Executive coaching is assisting star performers to stay on the top of their game. When leading athletes reach peak performance do they give up their coaches? NO. They rely even more heavily on them for fine tuning performance, sharpening the edges, spotting possible avenues for increased performance, monitoring the competition and seeking innovation.  The coach is responsible for maintaining the competitive position while the star performers put in the hard yards to consolidate that position.

Coaching executives is critical to success in many multinational companies and is now becoming accepted practice in medium sized businesses. In a competitive and faced paced world there is no place for complacence in corporate success. Executives need to be at the top of their game and just like sporting stars they are more in need of a coach at this level than ever before.

There are many forms of coaching for executives and there are some common elements that will make coaching a success. Whether you go for an in-house coaching system or employ an external coaching consultant it is necessary to have a full and open discussion on the process of coaching before commencing.

Coaching does not assume a position of lack or negativity that needs to be fixed – that is performance management. Neither is coaching a relationship where one person is assumed to have all the experience and knowledge – that is mentoring. A good coach is diagnostic. They use a system of assessment, goal setting and planning, backed up by a strong framework of coaching obligations – contracting, checking and measuring – to ensure increased performance, adaptability and innovation.

A good executive coach will spend approximately 70% of the coaching time questioning and listening, 10% confirming or clarifying actions required, 10% planning where to go to next, 5% playing devil’s advocate and 5% encouraging through support and congratulations. So why would you pay someone to question and listen for 70% of the time they are working? Well there is a very good reason for this! Executives are very bright, usually well educated, skilled, entrepreneurial, thinkers and doers – what they need is support  and direction and they rarely need to be told what to do. In fact they will resent being given orders! They need a sounding board to bounce ideas and work through processes and this is one role for the executive coach. This is where entrepreneurial leadership is born. It is the expansion of ideas and the introduction of innovation that allows for leadership emergence.

The skill development side of executive coaching is often based in the practicalities of managing people. It is about delegation, managing performance, feeding back to staff, organisational planning, strategic  ability and emotional intelligence. The coach works with the executive to improve competencies in all these areas.

In order to measure improvements executive coaches start with an assessment of baseline management skills. Often this is achieved by using a 360 degree or linear interview process. An objective analysis of how others perceive performance is a great way to establish a baseline and also provides a checking system that can be used at various stages of the coaching process to check on progress. What emerges from the assessment are the strengths and weaknesses of each executive and  themes for focusing coaching.

All coaching involves setting goals and developing a plan of action to achieve those goals. This occurs around a systems approach where each coaching session has certain elements that occur every time the coach and the executive meet. These elements are negotiated individually but will usually involve a review of the time since the last session and the goals that were set. A discussion about achievements and progress towards agreed goals. Adjustments that need to be made. Personal learning and what to do next. A decision about what the focus of the session will be next time. The aim of the sessions is to propel the participant towards leadership and better management skills.

Coaching is about change. Change is hard for most people and requires periods of review and consolidation, learning new habits and taking on new approaches. It is not an easy process and is only undertaken at an executive level when the executive is awakened to the knowledge that being at the top is only the beginning – staying there is what it is all about.

Don’t be afraid to review job descriptions as often as necessary and generally on an annual basis. These reviews allow you to plan how people will have their positions upgraded, or changed. They can form the basis for salary renegotiations and also for succession planning.

It is important not to change the roles and requirements of a position without negotiation with the incumbent and making sure the new description is clear and concise and the conditions have been agreed. These negotiations about change and the clarity of the job description will form the basis for trust and loyalty between a company and its employees.

Job descriptions are valuable tools to enhance workplace harmony; clarify roles and responsibilities; create a platform for performance management and staff appraisal; form the basis for negotiations around salary and also to plan succession within the company, particularly when trying to retain good staff.

