Which Steps Make Up the Executive Coaching Process?

Executive Coaching

Executive coaching is a one-to-one development process that develops a manager's leadership skills, strategic thinking capacity and personal awareness. In Turkish practice it is known as yönetici koçluğu. The process runs within a relationship between coach and manager that is based on trust, grounded in confidentiality and focused on goals. On the organisation's side, HR sets up the process, ties it to a calendar and follows its result. This article covers the steps of the process together with HR's role at each step and summarises the headings on which senior management decides.

How Does the Executive Coaching Process Begin?

The process begins with a need. A manager appointed to a new role, a director whose area of responsibility is expanding or a candidate in the succession plan are natural candidates for coaching. HR reads the need from performance review records, 360-degree feedback and assessment centre reports.

The timing of coaching affects the result. Periods when a manager takes on a new responsibility, when the team grows or when the organisation enters a transformation offer strong ground for development. HR follows these periods through appointment decisions, organisational changes and succession plan updates and brings the coaching proposal to the agenda at the same time as the related decision. Coaching then moves on the same calendar as the manager's real agenda.

When the need is clear, HR defines three parties. The manager receiving coaching is the owner of the process. The senior manager to whom the manager reports takes the sponsor role and ensures that the goals fit the organisation's priorities. HR sets up the framework, calendar and record structure of the process. The definition of coaching and its contribution to the organisation are covered in detail in What Is Executive Coaching? Scope, Process and Contribution to the Organisation.

At the start, HR holds a preliminary meeting with the manager. In the meeting it discusses the purpose of coaching, the limits of confidentiality and the manager's expectation. The manager's voluntary participation becomes clear in this meeting. HR holds the same meeting with the sponsor and explains the sponsor's duties in the process.

The Steps of the Process and HR's Role at Each Step

The executive coaching process moves in six steps. HR takes on a different task at each step.

•      Need and goal framework. Together with the manager and the sponsor, HR defines two or three observable development goals.

•      Coach matching. From the coach pool, HR proposes candidates suited to the manager's role and goals. The manager chooses a coach after the introductory meetings.

•      Three-party agreement. The manager, the coach and the sponsor approve in writing the goals, the duration, the limits of confidentiality and the measurement method.

•      Coaching sessions. Sessions are planned between 6 and 8 according to need. HR follows the calendar, and the content of the session stays between coach and manager.

•      Mid-point review. In the middle of the process, the manager, the coach and the sponsor review progress on the goals and update a goal where needed.

•      Closing and follow-up. The manager summarises the gains and the behaviours to be sustained. HR sets the date of the follow-up meeting.

The order of the steps is fixed, while the duration changes according to the manager's need and the organisation's goals. For a newly appointed manager, the process is placed in the first months from the appointment date. For a role with expanding scope, the goals are written according to the new area of responsibility. For a candidate in the succession plan, the goals are derived from the competencies of the target position.

At the coach matching step, HR verifies in advance the training, sector experience and references of the coaches in the pool. It offers the manager two or three options. The manager making the choice strengthens ownership of the process.

The three-party agreement is the core document of the process. Alongside the goals, the agreement includes the responsibilities of the parties. The manager attends sessions prepared and applies the chosen behaviour at work between sessions. The coach runs the process in line with the ethical framework. The sponsor gives feedback to the manager and attends the mid-point review. HR ensures that the calendar runs and the documents are completed.

Each coaching session moves in a similar order. The manager shares the behaviour tried since the previous session and its result. The manager then sets the topic of the day. At the end of the session, the manager defines a concrete practice step for the next period. This order keeps the sessions tied to the goals and makes progress visible step by step.

Which Record Does HR Keep at Each Step?

In coaching, the content of the session is confidential, while process information is the organisation's record. HR defines this distinction at the outset and works with four documents. The first is the need form. The form includes the manager's role, the rationale for coaching and the expected result. The second is the three-party agreement. The third is the session calendar, which contains the date and completion information. The fourth is the goal follow-up summary. The manager prepares this summary, shares it with the sponsor, and HR adds it to the file.

This record structure gives confidence to both sides. The manager knows that what is said in the session stays with them. The sponsor sees progress on the goals regularly. Which information is shared with whom is written clearly in the agreement.

The record structure also allows the organisation to manage its coaching investment. HR follows in a single table how many managers receive coaching during the year, which stage the programmes are at and which goal headings stand out. The headings that stand out provide data for the training needs analysis and for the content of leadership development programmes. A process that runs one-to-one thus also feeds the organisation's overall development plan. All documents are kept in HR in line with confidentiality rules, and access is limited to the parties in the agreement.

HR also links the coaching process with other HR systems. Coaching goals are written in the same language as the headings in the competency model. The closing summary becomes an input to the manager's individual development plan and to the readiness assessment in the succession plan. We cover the method of following the result at organisation level in How Is the Organisational Effect of Coaching Measured?.

Duration, Budget and Result for Senior Management

C-level executives look for answers to three questions in the coaching decision. The first is duration. A programme of 6 to 8 sessions spreads over several months at intervals of two or three weeks. The second is budget. The budget is formed according to the number of managers receiving coaching, the number of sessions and the scope of the follow-up programme. HR prioritises the budget by manager group and presents senior management with a plan that includes options. The third is the result. The result is measured by progress on the behaviour goals defined in the agreement and by the change observed in the manager's team.

The sponsor's attitude in the process directly affects the result. A sponsor who attends the mid-point review and opens space for the manager to try the new behaviour speeds up the reflection of coaching in the work. The onboarding time of managers in critical roles shortens, delegation strengthens and decisions are conveyed clearly to the team.

Senior management also decides which manager groups will be offered coaching. HR prepares a priority ranking for this decision. The ranking includes critical positions, new appointments and candidates in the succession plan. Senior management assesses the ranking together with the organisation's strategic priorities and approves the annual coaching plan. Once the plan is approved, HR prepares the coach pool and the calendar accordingly.

Coaching is completed with the closing, while the gain continues with the follow-up programme. Kaan Böke Management Consulting's Executive Coaching & Tracking Programs design this continuity as a whole with the steps of planning, implementation and assessment of impact.

With 35+ years of corporate experience and a 25+ year C-level leadership perspective, we deliver strategic and practical solutions. You can contact us to set up a structured coaching process for your managers.