In the ebb and flow of leadership and organizational development trends, coaching definitely is in. This begs the question: Is coaching merely a fad or an indispensable management tool?
Motivational speakers, business gurus, workshop leaders and evangelists might all call themselves coaches....at least while the term is still hot. Anyone can call himself or herself a coach, hang out a shingle and charge anywhere from $100 an hour to $20,000 per day. Like good art, the value of coaching seems destined to be defined in the eyes of beholders more than by a professional credentialing organization.
Coaching certainly has a faddish side, despite more than 20 years as a mainstay of organizational development, copious affirming efficacy research and annual U.S. coaching fees estimated at $1 billion, according to the Harvard Business Review.
As mid-level managers rise within the corporate culture, it becomes time to get an MBA from a recognized university. These managers may seek the help of an executive career coach to help them get through the application process...just like they would if they were ready to 'jump ship' from their employer to a better job at a new employer.
Consultants estimate that about a quarter of applicants to top-tier programs pay for help on their MBA school applications. Growing numbers of applicants--including, increasingly, foreign students--and a relatively static number of slots make hiring a coach a way to stand out.
Admissions officers acknowledge that coaches generally advise MBA hopefuls rather than writing their entire applications. "The type of help varies widely," says Mae Jennifer Shores, an admissions officer at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. "Our concern is when consultants are used to write essays."
Many top programs have explicit policies against outside help. Stanford Graduate School of Business' website warns that applicants "cross a line when a piece of the application ceases to be exclusively yours in either thought or word." Admissions officers are two minds about this: Coaching is OK; manufacturing entire applications isn't.
So it's buyer beware but don't underestimate the power of coaching. Instead, understand just what it is you're buying with a coach and why.
Sources: BusinessWeek, June 4, 2007 and Chief Learning Officer Magazine, September 2006