ATD Blog
Securing Organizational Buy-In for Executive Coaching
Wed Sep 19 2018
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The key to reaping the full benefits of executive coaching is to secure company-wide buy-in and commitment. Here’s how.
The key to reaping the full benefits of executive coaching is to secure company-wide buy-in and commitment. Here’s how.
Tailor Your Pitch
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Executive coaching has different meanings for different people and different organizations. The applications of executive coaching are far-reaching; it’s critical to understand how different organizational stakeholders are likely to reap the greatest benefits. The sales department might be struggling with high costs or low customer satisfaction ratings. On the other hand, the marketing department may be struggling with leadership issues that have given rise to a toxic working environment. It’s important to understand and appreciate how executive coaching might be applicable to different stakeholders. Armed with this knowledge, you'll be able to tailor your pitch to specific stakeholders and more effectively secure buy-in.
Executive coaching has different meanings for different people and different organizations. The applications of executive coaching are far-reaching; it’s critical to understand how different organizational stakeholders are likely to reap the greatest benefits. The sales department might be struggling with high costs or low customer satisfaction ratings. On the other hand, the marketing department may be struggling with leadership issues that have given rise to a toxic working environment. It’s important to understand and appreciate how executive coaching might be applicable to different stakeholders. Armed with this knowledge, you'll be able to tailor your pitch to specific stakeholders and more effectively secure buy-in.
Demonstrate the Value of Executive Coaching
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Once you’ve developed an understanding of the benefits of executive coaching as they pertain to different parts of your organization, it’s important to communicate the ultimate value—the "So what?" The more stakeholders understand how they can benefit from executive coaching, the more incentivized they’ll be to adopt, implement, and embrace it.
Once you’ve developed an understanding of the benefits of executive coaching as they pertain to different parts of your organization, it’s important to communicate the ultimate value—the "So what?" The more stakeholders understand how they can benefit from executive coaching, the more incentivized they’ll be to adopt, implement, and embrace it.
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Consider, for example, that the marketing department is struggling with leadership issues among many of its managers. It’s important for stakeholders (the vice president of marketing, the chief marketing officer, and so on) to understand the specific ways executive coaching is able to address and rectify the situation. Explain the purpose and value of relevant executive coaching instruments, including developing human synergy, emotional intelligence training, and assessments such as 5 Dynamics, Myers-Briggs, and HBDI. When the tangible results are readily apparent, stakeholders are more likely to cross the metal chasm preventing them from embracing executive coaching.
Consider, for example, that the marketing department is struggling with leadership issues among many of its managers. It’s important for stakeholders (the vice president of marketing, the chief marketing officer, and so on) to understand the specific ways executive coaching is able to address and rectify the situation. Explain the purpose and value of relevant executive coaching instruments, including developing human synergy, emotional intelligence training, and assessments such as 5 Dynamics, Myers-Briggs, and HBDI. When the tangible results are readily apparent, stakeholders are more likely to cross the metal chasm preventing them from embracing executive coaching.
Obtain Employee Support
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Any skilled salesperson appreciates the value of recruiting "product champions" and proponents as a means of obtaining organizational buy-in and support. Most employees yearn for the opportunity to participate in executive coaching or would like to see their organization implement it. The more effective you are at demonstrating high demand for executive coaching, the more successful you'll be in building a business case for it. It can be beneficial to administer anonymous surveys and polls among employees asking whether they’d like to participate in executive coaching or whether they appreciate its value. Senior management will be less likely to resist change when there is strong demand from their employees.
Any skilled salesperson appreciates the value of recruiting "product champions" and proponents as a means of obtaining organizational buy-in and support. Most employees yearn for the opportunity to participate in executive coaching or would like to see their organization implement it. The more effective you are at demonstrating high demand for executive coaching, the more successful you'll be in building a business case for it. It can be beneficial to administer anonymous surveys and polls among employees asking whether they’d like to participate in executive coaching or whether they appreciate its value. Senior management will be less likely to resist change when there is strong demand from their employees.
Calculate ROI
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There's nothing like cold, hard numbers to drive home the impact of executive coaching. To effectively calculate the ROI associated with investments, it’s important to clearly outline the objectives. The table below delineates the top 10 competencies of C-suite level leaders that can be addressed by executive coaching. Identify the highest-priority objectives, determine the associated costs, and assign a monetary value to each primary objective.