A simple recipe for a good job description includes the following ingredients:

The title of the position and the department in which the position is held should go together if possible. Good titles are those that accurately reflect responsibilities and denote the area in which the person has those responsibilities. For example;

• Machine Operator, Excavations – this is a title that tells us the person who holds the position operates machinery that is used in the field of excavation
• Director, Operations and Planning – lets us know this person is responsible for overseeing the planning aspect related to the operations of the company – a strategic rather than operational role
• Manager, Learning and Development – says this person manages the section involved in staff training and professional development
• Administrative Assistant, Office of the Secretary General – a person who provides administrative support in a particular office

An overall description of the responsibilities of the role couched in terms of productivity. Information in this section relates to how the position fits within the company and how the position supports the goals of the organisation. This should be brief, no longer than 3-4 sentences.

The next section outlines the main areas of responsibility of the position. Each area needs to be described in terms of an action using verbs such as supervises, controls, liases with, negotiates, instructs, manages, organises, operates, supports and etc. Each description must have an action verb and should be listed in order of importance to the position, with the main responsibilities listed first. It is important in this section to try and catch all the known responsibilities of the position. This will give you a realistic picture of what this position holder does, how important they are to the success of the company and also at what level they need to be compensated. If you come up with a very long list you also need to check it for reality – will one person really be able to carry all these responsibilities? If one person has this number of responsibilities what level in the organisation do they fit – are they technical, operational, managerial, strategic, directorial? This will determine the amount of compensation the applicant will expect and the organisation will need to offer to secure good applicants.

Describing relationships is important. The job description should identify who the person reports to directly and indirectly and identify who are the senior people most involved with this role. It also needs to describe who will be reporting to this position; how many people and what their responsibilities are. It is good practice to describe the reporting structure and/or attach an organisational chart so applicants can position themselves in the company and know their spheres of influence and responsibility.

Qualifications and preferred experience now needs to be identified. It may be the position requires certain licences; membership of a particular organisation or association; or involvement in activities outside the work environment. If a professional qualification, level of education or certification is required, list it. When  doing this section be realistic and also allow for a broad range of specifications. If you are looking for experienced people be careful how you phrase the experience requirement. Some people can have ten years experience which is really just one year experienced ten times! Ask for demonstration of skill rather than years of experience. Every job description needs a set of competencies and a clear definition at what level that person needs to demonstrate their competence. This record of competence in each job description feeds your organisation’s competency framework (see article below about competency frameworks).

Finally it is good practice to identify any probationary period; period of engagement; length of contracts offered and the review process for remaining successfully employed. This area should identify any performance management and appraisal processes and identify a contact in the Human Resources office who can discuss the position and all requirements related to it.

Now that you have developed job descriptions for your company make sure every competency, skill or qualification is identified and recorded in your competency framework, and that the expected level of expertise in these areas of competence is identified for each position.

How valuable is your training manager?

What is Competency based training?

How to conduct a training needs analysis.

The competency framework identifies critical skills; management prioritizes the importance and required level of competence needed in those areas of skill and the training needs analysis proceeds to identify where the company needs to focus their training efforts.

There are a variety of ways to conduct a training needs analysis. One popular way is to attach it to performance management. At the regular performance management interview the manager will look at the competencies required to perform the role and assess the worker against those competencies, generally on a sliding scale of level of expertise. If this method is used there needs to be a central database that is fed by the performance management process and which organises and records assessments against common competencies across the organisation. The competency framework is the driver of this system. When performance management is undertaken data is recorded within the framework to identify common areas requiring  attention and also individual needs for training. There are a great number of commercially available performance management systems that will address this need.

Another way to conduct a training needs analysis is to do regular, say yearly, audits of training needs through surveys of management and/or staff or both. It is often difficult to construct these surveys so there are some basic surveys that can be found on the internet or purchased online and downloaded. If the organisation is looking for something specific to their needs a training manager should be able to design a relevant survey, based on the competency framework.

A third way is to engage a consultant to develop the competency framework, the training needs analysis and the training plan.

It may seem like a lot of trouble to go to and can take a bit of time to accomplish, however the training needs analysis allows for focused training efforts that will ensure the training dollar is targeted to the company’s training needs. This will stop the slow bleed of training funds to training that may not necessarily contribute to the bottom line.

