A systematic review of executive coaching outcomes: Is it the journey or the destination that matters the most?

In this article, we focus on a specific type of personal and professional development practice -executive coaching- and present the most extensive systematic review of executive coaching outcome studies published in peer-reviewed scholarly journals to date. We focus only on coaching provided by external coaches to organizational members. Our purpose is twofold: First, to present and evaluate how executive coaching outcome studies are designed and researched (particularly regarding methodological rigor and context-sensitivity). Secondly, to provide a comprehensive review of what we know about executive coaching outcomes, what are the contextual drivers that affect coaching interventions and what the current gaps in our understanding of coaching practice. On that basis, we discuss and provide a research agenda that might significantly shift the field. We argue that methodological rigor is as important as context-sensitivity in the design of executive coaching outcome studies. We conclude with a discussion of implications for practice.     

Life-Coaching als Bestandteil von Führungskräfte-Coaching

Executive coaching represents a significant tool of human resources development and is applied to strengthen leadership and management skills. Regardless of specific professional issues on and around the job itself, experience reveals that personal issues should also represent an integral constituent of executive coaching. Indeed, managers do not only encounter professional challenges, but are challenged in their whole personality. Hence, executive coaching expands to life coaching. Based on a specific case study regarding work life balance the following article illustrates how life coaching may successfully be applied in a systematic manner and how the aspects function and human being are mutually dependent.     

Evaluation von Coaching

Evaluation of executive coaching — an inquiry of coaches and clientsThe variables, the effects and the connection between variables and effects of executive coaching are examined in a questionnaire study with coaches and clients. The results show that executive coaching represents an effective intervention that positively affects both the client’s self-reflection and his/her behaviour. The client’s willingness to change and his/her intensity of suffering prove to be good predictors of success in achieving the desired effects. From the coach’s perspective these factors include the intelligibility of the coaching concept and a participative procedure. Additionally, the influence of the relationship on the coaching results is identified, resembling findings in psychotherapy research. Coach and client tend to agree with regard to their perception of the coaching process.     

Coaching von Führungskräften aus Expertenorganisationen

In this text, the particularities of the situation of executives in expert organizations are discussed. Then four cases are described, in which (1) the problems that bring leaders from expert organizations into coaching are illustrated, (2) the respective coaching interventions are described and (3) the key concepts that were in the coaching helpful are summarized. Finally, some thoughts what is in executive coaching from expert organizations useful are discussed.     

Wirksamkeitsforschung im Führungskräfte-Coaching

In the article the author refers to his first paper reviewing 22 empirical studies in the field of executive coaching (cf. OSC 12, 3, 2005). Furthermore eight new studies are presented and existing research is critically analyzed. As a result implications for further research are suggested. Though the body of empirical research is still sparse and most of the reported studies had severe limitations, they provide evidence that coaching works. Access to the field of executive coaching is considered difficult for researchers but will be crucial for future research. It is hypothesized that conventional research focusing on average and not on individual changes is perceived neither helpful nor useful by practitioners. To meet practitioners’ needs, a client focused research is advocated.     

Erfolgsfaktoren beim Einzel-Coaching

Success factors of executive coaching. A screening of the coaching scenery from the client’s point of viewThis survey, based on questionnaires, examines the success factors of one-to-one coaching from the client point of view. Firstly, ten success factors in coaching were established by means of factor analysis. Secondly, more extensive analysis shows that, contrary to previous research in this field, the “professional system” is not necessarily a determining success factor in coaching. As an exclusive instrument of staff development, coaching seems to be effective even without support from the professional system. The analysis also indicates that the clients perceive their coach as an advisor and confidant as regards role expectations. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis discloses the predictive effects of the two success factors “the coach’s qualification” and “the coach’s involvement” for the overall success of coaching from the client’s point of view. The overall success of coaching itself is established through three items: the clients’ attitudes towards coaching, their attitude concerning further coaching, and the extent to which their objectives were met in coaching.     

Coaching im internationalen Kontext

Executives working globally have increasing demands for coaching. International coaches need to understand the complexity and dynamics of global executive challenges beyond intercultural concepts. The author offers concepts and tools that bridge the worlds of global executives and the practice of coaching. She offers an easy to use translation between the degree and level of internationalization of an organization on one side and the competences needed for global executives on the other side. She tells the story of three real-life coaching cases. She discusses consequences of global executive coaching – using these cases – in four dimensions: content, social, space and time. Finally, she develops recommendations for global coaching and lists the unique requirements for coaches working internationally.     

Aus Fehlern Iernen

Learning from blunders. Experiences of an executive coach with problems and solutionsNot too often, even rarely, we are in a situation to talk about blunders or shortcomings within our coaching community. That really is a pity, because a discussion like this combined with reflection and feed back is the best and only way for a coach to avoid professional mistakes in his future. So this article is “somehow another kind” of contribution. The author reports his own 18 years of “blunder-experience” as well as professional mistakes of other coaches which he observed in mentor coachings and supervisions, he suggests outcomes, consequences and solutions. Topics are: Anger, aggression and “struggles of power” within the coaching process; dependence versus (internal) independence of a coach; transference and counter-transference within the coaching process; peanut politics within a coaching process. Result: the coach himself, his core values, his boldness directed to social risks and to natural consequences — combined with appreciative conversation and respecting clients — makes out the core dissolving capacity. Without mentor coaching and professional supervision every coach would be trapped into his personal “trap of mistakes” — and even worse: without recognizing this dilemma.     

