Recommended Flow of Activities for an Executive Coaching Assignment:

Section 1: Preparing for Coaching

• The Facilitator, a person who is senior to the person being coached, will kick-off the Coaching assignment by stating the objectives, and “pushing the boat” for the Coach and the Executive(s)to be coached (hereinafter referred to as “Executive”). This Facilitator will continue to be the Executive Sponsor for the Coaching assignment.
• The Coach and the Executive to utilize the first session or two to get familiar with each other, views, outcomes, and styles.
• The Executive to confirm that (s)he is OK to go forward with the Coach.
• The Coach will conduct 360-degree feedback interviews with 12-15 executives chosen by the Executive.
• The Coach will present the 360-degree feedback report to the Executive in complete confidence. The Coach will not, under any circumstances, share the 360-degree feedback report with anyone else, inside, or outside.
• The agenda for each of the Coaching sessions will have items, questions and talking points that will be determined, dictated and/or requested by the Executive.

Section 2: The Coaching Session

• The Agenda for each Coaching session could have items from, but not limited to, the following sources:
  • Points from the 360-degree feedback report
  • Executive’s personal Vision/Goals and Personal/Professional road-map
  • Anecdotes from work for which the Executive may seek clarification or advice from the Coach
• At the end of each session, the agenda for the next three sessions to be agreed upon, between Coach and Executive.
• The venue and duration of sessions to be finalized to the mutual convenience of the Coach and the Executive.
• One Coaching session is recommended every 3-4 weeks, and the HR function will ensure that the Executive makes the space in his/her calendar to make this happen.
• The Coach can share broad Personal Development Goals (PDGs) that will be addressed as part of the Coaching assignment, with the HR department.
• The pace of moving towards agreed milestones in the Coaching process will also be a function of the comfort levels of the Executive.
• The Coach may have one monthly feedback session (typically a 30-minute session in person or over phone) with the Executive Sponsor. This session will only be on the request of the Executive Sponsor and will always be in the presence of the Coachee.
• It is understood that Coaching sessions could include, but not limited to conceptual inputs, personalized training, practice, meetings with industry peers, readings, advice & guidance for specific situations, assignments, “What-if” analyses, hand-holding, observation of the Executive at work, reality checks, feedback sessions and/or mere chats on apparently peripheral issues.
• When the Coach or the Executive feels that the goals of the Coaching assignment have been achieved, we inform the HR about arranging for a Closure.

Section 3: The Closure

• The Closure calls for a presentation by the Executive to his peers, bosses and/or subordinates on the actions he intends to now take on himself, because of all the Coaching received. The rules of this Closure are as follows:
  • The Executive has the sole discretion to decide who will be present at this presentation.
  • One HR representative will be mandatorily present at this Closure Presentation. Additional HR presence will need the Executive’s approval.
  • The Executive will start by talking about the high-level areas in his/her personal and professional behaviours and conduct that (s)he intends to address.
  • As a personal and mandatory commitment, the Presentation will also have specific actions to be taken by the Executive with dates by when the concerned colleagues can confirm the change in the Executive.
  • The Executive can choose either a peer or a boss to monitor the change committed, and confirm that the change has, indeed, happened.
  • In the absence of the Executive choosing the people to monitor the change in him/her, the HR will automatically become the monitoring authority.