How valuable is your training manager?

What is competency based training?

In all organisations there are a set of competencies that are necessary to do the required work. Some of these competencies are technical skills or they relate directly to the way a person performs the functions of their position. Others are competencies in skill areas that are not quite so specific but can still be measured such as: communication, organisation, people management, decision making, strategic planning, relationship building and maintenance (and the list goes on).

All workplaces rely on a set of competencies to be able to do the work required. A good training manager can develop a competency framework for your organisation. This framework identifies all the skills required across the organisation; technical skills, management skills, communication skills, etc. Once the framework has been identified the training manager can perform a training needs analysis which will survey how the staff measure up to the competency framework.

It is not possible, and neither is it necessary, for all staff to have a high level of competence in all areas, so management needs to look at the results of the training needs analysis and prioritise those competencies that they feel will contribute most to the success of the organisation and which people need to be trained in this area. This is where the training manager receives direction – the high priority areas are the areas in which to organise the training agenda.

The competency framework does not stand on its own – it has to work hand in glove with performance management, staff appraisal and professional development. If these areas work well together succession planning and staff retention become issues that are addressed as well. This will provide your company with a sound business platform and a capacity to move forward.

How valuable is your training manager?

Could your training manager develop a competency framework for your organisation? If it hasn’t happened already then make it a priority. Get focused on what needs to be trained rather than using a scatter gun approach to training.

Training managers must be inquisitive. They need to know how every section operates and what the section  goals are in the greater scheme of delivering the business. They also need to know the range of functions all employees within the company are required to perform.

So, why do they need to know all of these things? The answer is simple. Training is about competencies. Every person who works in the organisation is working towards goals. They may be sales goals, or marketing goals, or production goals; everyone is working towards getting something achieved. The only way to achievement is to have workers who are competent at the tasks you require them to do.

Sometimes your workers will come to you fully competent. You employ them simply because they have a skill you need and they can adequately demonstrate that skill to the level you want them to use it. This is often the case when employing technical people who have a specific focus on a specific skill.

However it becomes more difficult if you want to employ people who are multi-skilled or who need to work in an environment that has multiple demands. Often this requires a set of competencies; a range of skills and some adaptability and flexibility in how those skills are used.

In order to address training needs in an organisation training managers need to have the capacity to identify and articulate the competencies that will deliver business objectives. Workers in the organisation can then be assessed against these competencies to ensure their capacity to complete the strategic objectives.

If your training manager is going to be valuable to your organisation they need to be aware of and familiar with the set of competencies your workers need to get their jobs done. Once they know these competencies they can develop a framework that identifies them for all positions, works hand in hand with your performance management system and easily identifies skill areas that require training, or emerging skills that your staff will need to learn.

A good training manager will keep an eye on how well your company is developing its skill base, opportunities for training and rewarding people who are doing a great job and learning new skills to support your business.

Every time one of your workers wants to attend training your training manager should be able to identify how this will support your business. Every training program should clearly link to achieving outcomes that you have identified in your business plan. If the outcomes are not clearly linked you may be wasting resources, both human and financial. A good training manager can clearly articulate the links between training and business improvement and should also be able to predict what the return will be on your investment in training.

If this is the case in your organisation give your training manager a pat on the back – they are doing a great jo and they are valuable to you.

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Here are a few practical tips taken straight from the firing line of day-to-day office experience:

1.  Follow a healthy lifestyle.

Prepare for the day following the healthy regimen of a sensible lifestyle.  Get ample amount of sleep.  Don’t borrow from your much needed sleeping time by watching late night TV, cable, videos or playing video or online games; or worse, dissipate your precious strength in those regular after work drinking sprees will wee hours of the morning.

