Performance Management: Putting Research into Action

The Role of External Coaches

When organizations begin to use external coaches, they most frequently do so in an ad hoc fashion, pursuing separate searches for an appropriate coach for each individual who needs coaching. As coaching grows in frequency, they tend to start lists of coaches with informal notes on which coaches are best suited for various needs and audiences. These lists tend to get more formalized until organizations set up processes to screen, select, and manage their pool of coaches, thus entering Stage 2, Managed Coaching. At that point, some organizations begin to set parameters for what a typical engagement might look like, often driven by constraints around how much money they will allocate or the amount of time they allow ...