Examining the effectiveness of executive coaching on executives

Abstract

Executive coaching is one of the fastest growing executive development processes in adult learning. While it has been suggested by some authors that executive coaching has developed into an industry overnight, the process appears to have been more gradual. There is general agreement however, that as a learning process, executive coaching is still 'forming its identity'. Due to new organisational cultures and structures placing a premium on the executives who head public and private corporations, executives must expand their knowledge base to analyse and comprehend the many changes that are happening around them. Not all executives are able to adjust easily to these expectations, or balance the many competing demands and pressures their position may entail. In such circumstances organisations are often willing to provide an executive coach for senior managers. While the field of one-to-one executive coaching is expanding quickly, there is a dearth of research on this subject. This paper seeks to explore the impact of executive coaching on five executives, and takes two broad directions. Firstly, conversations with executives were examined to identify the views that emerged from the data. Secondly, the conversations were examined in the light of a model of evaluation devised by Guskey. Both perspectives combined to provide an overview of the executives, their work, and what learning may have occurred.