O
rganizations are demanding a high return for their coaching investment
dollar. Accordingly, best practice coaches must deliver levels of produc-
tivity, effectiveness, innovation, and impact that could not otherwise have
been obtained. Selecting the right coach for
the organization’s specific needs is
the basis for producing those superior results. But the power of that
coaching engagement flows from:
• The structure of the relationship
• The coach’s skill in moving the coachee toward high impact goals
• The coachee’s commitment and willingness to change
The coach-coachee relationship is best described as a partnership, one in
which both sides work to reach an agreed-upon destination. Obviously, nei-
ther coach nor coachee could get to the goal alone. From such mutual re-
liance, confidence, trust, and even friendship develop along the way.
The relationship is not one of equals, however. The coach, not the
coachee, controls the pace and direction of the journey. It is within the
coach’s realm of responsibility to set the ground rules; collect the necessary
information; assess, analyze, and judge the situation; define the right action
plan; push or prod accordingly; monitor progress; adjust approach as
required; and deliver the goods. All of this needs to be done openly and with
the full cooperation of the coachee—but the coach’s skill, experience, and
adaptability are driving the process.
The coachee has his or her own responsibilities. As in any form of coun-
seling that is oriented around change,
the coachee must commit to the
hard work, risk, and awkwardness that are part of real, sustained impact. In
other words, the coachee must take ownership over his or her own progress,
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