The New York Times featured an article entitled "Personal Trainers to Buff the Boss's People Skills". This article highlights the trend toward executive coaches - consultants who work one-on-one with CEO's, top managers and business owners. These coaches are in effect marketing consultants helping the executive analyze and improve their internal marketing and management skills. Here are important excerpts:"Companies in trouble have long looked to outside experts for advice on marketing strategy, quality control and other straight-ahead business topics. But sometimes the problems turn out to be interpersonal, and then an executive coach may be called to the rescue."
"There is no single reason for the rise of coaching over the last decade. But one factor appears to be the gutting of legions of middle managers, which has meant that the surviving bosses have authority over areas where they have no expertise, straining their 'people' skills.
"Also, the advent of a generation of workers under the age of 45 who are more diverse racially and sexually and (who) were brought up to question authority, has undermined the effectiveness of older, white male bosses, many of whom adhere to command-and-control management."
"Not all coaching is aimed at faltering employees, those in danger of derailing their careers or their companies. At some companies it is offered to scores of executives at once, in an effort to engineer a broad shift in strategy. Still other companies, like Texaco and Avon, offer coaching as a perquisite to proven managers, in the understanding that everyone has blind spots and can benefit from a detached observer."
Harry Nolan has been an executive coach for over a decade. If you would like to get more information on executive coaching, e-mail hnolan@CEOHome.com.
The quoted text is © New York Times
Business - Management Coaching
