Summary
Objectives:
This research study aimed to explore the nature, character
and purpose of executive coaching within organizational settings
from the perspective of the coachee and from this to develop
a framework of executive coaching practice.
Design: The study used a qualitative methodology based on
Grounded Theory. GT was selected as the methodology approach
due to its epimistological fit with the researcher and the
objective of the research which was to build a theoretical
framework.
Methods: The method used was semi-structured interview of
six senior board level executives, which was transcribed and
analyses using a standardized transcription methodology. The
data was then coded using GT to develop initially descriptive
then conceptual codings. The codings were reviewed by an independent
review and a final coding framework agreed. The coding was
then translated into a conceptual model of coaching practice
without organizations. This was later review by a participant
as part of qualitative practice, before a literature search
was conducted to test the generalisability of the results
to wider coaching practice.
Results: The results from the study highlighted a range of
coaching behaviours which coachees valued within the relationship.
The results also identified other key factors including contracting
and process management which contributed to coaching outcomes.
Lastly coachees identifi4ed the organizational and individual
benefits for coaching which included developing stronger behavioural
skills, increasing self awareness, raising self-confidence
and enhancing motivation. At an organizational level employees
identified organizational relationships and managing change
as two wider benefits.
The results were subjected to testing against the wider coaching
literature. While the literature of primary coaching research
is extremely limited, these studies identified similar behaviours
to the results from the GT study reported in this paper. The
paper will include a summary of this literature, as well as
the results from this research.
Conclusions: The results from the study have implications
for coaching practice and coaching training.
Biography
Jonathan
Passmore is a business psychologist who has worked in organisations
as a senior manager, having been both a chief executive and
Company Chairman. He has four degrees and is completing his
doctorate on coaching at the University of East London. He
has substantial experience of coaching senior executives on
behalf of Pricewaterhouse Coopers, IBM Business Consulting
and OPM, where he has worked for the past five years before
joining UEL.
He has written widely on coaching and coaching practice, including
papers in the UK, USA and South Africa. He is the editor of
the top selling Excellence in Coaching: The industry guide.
He is also the author of Appreciative Inquiry for Organisational
change, published in January 2008 and Psychometrics in coaching,
due out in February 2008. He is currently working on a new
title for 2009 on cross-cultural coaching; Diversity in coaching.
