to become a better listener are offered including participating in the process and monitoring one's listening behavior. Some exercises are presented to help managers apply the course concepts and develop new skills.

Karathanos, Patricia and Brenda Hills. 2002. Help Them Roar. Industrial Management, 44(2):22

Examines the use of supportive communication in employee empowerment. Defining defensive versus supportive communication; How to communicate supportively; Improving listening skills.

Coaching vs. Therapy

Battley, Susan. 2006. Coaching Myths. Leadership Excellence, 23(7):10

This article focuses on common myths that led to skepticisim about executive coaching. It is a common belief that successful people do not need coaches and executive coaching is being viewed as another therapy or counseling. It is also considered that mentoring is similar with executive coaching.

Bluckert, Peter. 2005. The Similarities and Differences Between Coaching and Therapy. Industrial & Commercial Training, 37(2):91-96

Purpose - This article sets out to explore the similarities and differences between coaching and therapy - a subject of great interest currently within coaching and therapy fields. Design/methodology/approach - The objectives are achieved by examining the convergence of approaches and thinking within these fields, as well as exploring theoretical contributions to the debate. Findings - Coaching and therapy have a number of similarities. However, as this article explores, the two disciplines are in many ways, considerably different, particularly in terms of context issues bought to sessions and the ultimate in tension. Typically, the skill sets required for each differ. Practical considerations such as terms of contract, length of session, pricing and boundaries also vary greatly. Originality/value - The paper examines in greater detail a subject which is of very definite interest to both coaching and therapeutic practitioners, and also examines the popular argument in greater depth.

Hart, Vicki, John Blattner, and Staci Leipsic. Coaching vs. Therapy: A Perspective. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 51(4):229-237

This article reports a study of current perceptions among professionals regarding therapy and coaching. Whereas therapy and counseling have been traditional fields of study and practice, coaching is not as well developed. It is helpful to examine the perceptions of practicing professionals in order to delineate the distinctions and overlaps in these modalities. A set of 7 questions was used to explore these viewpoints with a participant pool of professional coaches–therapists. Interview data and narrative summaries provide a perspective on the controversy of coaching versus therapy.

Sparrow, Stephanie. 2006. It's the Thought That Counts. Training & Coaching Today, Nov/Dec:25

The article discusses issues related to cognitive behavioral therapy in relation to mentoring in business. Boundaries between coaching and cognitive behavioral therapy are becoming blurred, according to some coaching experts. Clients and coaches need to be vigilant in defining the differences between coaching and counseling, according to Zoe Gruhn, head of executive coaching at the Hay Group.

Brockbank, A. & McGill, I. 2006. Facilitating Reflective Learning through Coaching and Mentoring. London: Kogan Page.
Read eBook | Find it @ Business Library

A comprehensive and detailed book examining the theory and practice of mentoring and coaching within a learning framework.  Explores different types of help and clarifies the meaning of the terms coaching and mentoring.  Identifies four categories of mentoring/coaching: functionalist, engagement, revolutionary and evolutionary (with a clear bias toward the evolutionary) and maps activities within each of these by describing their purpose, process and learning outcome.  Contains practical exercises, case studies and other useful tools as well as a robust reference list for those interested in more theory and research.

Crane, Thomas G. and Lerissa Nancy. The Heart of Coaching: Using Transformational Coaching to Create a High-Performance Coaching Culture. 3rd edition. Find it @ Business Library

"It presents the powerful process called Transformational Coaching as a comprehensive and systematic way to plan, organize, and conduct coaching conversations. It de-mystifies into easy to understand and follow steps, thus making it a communication tool for leaders and their teams to coach in all directions – Up toward one's Boss, Down toward one's Direct Reports, and Laterally to one's Peers. Huge benefits accrue to the organizations where this becomes a cultural norm…and a true "coaching culture." -- from the book site

Flaherty, James. 2005. Coaching: Evoking Excellence in Others. 2nd ed. Woburns, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann.  Find it @ Business Library

Focuses on how coaches can help those they coach to develop new language, new frames and new practices.  Many solid principles, and coaching fundamentals tied to theory in a highly readable and accessible book.  Explores the fundamental question: “How can I contribute to someone’s competence in a respectful, dignified and effectives way?”

Goldsmith, M. & Lyons, L. Eds. 2006. Coaching for Leadership: The Practice of Leadership Coaching from the World’s Greatest Coaches, 2nd Edition. San Francisco: John Wiley and Sons. Find it @ Business Library

The collective thinking of what some consider the best thought leaders in executive coaching, this books’ 26 articles present the work of numerous academic practitioners who have distilled the principles of executive coaching best practices as well as explored where and how to apply them. Part One, Foundations of Coaching, lays the groundwork.  Part Two, Building Blocks, discusses the essential components of the coaching process. Part Three, Leading Change, explores the use of executive coaching as a change activity.  The final section of the book, Part Four, looks at core applications and various case studies.