Instead, get a good morning warm-up by jogging or walking around the block.  Have a quick shower to get your circulation going.  Eat a hearty breakfast.  Fill your mind with thoughts of peace by looking at the blooming flowers still wet with evening dew, or by listening to the happy songs of the birds, if there are still any around your area. Sing, pray, or meditate, to clear up your mind and be prepared for your tasks to face through the day.

2.  Don’t procrastinate.

Never allow your work to pile up.  Loosen your necktie, roll up your sleeves, and tackle the jobs one by one as they come up. 

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Resist the slightest temptation to procrastinate.  Read the reports immediately.  Call that long-overdue committee meeting right away.  Send the memos today.  Answer the letters now. Return calls.  Delegate some of the work to your associates. 

3.  Clear your desk and mind.

Clear your desk of all debris.  Some desks fairly groan under the load of a mountain of junk – financial statements, receipts, vouchers, checks, budgets, feasibility studies, committee agendas and minutes, board actions, books, magazines, newsletters, mails, newspaper clippings, job orders, directories, article manuscripts, pictures, memos, appointment slips, plane tickets, incoming and outgoing trays, a flower vase with wilted flowers, pencils, pens, clips, rubber bands, paper weights, a drinking glass, a lunch box, a marble nameplate, a telephone, folders, letterheads, ad infinitum, ad nauseam.

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A cluttered desk tends to create a cluttered mind.  By the same token, a cleared desk tends to produce clear thinking. Somehow you feel you’re on tops of any problem if all you see in front of you is the one piece of paper you’re presently working on.  The mere sight of a loaded table tires you immediately even if you haven’t done any work yet.

4.  Take “mini-vacations” throughout the day.

Take a shot nap during the noon break.  A few minutes of siesta tend to give you another dose of energy.  You can also take a mini-vacation every few hours’ interval by simply sitting on your swivel chair.  Instead of the traditional coffee break, for a change, why not try reading a bit of inspirational poetry or a devotional?  This is an excellent tonic for your mental health.

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More often than not, what tires you at the end of the day is not the volume of work you’ve done but the thought of being buried under an avalanche of unfinished work.  The way to handle this situation is for you simply to do what you can each day, and you drive home n the evening with a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction.

What “lessons learned” should executives take away from these scandals and the negative media attention that they cast on both their organizations and their most prized talent? The first is that organizations must have active sexual harassment training and policies in place. It’s 2009, and the importance of both simply cannot be overstated. Second, there has to be clear communication that no matter what the environment and who is involved, there will be zero tolerance of sexual harassment. Indeed, some analysts have criticized CBS for not taking stronger action against David Letterman, due to the fact that while one sports announcer or analyst can be replaced, a “franchise” personality such as his cannot be nearly as easily. So, do you have a “too big to fail” standard – or double-standard-in your organization? Finally, one must look around your own organization and ask a simple question: “How well do you REALLY know what’s going on?” Workplace romances are a reality today. However, relationships between superiors and subordinates are a dicey proposition at best – and still, even in this day and age, inadvisable. You should ask – as ESPN and other companies are undoubtedly doing today in the wake of such prominent cases and the attention they cast on the thin – and often fast-moving and blurry lines between mutual consenting adults and sexual harassment – if there are cultural issues that your company or organization needs to seriously address.

As we have seen, lives, careers, and corporate images can take a severe beating in our 24/7/365 media culture when such negative stories come to light – as they almost invariably will do in the age of participatory journalism. Thus, as you read this, ask yourself a simple question: “Do you really know what’s going on?” If not, the legal, financial, and image implications may be costly and irreparable.