Das „Achieve Coaching Model“®" Ein systematischer Ansatz für größere Wirksamkeit im Executive Coaching

The ?Achieve Coaching Model“®. A systematic approach to greater effectiveness in executive coaching The article describes some of the results of an international best practice study that aimed to identify what successful coaches do to achieve consistent tangible coaching results. The analysis of the primary and secondary data resulted in a new coaching model, that has received international recognition and proved to be successful and valuable in practice — the Achieve Coaching Model®. The article describes the seven steps of the model, underpins it with information from the study and the authors international coaching practice and concrete behaviours of coaches that yielded continuously positive results in a coaching setting.     

Stolpersteine weiblicher Karrieren Was Frauen hindert,erfolgreich zu sein

Stumbling blocks of female careersBased on numerous coaching situations with female executives and, above all, with women who were just about to become an executive (or maybe rather not?), the author discusses some systematic thoughts which seem to be crucial in inhibiting female careers. They emerge in coaching situations again and again and a solution has to be provided. The psychoanalytic background of the author is a most helpful instrument in the diagnosis of “typical stumbling blocks”, which is of course in a coaching situation used in a different way than in a analytical setting.     

Career paths for women physician executives

The career path leading toward being a physician executive is similar for men and women, but there are some issues that have unique elements for women. Thus, any person interested in developing a medical management career can follow the advice in the following pages, but it is especially useful for women or for those who are coaching women in career development and management.     

Die Differenzen zwischen Supervision und Coaching

The difference between supervision and coachingThe difference between supervision and coaching This article discusses the difference between coaching and supervision. There are three relevant points: (1) Supervision and coaching deal with different groups in the organisations; (2) coaching is more personal development, supervision more for the self experience; (3) Supervision is change from the bottom and coaching change from the top.     

Praxisbegleitung – ein Konzept für die Führungskräfteentwicklung

Colleagues’ monitoring – a concept for executive development. The article presents the concept of Colleagues’ monitoring that combines the following formats: coaching, organisational and professional development. The program which is structured in a compact and modular way, has been for years successfully applied by the management consultancy relations. Methodically the following three elements are essential: to work on concrete personal management topics, the structured consultation with colleagues and to become acquainted with the concepts of organisational development, management and consultancy. The program is an on-going learning-process in a fixed group for six meetings during one year on a regular basis.     

Konfliktcoaching einer Schulleiterin

Conflict-coaching of a headmistressThe author describes the process of conflict coaching. A newly appointed headmistress encountered a high conflict-potential when taking over this position. During the process of coaching appropriate strategies for conflict will be developed and necessary preparations will be made. As an extension of management-competencies the executive receives support from the coach.     

Leadership development:: A review in context

Interest in leadership development is strong, especially among practitioners. Nonetheless, there is conceptual confusion regarding distinctions between leader and leadership development, as well as disconnection between the practice of leadership development and its scientific foundation. The present review examines the field of leadership development through three contextual lenses: (1) understanding the difference between leader development and leadership development (conceptual context); (2) reviewing how state-of-the-art development is being conducted in the context of ongoing organizational work (practice context); and (3) summarizing previous research that has implications for leadership development (research context). The overall purpose is to bridge the practice and science of leadership development by showing the importance of building both human and social capital in organizations. Specific practices that are reviewed include 360-degree feedback and executive coaching, mentoring and networking, and job assignments and action learning. Practices and research are framed in terms of a general need to link leader development, which is primarily based on enhancing human capital, with leadership development that emphasizes the creation of social capital in organizations.     

Coaching in der Software-Branche

Coaching in the software development industry. The author describes the basic principles and starting points of a coaching concept within the context of the software development industry. The structures and processes in this context create a special need for support that can be addressed by different forms of coaching. A company-specific coaching concept has to define the goals and rationality of coaching, to determine the different ways coaching is requested and provided and to outline the overall strategy to introduce and to integrate coaching within the organization. The special need for coaching is related to the communication-intensive collaboration within software development teams and the complexity of the overall process. In particular forms of internal coaching are discussed to address these needs and a way of implementing an internal coaching pool is sketched.     

Wirkungen von Führungskräfte-Coachings in der Sozialen Arbeit

The article analyses effects and changes of executive personnel in social work, who joined coaching trainings. Base of data are 18 Interviews with managers. Coaching training is realized effective for improving personnel management with regard to.     

Kontraktgestaltung im Coaching

The importance of precise coaching-agreements in organisationsThis article brings attention to the importance in maintaining a regulatory framework within coaching and, in particular, in contracting and clarifying the relationships. These frameworks are necessary to achieve the positive effects of coaching persons within an organisation. Typical pitfalls for managers are described where the responsibilities of the client and executive are neglected or ignored. These perspectives are illustrated by a case study.     

Quo vadis ... Orientierungshilfen durch Coaching und Karriereberatung — Eine Einzelfallstudie

Quo vadis — Coaching and career counseling as guidance. A case study The individual case study presents coaching and career counseling as effective and efficient strategies for personnel development, particularly as it regards its ?exclusive“ potential: Contents, methods and counseling process can be adapted to the executive’s concern, person and background, adjustable in time and with precision. Public administrations and private enterprises, both in ?profit“ and ?non-profit“ areas, will therefore increasingly (have to) make use of this professional form of management counseling, since successful personnel management has established itself as a decisive factor for business success a long time ago.     

Auslandsentsendungen – ein Ansatz zum Einzel- und Paarcoaching

Using different case studies the author concentrates on the analysis of international assignments with regard to executive and couple coaching. It becomes clear that the success of assignments abroad largely depends on the modalities (with vs. without family) and duration of the stay, the expatriates´ cross-cultural competence and the cultural dimensions of the host country. Coaching helps to improve the work-life-balance against the background of an imminent culture shock.