Coached to Lead
Susan Battley’s new book Coached to Lead (1) explains how to achieve extraordinary results with an executive coach. It is recommended reading for the coaching client as well as for professional coaches. Battley presents a series of strong arguments to support her contention that executives become better with the help of executive coaches.
But, how do you pick the right coach? How do you hire a coach? How do you know if you are a good candidate for coaching? What benefits can you expect to attain? How much does executive coaching cost? How long does the coaching process last usually?
The book is proceeds to answer these questions. It is a true consumer’s guide for prospective coachees. It is the first such book I have encountered. Drawing on 20 years of experience, Battley offers step-by-step advice for achieving great results from coaching. Tips, real-life cases, checklists and sample documents make up the book.
For example, she presents a sample checklist on how to choose the right coach for yourself: (to be ranked as Superior (1); Satisfactory (2); Unsatisfactory (3)
Coach Competency Domains
1. Experience-based knowledge; real-world smarts and relevant work experience
2. Educational credentials; formal education, professional certifications
3. Coaching competency; formal training and experience coaching others
4. Ethics based competency; subscribes to formal code; provides written guidelines
5. Personality and style; trustworthy, clear communicator, good listener, positive attitude, self-confident, nondefensive, likable
6. Oher compatibility factors: fee range and terms, schedule compatibility.
Coached to Lead is filled with much useful information that will help anyone who considers working with a professional coach to make smart decisions that will maximize the experience.
(1) Battley, S. Coached to Lead; Jossey-Bass, 2006, 249pp.
