Equip Your Leaders For A Changing World

What are the merits of internal and external coaching in preparing senior managers for change?

Have you noticed how quickly the world is changing? It’s not just about the pace of innovation and technology. It is also about the way markets operate, how business is done and the rising expectations of consumers and clients.

The speed of change can present a real challenge for organisations. How can senior managers quickly develop the new skills and capabilities they require to drive future performance? Internal coaching already plays an important role in the development of senior managers with 83% of companies using internal coaching*.

How can internal coaching be of benefit? It all depends on what you hope to achieve.

Ask yourself what skills are you looking to develop? Who needs to benefit? What will this do for your company?
Next, consider the practical issues of cost, the resources available and how quickly results are required.
Finally, consider the requirements of the person to be coached, not just in terms of their skills but also their expectations, attitude to change and willingness to work with a coach.

Benefits of internal coaching

Your organisation will be full of talented and business-savvy people who would make excellent internal coaches. With the right support, internal coaches are every bit as effective at delivering positive results as external coaches.

Internal coaching is particularly effective at supporting others through periods of transition, especially if the coach has been through the same kind of step-change themselves. Furthermore internal coaches offer an invaluable insight into your business culture and the challenges faced by senior managers. They may also be able to identify opportunities for further development and facilitate these internally.

At its heart, successful coaching is about building relationships. You will find that some clients are able to build greater trust with an internal coach than an external one. They may simply find working with an internal coach more practical and flexible, if a meeting needs to be rescheduled at short notice for example. For the company, internal coaching offers the opportunity to extend the benefits to a wider group of management talent, increasing its scope and enabling more people to learn more quickly.

Benefits of external coaching

However, at a senior executive level, external coaching still predominates, especially if a fresh perspective or a change in leadership style is required. This is where external coaching comes into its own. While some internal coaches are capable of coaching at a very senior level, it is as much about credibility as ability.

Such assignments tend to have highly specific objectives, requiring an experienced coach or ‘heavy hitter’. With a wide perspective gained from a range of organisations, external coaches are often better equipped to challenge established ways of thinking at a senior level and reveal new insights into the latest business issues. It is also true to say that many senior executives find it more comfortable talking to someone who is independent of their company and this can help overcome any reservations about using an executive coach.

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About Cote Consultants

Cote Consultants is a coaching, leadership and performance improvement firm based in central London. We work with any organisation that wants to drive sustainable growth in performance and capital through the personal and professional development of its most promising leaders and teams.

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Posted in: Executive coaching, Internal coaching, Leadership