Ironically, however, efficiency is often better improved not by streamlining procedures and staff, but by wasting time. If you are a manager or team leader, here are ten ideas to improve efficiency by being inefficient and wasting time at work. Adapt them as you see fit:

1. Invite your team to go on a hike with you one Saturday. Go and sit on a mountainside with those who come and spend some time telling them everything you know about life and business.  Having come, they’ll be worth it.  Mentor them without the paraphernalia of management gobbledy gook and training days.
2. Commit sacrilege. Take part of the busiest day of your work week off to go and walk in the fields with a few colleagues. Try find some berries to pick and eat while you chat about anything but work.  You’ll raise a few stern eyebrows, but gain valuable nutrition for your staff.
3. Tell your work mates to go off and have their pub lunch without you. Then go buy lunch to share with the left out person in your office, the security guy downstairs, the tea lady, anybody marginalised by the office world somehow. Ask them about how life is going.  You may be the water they’ve been needing for a long time.  And you never know what good will come from it – better coffee and tea maybe.
4. In the midst of a heavy work schedule, take off with some of your team to go gaze at some architectural wonder where you live.  You’ll be surprised what inspiration this waste of time will bring.
5. When you’re caught up in the flurry and flow of a project, stop and ask the person who nobody takes note of what they think of the project and what they would like to see come from it. This has a curious way of opening up new ways of thinking about things.
6. When you’re being sucked up to by staff hoping for advantage and power to leverage over others in the office, don’t flatter them. Call your team together and paint the ugly picture of the powerful lording it over the less powerful and remind them that this is an office where people serve each other.
7. When the economic storm hits and everything seems to be falling apart, go home and have a good night’s sleep.  Things may be even worse in the morning, but at least you’ll be calm and will be able to communicate that calm to your staff.
8. Throw out the routine or plans for a day and take your team off in a different direction of doing things. It may seem to be a waste of time, but the impact on refreshed staff and surprising outcomes will far offset the time lost.
9. Make time during your day to find a solitary place to refocus yourself on why it is your are doing what you are doing.  People will come seek you out, knock down your door and invade your space with demands and requests. But just having had that brief moment to refocus will give you the calm to deal with these people in a kind and friendly manner.
10. When people come questioning your authority and the way in which you do things, tell them to stop and look around them. If you’ve been doing the above nine things, they will see staff working with insight, walking around the office without hangups about their work, listening to one another,  helping one another overcome their work difficulties, and continually raising the standard of work.

What we find is the failure of most that attempted to implement the team concept. In my opinion, the reason for these failures are many, but the number one reason has to be: It didn’t happen fast enough. That’s right, it took too long. I remember being asked many times to conduct a  team building workshop. When I asked what their expectations were for this intervention, many made it clear they thought this would be all that was needed. They often went so far is to ask whether I really needed two days for the workshop. They felt that a few hours was all that was needed to actually implement the team concept. I called it “hurry up and fail”.

Those organizations that succeeded did the following:

• They gave the implementation of teams a priority
• It was understood and supported from the top down
• They realized that ALL employees must be trained
• They rewarded teams, not individuals
• They realized team development is a process, not an event

The employee training focused on skills that were normally taught to managers only.

1. Team leader skills
2. Coaching
3. Counseling to improve performance
4. Accountability
5. Meeting conduct
6. Conflict resolution

If an organization was willing to spend the money it would take to train all their employees in the skills listed above, I knew they were serious and would most likely follow through. Those who believed a one day team build was all they needed were destined to fail.

But, even those who trained still had hurdles to clear in order to continue. Patrick Lencioni in his book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, defines them this way:

1. An absence of trust among team members
2. Not trusting leads to the second dysfunction which is fear of conflict
3. If you are conflicted, and fear dealing with it due to lack of trust, it inevitably leads to a lack of commitment
4. Lack of commitment and ‘buy in’ leads to the avoidance of accountability
5. No one willing to be accountable leads to the fifth dysfunction, inattention to results—team members are more focused on themselves rather than the collective goals of the team

As you can tell from all of the above, it’s truly an on-going process to implement teams and keep them functional. You must be sure you hire only those who prove through the interview process that they are team players. There is little point in bringing in a new player who needs to be converted.

So, if you’re thinking of implementing the team concept in your organization, realize you have a lot of work ahead of you. You’re never done with it. You never truly arrive, but for those on this journey they tell me the results have made it all worth the effort.

Jim Doyle—doyle262@gmail.com

Consultant & Trainer

Image by lumaxart via Flickr