CCE - Center for Coaching Excellence

by Mary Verstraete

In recent weeks I have been studying the current coaching trends and what coaches must be consonant of when it comes to the coaching profession. We know that coaching is transformation at the organizational level and the personal level. We know that at its core, coaching is a viable profession. Yet, its results are yet to be factually substantiated and coaching in its present state, is not without its critics. I wanted to begin concretely answering the question, “What steps can be taken to develop the professional in to a highly viable and accepted profession that is known for meeting needs, is a solution, and produces results?” I first looked at what the executive coaching audience was indicating to answer a portion of this question.

I began by researching coaching surveys conducted by credible organizations. The January 2009 Harvard Business Review article, The Realities of Executive Coaching by Carol Kauffman and Diane Coutu gave first hand insight into executive coaching. The survey analysis presented here is drawn from an online questionnaire developed by senior editors at the Harvard Business Review. They compiled a list of 245 potential participants through their direct contacts in the coaching community, through references from senior executives, through HBR authors with expertise in coaching, and through organizations involved in the training of executive coaches. The 140 coaches who participated in the time allotted are all involved in the executive-coaching business. Here is a brief excerpt from the article.

The Future
Coaching exists to help executives find solutions, yet the field of coaching must solve a few problems itself. Most of you told us that coaching as a process is highly effective but that the field feels as if it is in “adolescence.” Many of you were concerned that a lack of entry barriers leaves the profession vulnerable to being discredited by charlatans. Many also felt that action was needed to winnow out bad or ineffective coaches. Some of you suggested that an emphasis on more rigor in practice and more research on effectiveness is needed.
 
Our Conclusion
Executive coaching does appear to be creating a space for itself in the corporate landscape, particularly with the shift toward coaching high performers. The open-ended responses often showed a surprising congruence, but sometimes lively disagreement, about where coaching needs to go from here. Although many individual coaches are skillful at helping individual companies and people, there is as yet no overarching definition, let alone organization, of the profession as a whole. Does executive coaching need such clarity to thrive? Ultimately, of course, organizations will decide.

Another survey was the Sherpa Executive Coaching Survey in Cincinnati, OH. Every year, the Sherpa Executive Coaching Survey gathers information about executive coaching, from coaches and those who hire them. Email invitations go to a worldwide list of thousands of coaches, clients, HR professionals, trainers and executives in mid- November. Data is collected until December 15, and this report released in mid-January of the following year.

IQS Research of Louisville, Kentucky (USA) validated the survey and its design and hosted the survey. IQS Research flagged and discarded responses deemed invalid or duplicated. Once data was collected, Sherpa Coaching analyzed the results using software developed specifically for this project.  Sherpa survey contained these findings in the importance of mastering the art of coaching and certification:
 
Who are clients going to work with? Who’s coaching, and who holds the credentials? More and more, coaches hold certification, particularly newer entrants into the field. Certification implies mastery of the material delivered in a training program.
 
Overall, there’s very strong support for formal certification. Worldwide, 76% of executive coaches say formal certification is either ‘very important’ or ‘absolutely essential’. This support is up 14% over the last four years.  
 
Seven out of ten US executive coaches now have formal training and certification in the classroom. More than nine in ten coaches with formal training are now certified, up from just 50% four years ago.   

There are also self-styled coaches who enter the field with no credentials, no training and no experience, with varying degrees of success as coaches and marketers. Many last just long enough to leave a bad impression.