Executive Corner This is a fortnightly column featuring leaders in the executive search industry Coaching relationship can open new horizons by Nicole Wong Senior executives are encouraged to go beyond limits and initiate positive changes As the competition for executive talent heats up, companies are adopting new recruitment and retention strategies to strengthen their relationships with existing and potential employees. Coaching plays an important role in this, with its emphasis on promoting the continuous development of high-calibre personnel and aligning their skills with the broader goals of the organisation. Amelia Chan, consulting director of Dynamic Resources Asia Limited, is quick to point out that training and coaching differ significantly in terms of intended objectives. While the former focuses on enhancing specific skills in workshops or a classroom setting, the latter instills development initiatives in an individual or a company by means of action. The coach's role is also to encourage people to go beyond established objectives, and continue to achieve new milestones. For example, a company starting a new business unit may want to identify someone to take on new responsibilities and become a visionary leader. "By setting a series of projects over 12 to 18 months, the individual will break away from the former comfort zone, develop new skills, and learn to run the new unit along the way," Ms Chan explains. When an employer is trying to recruit top executives, the offer of coaching can be a vital tool. It helps to attract candidates by providing a broader perspective and opening up a new range of career possibilities. If a recruitment consultant is able to promise this on behalf of a client, the first step may be to provide some latest market information and arrange introductions to a selection of senior managers. The intention is to illustrate the kind of benefits the new employer could create through regular coaching sessions. Continuous coaching also allows key personnel to understand and guide the direction of the company's business Facilitating moves "A technical professional working for an established organisation may be interested in taking on a managerial role with a smaller company," says senior consultant Patrick Yan. "However, the person will want to feel sure there is sufficient support and that the move will add a new dimension to his or her career." Coaching is an ideal solution on both fronts. It allows the new incumbent to have a sense of ownership in all decisions while presenting different ideas and angles for further consideration. In many organisations, coaching can also function as one of the key processes to get the best out of human resources. If there is a focus on core competencies, it can be integrated alongside performance management systems such as the "balanced scorecard" in benchmarking and then enhancing certain practices. At the executive level, it allows for an individualised approach to professional development and helps senior managers to keep improving. Ms Chan has no doubt that coaching should by now be a part of every company's HR strategy. It can come in useful in the case of organisational restructuring both in giving advice to managers who may have to handle dismissals, and in offering on-site support to employees affected by the changes. If necessary, one-on-one consultations can be set up to help with reviewing resumes, upgrading interview skills, and conducting a successful job search. Explaining change In such situations, the presence of a coach can be crucial to maintaining a company's good image. "It goes a long way to clarifying the reasons for organisational change and means someone is on hand to give practical help to employees," says Ms Chan. "Some staff may be considering a switch to different type of work or a new profession," adds Mr Yan. "A coach can shed some light on their intended future direction at such moments." Dynamic Resources provides this along with its tailor-made executive search and management consulting services. The company sees its role as being able to identify causes, not just problems, and then to determine the action to take and the coaching necessary for key executives. For a client which had experienced a consistently high level of staff turnover, the recommended programme would be extremely thorough. It might even involve reviewing and re-engineering HR policies, organising exit interviews and staff meetings, discussing specific problems with department managers, and deciding on a combination of short-term solutions and long-term action plans. Ms Chan and Mr Yan believe that coaching should be accepted as part of the corporate culture of any successful organisation. "It can also help to strengthen the relationship between a company and its executives by challenging previous limits and encouraging positive change," says Mr Yan. "Continuous coaching also allows key personnel to understand and guide the direction of the company's business. They can contribute to its expansion by applying their own initiative," Ms Chan concludes. On the ball Coaching for senior executives becoming a recognised requirement in many companies Even high-calibre personnel need to acquire new skills and keep developing The offer of coaching can be a useful way of attracting good candidates There is role for coaches whether a company is expanding, reorganising or cutting back Taken from Career Times 17 February 2006 Your comments are welcome at [email protected]