Human Resource Management

Resources Management

Human Resource Management

A GUIDE O F
FREQU E NT LY AS K ED Q U E ST I O N S

From former Google CEO and Alphabet Chairman Eric Schmidt, to Oprah, and even
Steve Jobs, adoption of professional coaching is a rising trend among world figures
and thought leaders. Many credit coaching with helping them gain clarity and tap into
insights that sustain a trajectory of meaningful growth toward reaching their greatest
potential. But coaching isn’t only for celebrities. According to a 2020 survey of the
coaching industry,coaching is a genuinely global trend with worldwide demand for
coaching growing 33% between 2015 to 2019. During this same period, the percentage
of leaders and managers using coaching skills grew by 46%.

Just as in the case of celebrities, business and organizational leaders, managers,
professionals and individuals engage coaches to advance their careers and enhance
their personal lives. Coaching for leaders and managers offers many advantages that
foster professional success, not only for the individual receiving coaching, but also
gains that can pass forward to their teams and even their entire organizations.

Here, we address common questions leaders and managers often ask about coaching,
its process and rewards.

experiencecoaching.com

COACH IN G FOR
LEADERSHIP

2 Coaching for Leadership

© International Coaching Federation

Making Time to
Invest in Yourself

After 15 years of rising through
the ranks of an international
law firm, Jenny Friedle took
on the challenge of becoming
her company’s first corporate
technology program management
office director.

Not only was this position part of
an entirely new level of leadership
within the firm, but Jenny also
faced the unique challenge of
leading a global team that didn’t
have the opportunity for regular
in-person communication.

“With how busy everyone is, it’s
not often that you … take time to
reflect and think about where you
came from, and where you want
to go. [Coaching] made my goals
actionable and helped me learn to
measure progress over the course
of months and … appreciate my
own development,” Jenny said.

Working with an ICF-Credentialed
coach, Jenny prospered in her new
leadership role, even advancing
to levels of leadership within the
firm, managing more complex
projects, and serving as a resource
for others in the organization.
Along the way, she found herself
more fulfilled in her life both in
and outside of work. She improved
her boundaries between home and
work, and built more confidence in
her leadership capabilities.

— Experience Coaching

FREQU E NT LY AS K ED Q U E ST I O N S

1. What is professional coaching?

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines

coaching as partnering in a thought-provoking and

creative process that inspires a person to maximize

their personal and professional potential. The process of

coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of

imagination, productivity and leadership.

When you work with a coach, you set out on a path to

greater personal and professional fulfillment.

“I think coaching is acompetitive advantage
and can change the course of your career and
your profession. It’s incredibly helpful to have
someone who is … invested in meeting you
where you are and then bringing you to the
next level, whatever that level is.”

— Executive Lydia Henshaw, Experience Coaching

2. How is coaching different from

mentoring or therapy?

When you partner with a coach, you are in the driver’s

seat. Your coach provides support for accountability and

self-awareness, and helps you gain new perspectives.

Coaches ask questions not to get an answer they

desire, but to encourage you in meaningful exploration

that can help you reach a new level of depth and

performance. The goal is to help you, as the coaching

client, uncover key insights for yourself. Your efforts

with your coach will focus on setting goals, creating

outcomes, and managing the journey of personal and

professional change on a path toward those desired

outcomes. The coach is an expert in the coaching

process. You are an expert in your destiny.

Comparatively, a mentor is a subject-matter expert

who provides wisdom and guidance based on their

own experiences. The coaching process focuses instead

on facilitating individuals or groups to draw upon their

own experiences and capabilities to set and reach their

own objectives.

3 Coaching for Leadership

© International Coaching Federation

Therapy deals with healing pain, trauma, dysfunction or conflict within an individual or

relationships, typically with a focus on resolving difficulties arising from one’s past that

impair an individual’s emotional health in the present. Therapy focuses on improving overall

psychological functioning and dealing with the present in more emotionally healthy ways. In

some cases, a coach might refer a person to therapy if they observe signs a person needs this

type of support. Coaches may also contribute to therapy, working hand in hand with a therapist,

to sustain healthy habits in the person moving forward.

3. Who is coaching for?

Coaching can benefit professionals of all ages and at all stages of their careers. If you are ready

to invest the time, and engage in self-exploration and critical thinking to level up, a coach is a

perfect partner to help you advance.

According to a 2020 global survey of the coaching industry, 27% of coaching clients are

managers, and 25% are executives/C-suite leaders, making these the two most in-demand

spaces for coaching. (2020 ICF Global Coaching Study).

