In absence of ROI based measures for success of coaching, we need to assess its value with qualitative data. In a way, the market has spoken. Many of the world’s most admired corporations, from General Electric to Goldman Sachs, invest in executive coaching of their leaders and potential leaders.

It is remarkable how many smart, highly motivated managers rarely pause to contemplate their own behavior. Coaching gets them to slow down, gain awareness, and notice the effects of their actions. This enables them to be more aware of choices they make, instead of just reacting to their situation.

In most coaching engagements there are three parties — the coach, the coachee and the client (organization). The coach is most interested in the overlap of coachee's personal development goals and organizational needs. The coach helps leaders adapt to new responsibilities, reduce dysfunctional behavior, promote teamwork, facilitate succession, and support change initiatives.

For measurement of success, 360 assessments are often focused on specific coaching goals and using the same stakeholders to rate the executives before and after coaching. They help objectively measure the degree of perceived change in the coachee. They also give colleagues a chance to reconsider their views. Otherwise, first impressions tend to stick in spite of a remarkable change in individual's behavior. Read Full Post