Do Not Run

Some organizations offer one-on-one coaching only to certain employees. Others take the "leader as coach" approach. Some do both. Still others put coaching cultures in place that include formal one-on-one coaching and top-down situational coaching, plus bottom-up and peer-to-peer coaching. To determine which type of structure is best for your organization, look no further than your organization's business goals, strategy, and needs—as well as the issues coaching is meant to address.

>>Get execs and senior managers to participate in coaching themselves; then—and only then—roll out the program to the rest of the organization.

>> Most of those new to both coaching and being coached resist it because they either don't know what coaching is or are uncomfortable transitioning away from more traditional approaches to management. "Coaching is a creative process," says ICF's Kay Cannon. "Most tend to agree it is about listening, not giving advice. It is about providing a forum and venue for people to explore their interests, issues, needs, desires, and challenges —and a place for them to work toward bettering themselves."

>> Don't use "coaching" as a code word for remedial action, recommends Verizon Business Executive Coach Paul Higuchi. Instead, use it to reward and encourage. At Higuchi's company, for example, coaching is cast as a developmental opportunity to increase the effectiveness of high performers. "In other words, you have to be an A or B player to be enrolled," he says.

>> This requires companies to place trust in both coaches and coachees to move forward with the best interests of the company in mind. "You can spend too much time worrying about talking about a guy's marriage," says TMaG's David Berry. "But I guarantee you that what's going on in the marriage is also going on, to some extent, with his peers and reports. If he has a trusted outlet to go to with his problems, however, he'll be able to focus on work more effectively."