Executive Coaching and Relationships in Workplace - Paper Example

Executive coaching definition

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Broadly, coaching can be defined as a process of imparting individuals with necessary tools and opportunities needed for personal development and effectiveness. The concept of coaching as a developmental tool is not a novel thing in management literature. Early studies that have focussed on management viewed coaching as a skill that managers could employ to improve the performance of workers in a given task. Recent studies have, however, viewed coaching as a means of enhancing learning and aiding the performance of executives of organizations and moving them beyond excellence in performance (Feldman & Lankau, 2005).

The term executive coaching was coined in the 1990s as an approach geared towards behavior change in managers, especially those at middle and senior level managerial positions. During this period, individuals tasked with top posts in corporate institutions in the United States were performing dismally with the failure rates estimated at 50 %. The poor performance of corporate executives was majorly attributed to their incompetence in leadership skills and not their technical abilities (Charan & Colvin, 1999). To improve the leadership skills of the top managers and executives, prepare them for advancement, or help them handle organizational changes, most organizations started to contract external consultants to coach them (Niemes, 2002).

Feldman (2001), a key scholar in management, has pointed out that there exist three fundamental elements of executive coaching relationships: (a) One-on-one counselling on issues pertaining workplace and work; (b) the need to use 360 degree feedback on the CEOs and managers on their strengths and weaknesses as the beginning point; and (c) its role is to enhance managers performance in their current roles.

One-on-one coaching, team coaching, and group coaching

In this approach, the coach refers to a person whose role is to provide one-on-one coaching while coachee is an individual who receives the professional service or coaching; the executive (Joo, 2005). In one-on-one coaching, an individual being coached works individually with the coach on his or her strengths and weaknesses so as to attain his or her potential. It is meant to enhance the performance of the individual being coached as well as his or her followers. In this type of coaching, the coach and the coachee work hand-in-hand to outline specific goals or actions that the coachees will be able to carry out upon the completion of the coaching session (Olivero, Bane, & Kopelman, 1997). Its emphasis is on behavioral change of the executive via self-awareness and learning through the one-on-one relationship between the coachee (the executive) and the coach. In the long run, this form of coaching leads to the success of the coachee as well as the overall organization.

Unlike in one-on-one coaching, team coaching involves coaching of the executive as a team or as a totally coherent "whole." It does not involve coaching of each executive team member in a group setting, but all the individuals as an inseparable entity whose performance and results are determined by the interaction of all the members that make up the executive unit. The primary goal of team coaching process is to develop the ability of the executive team to lead by jointly focussing on improving their team as well as their organizational performance or measurable results. The result-oriented approach to coaching is intended to improve executive team interfaces and also key in the development of each member of the team, personally and professionally. This type of coaching is essential in enhancing team member relationships and building collective motivation.

In group coaching, a small group of not more than 15 individuals is led by a team leader in the discussion of a particular topic. The discussion often lead to goal setting, more understanding on specific key issues, and accountability. This approach is beneficial because it promotes peer interaction and learning, often referred to as collective wisdom of wisdom of the group and saves on time and resources as it enables the coach to work with more coachees over a short period thus lowering the price point per person. Compared to one-on-one coaching, group coaching has been found to lead to long-lasting changes in behavior, a high mutual trust among the members, constructive conflict resolution, and promotes accountability thus leading to better performance in the organization. Moreover, this coaching technique enables the members to develop shared goals and values and promotes team objectives rather than personal objectives (de Vries, 2005).

Relationship: personal and work relationships

There are two broad categories of relationships, personal and professional or work relationships, with distinct differences between them. In work relationships, the worker put the needs of the client first as opposed to friendship relationships where each friend provides support to the other. Unlike personal relationships where the members can confide with each other at the same level and engages in a discussion pertaining their personal problems, professionals do not probe their clients personal lives or discuss their personal problems (Summers, 2011).

In personal relationships, friends can conduct their discussion at each others home unlike in professionals who must only carry out the same in their workplaces. Often, friendship is characterized by offering and acceptance of gifts between the members unlike in work relationships where the workers do not accept or give gifts to their clients. When there are special occasions, such as weddings, it is common for friends to invite one another to their homes. However, in professional settings, the relationship between the professional and the client does not extend beyond the office and, thus, not expected to invite the customer to his or her house for celebrations (Summers, 2011).