Grant, A. M. 2009. Workplace, Executive and Life Coaching: An Annotated Bibliography from the Behavioral Science and Business Literature (May 2009), Coaching Psychology Unit, University of Sydney, Australia.

This extensive annotated bibliography draws on scholarly papers from the behavioral science literature as presented in PsycINFO, Business Source Premier and DAI and covers the peer-reviewed behavioral science literature on executive, workplace and life coaching.  This sweeping compendium includes annotations on 192 articles, 117 empirical studies, and 32 Ph.D. dissertations published between 2000 and 2009. 

Hargrove, R. 2008. Masterful coaching. 3rd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer. Read eBook | Find it @ Business Library (2003 ed.)

Written for coaches who want to tools and methods to bring about profound changes in thinking and behavior with individuals, groups and entire organizations. To that end this is a book that positions itself as being about transformational coaching—while using a very pragmatic and results –oriented approach.

Hawkins, P. & Smith N. 2006. Coaching Mentoring and Organizational Consultancy: Supervision and Development.  Berkshire, England: Open University Press. Find it @ Business Library

A practical book that explores the differences and similarities between coaching, mentoring and consulting, guidelines for practice of each and training, skills and capacities required in these roles.  Though the book is non-academic in focus it contains an excellent somewhat more academically oriented bibliography.

Hudson, Frederic M. 1999. The Handbook of Coaching: A Comprehensive Resource Guide for Managers, Executives, Consultants, and Human Resource Professionals.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.  Find it @ Business Library

A compendium of basic information: identifies critical knowledge areas, skills and techniques required for good coaching, summarizes major coaching theories and essential underpinnings of the field (particularly Psychological and Social Theories of Adult Development) and  includes a comprehensive annotated list of books, articles and other resources.

Merlevede, P & Bridoux, D. 2004. Mastering Mentoring and Coaching with Emotional Intelligence. Wales, UK: Crown House Publishing Ltd.  Find it @ Business Library

A practical, how-to guide on how to transfer specialized knowledge, develop critical skills and translate knowledge into action and explores how the best mentoring relationships arise from the emotional intelligence of self-awareness, self-management and a caring ability and willingness to invest oneself in others.   Replete with tools and skill-building suggestions.

Mink, Oscar G., Owen, Keith Q. & Mink, Barbara P. 1993. Developing High Performance People: The Art of Coaching. Reading, Massachusetts: Perseus Books.  Find it @ Business Library

A practical guide aimed at helping  supervisors and managers learn how to build trust and involvement with employees as well as become better coaches. Introduces “Reality Performance Management”,  the authors’ general theory of motivation and performance as a basis for developing high performance. Book is divided into four basic sections-- Part 1: What is coaching?, Part 2: Creating a high performance, productive climate, Part 3: Tools for Coaching, Part 4: When coaching is not enough: enabling people to deal with motivational problems.

Orem, Sara L., Binkert, Jacqueline, & Clancy, Ann L. 2007. Appreciative Coaching: A Positive Process for Change. Jossey-Bass Business & Management. Find it @ Business Library

"... describes an approach to coaching that is rooted in Appreciative Inquiry. At its core the Appreciative Coaching method shows individuals how to tap into (or rediscover) their own sense of wonder and excitement about their present life and future possibilities. Rather than focusing on individuals in limited or problem-oriented ways, Appreciate Coaching guides clients through four stages—Discovery, Dream, Design, and Destiny—that inspire them to an appreciative and empowering view of themselves and their future." -- Amazon.com

Peltier, Bruce.  2009. The Psychology of Executive Coaching. 2nd ed. Routledge.  Find it @ Business Library

Written primarily for psychologists, therapists, counselors and social workers but also useful for management/executive coaches who want more background on the psychological theories that underlie the practices of executive coaching.  Covers: Assessment, Psychodynamic View, Behavioral Psychology,  Person-Centered (Carl Rogers) psychology, Cognitive Psychology and Therapy, Family Therapy and Systems Thinking, Social Psychology and Existential Psychology and their respective relevance to executive coaching.

Schein, Edgar H. 2009. Helping: How to Offer, Give, and Receive Help. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.  Find it @ Business Library

Analyzes the social and psychological dynamics common to all helping relationships, explains why hel s often not helpful and explores when (and what kind of) help is both welcomed and genuinely useful.  Discusses inequalities and ambiguities that are inevitable in helping relationships and how to address them; comprehensive treatment of inquiry as a cornerstone to building and maintaining a successful helping relationship.

Stober, Dianne R. & Grant, Anthony M. Eds. 2006. Evidence Based Coaching Handbook.  Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.  Find it @ Business Library

Applies recent behavioral science research to executive and personal coaching—covers multiple disciplines and the ways in which they inform the practice of coaching including: the humanistic perspective, adult development theory, psychoanalytically informed coaching, cognitive therapy, andragogy and other theories of adult learning, positive psychology and theories of complex, adaptive systems.