A silent revolution is taking place in meeting rooms, executive offices, training rooms and in business schools around the world, and this is also happening here in Central America. The revolution is the emergence of executive coaching as an effective leadership practice. And it comes in many ways - through independent external coaches who have the skills necessary to work with top-notch owners and executives in companies and their leadership and management teams; manager-coach training programs; internal coaches, or through the incorporation of a coaching perspective by top-level executives who have been training in coaching methods.
What is Executive Coaching?
Executive coaching is a series of processes that support leadership development, management, change and transition. Professional executive coaching is relatively new. We define executive coaching as the art of facilitating the release of an executive's potential in order to achieve important and significant goals.
Coaching focuses on developing the potential that already exists within the executive. Coaching promotes self-awareness and self-administration. A coach will help people reach their potential and achieve comparative results in terms of both the individual's and the organization's goals. Coaches ask, listen, clarify, challenge, suggest, support, and explore. Coaching is different from traditional ways of managing that emphasize control and instructions from high to low level. Instead, coaching promotes accountability, proper delegation, and transparent systems of measuring compliance with commitments made. Communication and credibility are two central factors for a successful coaching-based relationship.High-level managers know that by using coaching they give up part of the control and responsibility in others, but this also helps them maintain greater effectiveness in the performance of their activities.
Executive coaches are often people with business experience. They often have postgraduate studies in psychology and / or business areas, and most have extensive coaching training. They will not claim to be experts in your business. You are the expert. The coach's experience consists of being an expert in unlocking the client's potential and in processes of change.
Executive coaches usually work with their clients by meeting periodically (models may vary, but we mention one to two hour meetings every two weeks or once a month), over a period of six to twelve months. Clients set specific goals to achieve the success they seek and work with their coaches to achieve them.
The modern business environment is complex. Globalization has ensured that even companies that only work in their local market must face changing markets, participation in those markets by multinationals, growing competition, complex environments due to trade agreements, etc. Not to mention at the moment the influence that the global financial crisis is causing within the different markets. The coaching experience in Central American countries is typical of what happened in more developed countries. Executive coaches are more often beginning to work with leaders by supporting them to manage amid the complexity of continuous change.
Coaching is Growing because it Works
It is normal practice in the United States, Australia, and Europe for top-level leaders within organizations to have the services of a coach. Increasingly, companies are employing more internal and external coaches. Executive coaching is an international movement. If you want to have an idea about the scope that coaching is having, all you have to do is research on Google. For the phrase "executive coaching" you will find more than thirteen million entries and for the phrase "executive coaching" you will find more than eighty-eight thousand entries.
Multinational companies have been using coaching for several years. College business schools now give coaching classes. Leadership programs are incorporating more coaching principles and practices. There is also an increase in the literature related to executive coaching. For example, this year the prestigious international publishing house Taylor and Francis has published "The Routledge Companion to International Business Coaching" (Moral and Abbott, 2009).
The fundamental reason for the popularity of coaching internationally is because it works.
The results come in two forms:
- Performance improvements (individual and company) Executive personal satisfaction increases
Both results are linked to companies that achieve sustained competitiveness. The second result recognizes that the workplace is made up of people - not just machines, budgets, structures or systems. Executive Coaching recognizes that sustained growth can only come if people are “connected” to the work they do and see it as meaningful and fulfilling.
Companies that incorporate coaching as a leadership practice and hire qualified coaches for their executives will find that these executives are more successful. Coaching service clients report immediate benefits, and these benefits are internalized in processes of sustained change as coaching continues.
Emotional Intelligence expert Daniel Goleman has listed coaching as one of six leadership styles. It is one of the most effective, but one of the least used.
Coaching is a mandatory practice for companies that want to remain competitive within the global market of the 21st century.
Internationally, studies have found that the investment of a dollar in high-level executive coaching brings a return of six dollars in productivity increases (600% improvement). A recent study conducted by Dr. Geoffrey Abbott for the National University of Australia on the impact of executive coaching by international managers in El Salvador confirmed other studies that have demonstrated the value of coaching. Dr. Abbott coached a variety of regional and international company managers for a considerable period of time. The sample group included Canadians, Australians, Salvadorans, South Africans, and people from Zimbabwe. All executives reported significant increases in job performance and their own personal satisfaction as a result of the coaching process.Below are some comments provided by the participants, which can give an idea of what they experienced.
Customer Impressions of Executive Coaching
Canadian Regional Manager for Latin America of a non-profit Organization. Coaching was like giving yourself a managerial mind massage. It supported me to become more aware of culture, to manage managerial issues and to become aware of myself. Questions were the key to the process. Now I consider myself a much better manager and can more effectively manage interpersonal relationships. Also now I can coach myself and use coaching techniques with my colleagues.
Regional Manager, North American Multinational. Coaching is like a psychotherapy practice for life and business. Coaching was very useful to give me tools to be more reflective and aware about how my actions affect situations. It helped me a lot to believe in my own instinct. Geoff has the rare ability to provide revealing and practical feedback, which enabled me to take decisive actions that led directly to positive results.
