To examine the corporate coaching field, researchers from Harvard Business Review conducted a survey of 140 top coaches.

They found that the leading reasons for hiring a coach were developing the talents of high-potential executives, acting as a sounding board, and tackling failure-prone behavior.

The average hourly cost of coaching was found to be approximately $500 per hour, about equivalent to what a leading psychiatrist in Manhattan charges.

Very few coaches are specifically hired to address personal issues, according to the survey, but the vast majority of coaches nevertheless end up helping executives with personal matters.

Respondents had mixed views on such things as the need for certification or psychological training for coaches. The researchers also found that although coaching is seen as an increasingly important business tool, the core components of the sector have yet to solidify.

Corporate coach Ram Charan believes that as the business environment becomes more complex, coaches will become part of executives' learning process and facilitate judgment in critical areas. He also predicted that the coaching sector will remain disjointed until after a few coaches merge forces to create a brand.

As an aside, International Coaching Federation (ICF) is the governing body for coach training and certification. I truly believe the ICF has done a fantastic job of creating a body of knowledge for coaching, a code of ethics and certification guidelines for all coaches.  Myself, as well as my coaching peers, believe that consistency, training and certification continues to grow through ICF's direction.  Thanks, Anissa

 

The full article can be read in Harvard Business Review (01/09) by Kauffman, Carol; Coutu, Diane 

I love how Barack Obama has built his cabinet and going about his presidency.  First, he is someone who is not afraid to talk about books he has read or is reading.  If you haven't read Doris Kearns Goodwin's book about Lincoln, and one that Obama has shared as an inspriration to his own thinking, you are missing a historical treat.

Second, this is a leader who believes in the big picture, the vision of this country, and less about himself.  He selected Hilary Clinton as Secretary of State for the betterment of this country, regardless of their political history. He has selected many to his cabinet that are more experienced, learned, and skilled than he in many ways. This has not deterred him from selecting anyone. Obama is not afraid to learn from others; not afraid to be upstaged by another's talents.  This is something all leaders should aspire instead of squandering the very people resources that could take organizations to new heights of success.

He is leaning on Republicans as much as Democrats to rebuild our economy, resolve our commitment to the wars, and to restore our image as a world leader.  I am encouraged by his leadership and truly hope that four years from now, our sense of leadership is reshaped toward our followers, toward emotional intelligence, toward servant leadersip, and less around the 'one'.  What do you think? Anissa

Organizations are responding to employees' need for more flexible working hours. A survey by the Families and Work Institute found that 68 percent of all organizations polled offer flextime, but 79 percent of employees said they need more flexibility.

Another study by the National Study of the Changing Workforce revealed the same results, with 67 percent of 2,810 employees polled complaining they do not spend enough time with their children, and 63 percent saying they do not spend enough time with their spouses.

Of the employees extended flextime, 68 percent of men and 79 percent of women availed themselves of it. The study found that organizations with flexible work schedules tend to operate more efficiently and have a higher rate of retention than companies with rigid business hours.

At companies that were the most flexible, 66 percent of employees reported high rates of job engagement and commitment, and 72 percent planned to stay with their employer.

In addition to retaining top talent, the Families and Work Institute's survey found that flexible business practices attract new talent, improve productivity, raise morale and job satisfaction, and reduce stress or burnout.

excerpted from the article: Work-Life Balance: Making Flextime Work for Your Firm
Managing Benefits Plans (12/08) Vol. 2008, No. 12

In an interview, David M. Sluss, assistant professor of management at the University of South Carolina's Moore School of Business, says the real action with regard to business training occurs in the cubicles, and not in the corporate board room. Sluss, who writes about the relationship between a new employee and his or her immediate supervisor in a forthcoming article in the journal Organization Science, maintains that strategy implementation is ultimately determined by how people work together.

New employees who are mentored and receive support and assistance during their first few months on the job are likely to be more satisfied and less likely to look for employment elsewhere. Organizations have structured orientation programs, but they also want managers to serve as mentors, which is more psycho-social in that there is a focus on how the person is doing and how they are making strides in their career, according to Sluss.

Such programs are important and should be continued, but managers should be able to provide new workers with a realistic assessment of the organization, help the newcomer navigate the organization, and create a positive mood amongst the team that leads to positive feelings about the organization. Basic supervisory skills training for managers should focus on new hires, and they should be trained to understand the psychological point of view of the newcomer, says Sluss.

excerpted from the article:  Who's Your Supervisor?
Business and Economic Review (Quarter4, 2008) Vol. 55, No. 1, P. 19; Sluss, David M.