There's nothing like cold, hard numbers to drive home the impact of executive coaching. To effectively calculate the ROI associated with investments, it’s important to clearly outline the objectives. The table below delineates the top 10 competencies of C-suite level leaders that can be addressed by executive coaching. Identify the highest-priority objectives, determine the associated costs, and assign a monetary value to each primary objective.
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Competencies of C-Suite Level Leaders
Competencies of C-Suite Level Leaders
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Content Competency Competency Content **** **** | Content Negative Impact Negative Impact Content **** **** | Content Positive Impact to Executive and Employees Positive Impact to Executive and Employees Content **** **** | Content Positive Impact to Business Positive Impact to Business Content **** **** |
Content Self-awareness Self-awareness | Content Distorted sense of self Distorted sense of self | Content Increased awareness of blind spots, enhanced leadership abilities Increased awareness of blind spots, enhanced leadership abilities | Content Increased ability to meet objectives, increased business performance Increased ability to meet objectives, increased business performance |
Content Interpersonal relationships, listening skills, and empathy Interpersonal relationships, listening skills, and empathy | Content Inability to build and foster a collaborative work environment Inability to build and foster a collaborative work environment | Content Improved relationships with leadership, co-workers, and stakeholders Improved relationships with leadership, co-workers, and stakeholders | Content Increased employee satisfaction, increased retention rates Increased employee satisfaction, increased retention rates |
Content Influence Influence | Content Inability to affect positive change Inability to affect positive change | Content Increased levels of motivation, inspiration Increased levels of motivation, inspiration | Content Increased business performance**** Increased business performance**** |
Content Leading during times of change Leading during times of change | Content Lack of adaptability in times of transition, “change fatigue” Lack of adaptability in times of transition, “change fatigue” | Content Increased sense of involvement, decreased sense of uncertainty Increased sense of involvement, decreased sense of uncertainty | Content Increased competitive positioning, increased global positioning, increased financial performance Increased competitive positioning, increased global positioning, increased financial performance |
Content Communication skills Communication skills | Content Confusion, unclear direction Confusion, unclear direction | Content Increased business transparency, reduced conflict Increased business transparency, reduced conflict | Content Improved brand image, improved internal/external communication Improved brand image, improved internal/external communication |
Content Motivation and engagement, leading with vision and purpose Motivation and engagement, leading with vision and purpose | Content Low levels of productivity Low levels of productivity | Content Increased felt responsibility, increased engagement levels, increased sense of purpose Increased felt responsibility, increased engagement levels, increased sense of purpose | Content Increased productivity Increased productivity |
Content Building effective teams Building effective teams | Content Misaligned strategy, missed deadlines Misaligned strategy, missed deadlines | Content Increased opportunities for career advancement, improved workplace culture Increased opportunities for career advancement, improved workplace culture | Content Improved product/service quality, shorter time to market Improved product/service quality, shorter time to market |
Content Strategy and strategic thinking Strategy and strategic thinking | Content Short-term focus, inconsistent business results Short-term focus, inconsistent business results | Content Increased sense of pride Increased sense of pride | Content Enhanced long-term planning efforts, more consistent ability to deliver business results that meet/exceed forecasts Enhanced long-term planning efforts, more consistent ability to deliver business results that meet/exceed forecasts |
Content Working with uncertainty and ambiguity, decision skills Working with uncertainty and ambiguity, decision skills | Content Low levels of engagement Low levels of engagement | Content Decreased levels of absenteeism, decreased stress levels, improved workplace culture Decreased levels of absenteeism, decreased stress levels, improved workplace culture | Content Improved innovation processes, improved risk management Improved innovation processes, improved risk management |
Content Mentoring relationships, listening skills, empathy Mentoring relationships, listening skills, empathy | Content Lack of leadership development opportunities, strained internal and external relations Lack of leadership development opportunities, strained internal and external relations | Content Increased opportunities for personal and professional growth Increased opportunities for personal and professional growth | Content Increased customer loyalty, increased customer service, improved diversity and inclusion efforts Increased customer loyalty, increased customer service, improved diversity and inclusion efforts |
Content Source: Based on the top 10 coaching topics for C-suite level leaders as outlined by Korn Ferry’s Source: Based on the top 10 coaching topics for C-suite level leaders as outlined by Korn Ferry’s Content research Content . . | Content | Content | Content |
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Want to learn more? Check out my new book, The Art of Executive Coaching.
Want to learn more? Check out my new book, The Art of Executive Coaching.