Another striking difference between personal and professional relationships can be seen in financial engagements. Friends usually lend money to each other and act as each other guarantors when borrowing loan, but professionals are not allowed to lend money to the client or cosign loans for them. Moreover, unlike professionals who do not argue with their customers, it is a common phenomenon to find friends engaging in arguments with one another in various topics they do not agree on (Summers, 2011).

As part of their jobs, professionals are allowed to keep progress notes about their customers as opposed to friendship relationships which lack notes on one another. Professional engagements are time-bound and, usually, the professional is only permitted to meet the client during working hours or at the time the organization is open and offering services, unlike friends who can meet at any time. Additionally, professional ethics prohibits professionals from having intimate relationships with their clients like in personal relationships. Furthermore, contrary to professional settings where one follows a goal plan developed in collaboration with the consumer, friends do not create goal plans for one another. Lastly, the consumers seek the services of the professionals because they possess expertise in a particular field, unlike friends who seek each others support due to their admiration for each other (Summers, 2011).

How to build successful relationships in workplace

Trust

Successful relationships in a workplace can be build based on trust, a critical factor in the development and maintenance of success relationships in the workplace. According to Susan and Holmes (1991), trust can be defined as a state characterized by confidence and positive anticipations pertaining another individuals motives on oneself in situations involving risks. In professional relationships, trust begins with the processes of evaluation of and information exchange as proposed by Boon and Holmes. According to Shappiro, Sheppard, and Cheraskin (1992), three types of trust exist in the development of business and professional relationship: identification-based trust, deterrence-based trust, and knowledge-based trust.

Deterrence-based trust develops as a result of consistency of behavior. That is, if individuals do what they promise to do, the trust will be developed. Consistency in behavior is maintained using the threat of punishment that will take place if consistency is not sustained. This type of trust only works to the extent that punishment is possible, consequences are made explicit, and punishment is actually enforced if the trust is not met. The most delicate relationships in a workplace are those build on deterrence-based trust. A violation of trust or inconsistency in behavior will lead to the destruction of the relationship. Therefore, people who are in this relationship do what they say due to the fear of the negative consequences arising from not keeping their promise.

Knowledge-based trust, a key cornerstone of organizational relationships, is based on the predictability of an individuals behavior as judged by the history of interaction. This type of trust develops when a person has sufficient trust-relevant knowledge about another to know them well enough such that they can accurately predict their behavior (McKnight, Cummings, & Chervany, 1998). Knowledge build up over time as a result of the experience enhances the confidence of honesty and predictability. That is, the better an individual knows another, the more accurate he or she can predict what he or she will do. Predictability promotes trust and builds successful workplace relationships if all the employees are predictably trustworthy. This form of trust can be promoted through constant communication with someone else. At the organizational level, manager-employee relationships are built upon knowledge-based trust. For instance, if the management of an organization develops open and honest interaction with its employees, trust and positive work relationship will be realized.

Identification-based trust is the highest form of trust that is attained when an emotional connection develops between two people. It allows one individual to act as an agent for another and substitute him or her in interpersonal transactions. Trust is developed when parties have mutual understanding ans affinity.

Emotional intelligence, trust, and positive workplace relationship

Successful relationships can be created in the workplace through emotional intelligence (EI) training. EI is the ability to know ones emotions, understand what the emotions mean, and how these emotions affect others. Knowledge of how of how others feel enables one to manage relationships effectively. When employees are taught emotional intelligence techniques, they will be in a better position to manage negative emotions well.

EI is a construct that has also been linked to cognitive and emotional mechanisms useful in processing emotional information needed to make trust decisions. EI consist of four sets of abilities: the ability to perceive emotion, capacity to use emotions to aid thought processes, the ability to understand emotions, and the capacity to manage emotions so as to promote personal growth and social relationships. Perceiving emotion is the ability to identify emotions, distinguish different emotions, and correctly express emotions in oneself and other individuals. A person with high EI is also characterized by the ability to use their emotions to aid their thinking, judgment, determine the effect of emotions on ones point of view, and to enhance certain problem-solving techniques relevant to a particular emotional state. Understanding emotions are associated with the ability to analyze emotions, the meaning the emotions convey, and use of the emotional knowledge to know complex feelings. Capacity to manage emot...