Financial Manager, Multinational based in Europe. Executive coaching is looking at yourself in the mirror, with your flaws and everything. The entire process was impressive in its flexibility and fluidity. He was also very professional. I could rationalize and contextualize, without compacting and without loads. The coach is an independent and impartial professional, partner in our life decisions. Executive coaching is of particular benefit to expatriates because they face many more sensations of bombardment on a cultural, emotional and physical level. Senior Manager of the US government. Coaching helped me understand how my behavior and management style affects others, both positively and negatively.
Finance and Information Systems Manager (Multinational Company). After the sessions, I realized that I could do a much better job than I had planned.
Canadian-American Manager. Organization of the US government. Coaching helped me a lot in adapting to the new culture. Outside of your country you must work with people with different values from yours.
Information Technology Manager, US Government Organization. Although it is difficult to see my team work with difficulties, I learned through coaching that in the long term it is much better to let them find their own way. Coaching has provided me with a wide range of tools that I can use in my work. It has made me think outside my comfort zone.
Health and Safety Manager, US Multinational. Coaching was a way to learn more about myself, about my place in the world of work and about my role in the organization.
Coaching in Central America
Latin America has joined the coaching revolution. Coaching has become great in Mexico, Chile, Argentina and Colombia. It is beginning to emerge in other countries. Multinational companies are introducing coaching practices in management. Individual consultants are offering coaching services. There is no doubt that coaching will be an important aspect in the business world in Central America. Based in El Salvador, Carlos Romero, Bachelor of Business Administration and MBA, has brought quality executive coaching to many businesses through his international preparation and accreditation programs. Carlos is a member of the International Association of Coaching (IAC) and is certified by the International Coaching Community (ICC);It also has several accreditations from internationally recognized organizations such as CoachVille Spain and The International School of Coaching, and has provided coaching services to a number of companies within the region. He works with Dr. Abbott (who is based in Australia and works in different parts of the world) to ensure that Central America has access to world-class best practices.
We can mention two challenges that companies in Central America must face if they wish to obtain full benefits of coaching. The first is the lack of qualified and experienced coaches. Some business consultants provide coaching services, but do not have formal training through an internationally accredited university or school. To fill that gap, several regional and multinational companies have brought coaches from the USA to work with their executives - the results have been mixed. North American management practices are not automatically transferred to the country and the coach must be sensitive to cultural preferences and differences. Coaches with local experience and knowledge of cultural differences have been proven to be highly effective
As a second point, there is a lack of knowledge about the benefits of coaching within line managers and Human Resources managers in the region. Carlos Romero is working to cover both points by providing quality results-oriented coaching services and coaching training backed by world-class schools and supported by an international network of associate coaches located in different parts of the world.
Choosing a Coach
If your company is considering coaching, we leave you with some ideas:
- Be clear about the reasons why you want to involve a coach. Here are some general objectives:
- Improve executive performance and satisfaction, Improve labor relations, Support an expatriate executive to adapt more quickly to the culture, Accelerate the adaptation of a new manager to a position, Support the implementation of change processes in the company, and Improve leadership skills.
- Review the coach's qualifications and experience:
- Does the coach have formal experience providing services and qualifications (for example, accreditations from internationally recognized schools), and / or relevant formal education (such as an MAE, MBA or degree in psychology)? Ask for references and speak directly with previous clients or current.
- Ask the coach to explain how you develop your coaching processes:
- What processes and tools does the coach use? For example, 360-degree evaluations are common in executive coaching. Do you have a way to measure the impact of the coaching intervention? For example, by periodically reviewing the progress of the process against the set objectives.
- Schedule preliminary meetings between the coach and key people who will be involved in the process.
- Verify that the coach is appropriate for the company culture. Some companies prefer coaches who have relevant experience within the industry. Other companies are not concerned with this issue. Coaches providing high-quality services will become familiar with the culture of the organization and the industry and will work flexibly to meet the needs within the context of the client.
- Spend some time with the coach and ask yourself, Can this person work harmoniously with the organization's executives?
- Learn more about coaching.
Bad coaching services can be worse than not having coaching services. Keep in mind that a bad coaching experience can create resistance by wanting to hire an experienced coach at later dates. This could limit your company reaching its full potential.
conclusion
Executive coaches do not take control nor do they develop the role of consultants. Coaches help executives become better leaders by supporting them to develop the potential they already possess. As a business leader in Latin America, you and your company will gain (not lose) status, authority, and impact if you engage in high-quality coaching. It is one of the best practices worldwide that develops individuals and companies.
Until a few years ago, there were few executives in coaching processes. Those who used the services of coaches did so in a very discreet way. Executives around the world are currently openly coaching with well-trained and relevant coaches to support them and their teams in finding clarity and purpose within a changing and challenging international marketplace. Executive coaching can help you develop competitive advantages in the Central American business environment.
If you want to learn more about executive coaching, coach Carlos Romero can meet with you individually to discuss possibilities that may be of interest to you and your company.
Additional details may be provided by Competitividad Empresarial, SA de CV (telephone 2514 3016, [email protected]).
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