“I would 100% recommend coaching. I recently told [a colleague], ‘Listen, you need
this more than you think. You are going to not only grow from a business perspective,
but you will also grow personally. You will end up a better person coming out.”

— Executive Milan Atanackovic, Experience Coaching

4. What are the signs that I might benefit from coaching?

Many professionals report feeling they have hit a wall in their career development, or that they

feel “stuck” or “in a rut” before they begin coaching.

Perhaps you have encountered a challenge in your career that you are unsure how to address,

or you don’t know how to elevate yourself to reach the next level in your career. Or, you have

been offered a great opportunity, and you are excited for the new challenge. You just need to

figure out how to achieve the desired results in an efficient and effective way.

Coaching can be especially powerful when transitioning into a new role—such as becoming a

manager for the first time, or taking on a new C-suite position. It also can provide invaluable

support when a major change occurs, such as becoming a parent or if external factors at your

organization cause shifts in your role.

Whether you are in need of direction or simply want to push yourself to keep building your

skills, a coach may be the partner who can help you find your way to your next goal.

“I think that doing my coaching work, long term, has helped to create space for other
people, which allows them to respond to me differently.My relationships in the
workplace have shifted.”

—COO Tia Dwyer, Experience Coaching

4 Coaching for Leadership

© International Coaching Federation

5. How do I find a qualified coach?

When looking for a coach, it’s important to find a true professional—to exercise due diligence to

ensure the coach is appropriately trained and adheres to the highest ethical standards.

Ask each candidate about their coaching credentials and

professional organization memberships. Though not required

to be a coach, an ICF Credential indicates a coach has met

the highest standards of the profession through a rigorous,

accredited training program, an established number of

coaching hours, and assessment. An ICF Membership indicates

a coach is committed to ongoing professional growth and the

highest ethical standards.

It’s best to interview multiple candidates before selecting a

coach, as this allows you to get to know them, compare styles,

and find one that best suits your needs. Before the meeting,

prepare questions to help you better understand the coach’s

experience, areas of focus and approach. Referrals to prior

coaching clients can provide insights to ensure the coach can

help you reach the goals you have in mind.

ICF’s Credentialed Coach Finder
A searchable directory with listings for thousands of
qualified ICF-Credentialed coaches worldwide.

6. What should I expect from a

coaching session?

You are responsible for your progress, but a very

important first step is to establish your coaching

agreement. In your sessions, the coach will challenge

your thinking with practices and tools designed to

evoke awareness, consider new perspectives, and

cultivate learning and growth, with a focus on making

clear progress toward a clearly defined goal. These

tools might include worksheets, personal SWOT

assessments or other exercises.

83%
of coaching clients stated
it was eitherimportant
or very important
that their coach had a
certification/credential

2017 ICF Global Consumer
Awareness Study

When considering the
coaching they received, 88%
of consumers reported
that they weresomewhat
or very satisfied with the
coaching experience

2017 ICF Global Consumer
Awareness Study

5 Coaching for Leadership

© International Coaching Federation

7. What kind of commitment is a

coaching engagement in terms
of sessions and duration?

The duration and frequency of a coaching

engagement can vary significantly by each client’s

needs, objectives and organization. Each coaching

experience is likely to be different because each is

highly individualized.

Typically, a coaching engagement ranges from

weekly to monthly sessions, usually about an

hour long. On average, engagements can range

from a few sessions to about six months in length.

Coaching works toward a defined goal, around

which each session is structured. When you have

achieved this goal, you and your coach might agree

the engagement is concluded, or you may work

together to set a new goal.

Coaching is driven by you: As the client, you are in

control of this experience. Work with your coach

to find the right fit that meets your needs and

accomplishes your goals.

8. As a business leader, what are

the things that a coach can
help me with if they have less
business experience than I do?

Coaching is helping a person tap into their own

internal wisdom, which is accomplished by evoking

awareness that can help the client consider different

perspectives or alternate approaches. A coach’s

relative lesser experience in your industry or type

of role does not preclude them from partnering

with you to help you achieve your career goals.

They are your thinking partners who are experts in

the process of coaching — collaborating with you,

challenging your own thinking and helping evoke

creativity and innovation.

Top Outcomes
from Coaching

People who worked with a coach
reported common positive
benefits including:

1. Improved communication

skills (42%)

2. Increased self-esteem/self-

confidence (40%)

3. Increased productivity

(39%)

4. Optimized individual/team

performance (38%)

5. Improved work/life

balance (34%)

2017 ICF Global Consumer
Awareness Study