CEO, Executive, and Team Coaching

 

Dr. Cloud’s approach to executive coaching is individually designed and constructed for each situation. Instead of a “cookie cutter” template that is superimposed onto a leader’s context, he tailors a process to fit the unique needs, demands, difficulties, opportunities, and schedule challenges of the leader.

In his view, leadership development and coaching is usually desired when one of the following is true:

The first kind of coaching scenario is when the leader (or the board or management) desires to address the normal “gap” between where a leader “wants to be,” and where he or she “is.” In other words, it is the ongoing desire to be better. In some situations, this gap is experienced as a problem, and coaching is desired by the leader, or is being required by the board or organization. In other cases, there is no specific “problem,” to be addressed, but the normal drive to grow and improve in both delivering quantitative results and improving in the interpersonal side of business. In other words, leaders often find coaching helpful when they are looking for better results, and when they want to increase their relational skills in the business.

 

Sometimes the focus is on a particular context or business issue, such as how to work with and manage a difficult direct report, become a better “leader-coach,” or address the leader’s personal issues that impacting performance. Sometimes the leader needs help in going through a challenging market condition or other business context. He or she realizes that the success they desire is going to require a growth step in their own capacity in order for the organization to reach its goals. At other times, the focus is on general executive development, life management, or just the leader’s desire to have an ongoing confidential “sounding board” and safe place to process the trials of leadership and gain objective feedback.

The second common coaching scenario occurs when a leader or the organization has identified a specific pattern or issue that they would like to address. This is the moment in almost every leader’s life when he or she realizes “I do not have a ‘problem,’ like a problem employee, board member, client or peer, or business situation. I have a pattern, or an issue to deal with.” In other words, it is the mature observation of the leader, or the organization, that this is not the first time that an obstacle like this one has affected his or her leadership. This particular situation is just bringing to light that there is a pattern of relating in a certain way, losing focus in a certain way, reacting in a certain way, or hitting a wall in a certain kind of situation that is really not about the situation itself. Instead, it is a call for the leader to make a growth step and become more complete in that area so that issue will no longer get in the way.

 

Often the process will move the leader past the particular problem or pattern to achieving greater development in several areas, as the process serves to make the leader stronger in many ways past the initially identified “issue.” It is a common experience for a leader to walk into the coaching process through the door of a “problem,” but find the process to be more than problem solving, but instead be overall growth enhancing with fruits in all areas of life.

 

The third coaching scenario occurs when there is some sort of crisis. Whereas the first two examples are entered into out of a desire and a need for leadership development, the third is usually less optional as a situation has come to a head. There is something about the leader’s functioning that is not only getting in the way of better results or culture, but has actually become so problematic that it can no longer be ignored. Sometimes this involves resolving relational problems or patterns, with key people such as board members, other leaders, direct reports, or even key alliances. Other times, the personal obstacles to better performance have gotten to the level that change and growth are no longer just an option, but a necessity.

Coaching Structure

 

            Each situation is different and is designed to meet the particular needs of the executive or team. A common coaching process that Dr. Cloud utilizes is a quarterly face-to-face meeting with the leader, or team, followed by an extended monthly phone call. The face-to-face often begins in the afternoon of the first day, going through dinner until 9:00 p.m. and then from morning until late afternoon on day two. Many leaders find this schedule works well as it allows them to have much of day one available for other work and some additional time later on day two for whatever may need attention.

Dr. Cloud’s desire is to create an individual design for each leader that involves enough attention to get the desired results, and at the same time, to avoid becoming burdensome in its time requirements for the leader. Often, he will initiate the process also by doing interviews with direct reports or other people who interface with the leader if this will aid in the process. In other situations, HR may play a role to implement further steps in the other levels of the organization.
Duration of the coaching process varies, but at least a one-year commitment to coaching is recommended.