Internal vs. External Executive Coach
- Which is Right for You?
The latest
trend in large corporations is hiring coaches into the HR Department as
employees. It can work for the corporation - but is it the best answer
for you?
Corporations are always looking for ways
to grow their business and control their costs - and coaching is becoming
known as a way of increasing the quality and quantity of output while
increasing efficiency of the entire organization. Consequently,
corporations are looking to lower the cost of coaching so they can use it
more widely among their staff. One way the are approaching this is to
hire coaches as employees. Will you and your corporation get the best
results by taking this approach? What pros and cons are there to using
internal or external coaches? Let's look at it from the
perspective of both the person undergoing coaching and the corporation
funding the coaching.
Business Knowledge
Let's face it, no one knows your business like one of your
fellow employees. If the corporate vision has been clearly communicated, then
the internal coach-employee will know it. Also, the internal coach
will know your corporate culture and goals and is more likely to be familiar
with the personalities with whom you interact.
The external coach, on the other hand, is more likely to
have worked with individuals in companies that are similar to yours in terms
of industry, stage of growth and organizational structure and culture.
She may even have worked in a company similar to yours before becoming an external
coach, thus being familiar with both sides of the table
(coach and employee). Consequently, the external coach is more likely
to be well positioned to help introduce new thoughts into the company.
Sometimes, the external coach is perceived as not
understanding your business or industry. This can actually be an
advantage, as your external coach will bring forth questions that will not
be constrained by knowledge of the "customary" way of doing business, thus
potentially opening paths to substantial growth.
Objectivity
Your internal coach's familiarity with office politics and
personalities may be an advantage in helping you learn what you contribute
to the success and emotional climate of the organization.
Because your external coach is not part of the company,
there is less likelihood that she will be wearing the same organizational
blinders that inhibit the success of your company (see
Why Hire a Coach?). Consequently, your
external coach is more likely to identify ways that your corporate culture
and beliefs affect your success.
Confidentiality
The coaching relationship is a sacred trust.
Unfortunately, you may be one of the many people who do not trust their
Human Resources Department. Additionally, you may also feel that going
to an internal coach is like divulging sensitive information to someone
living in your neighborhood. Even if your neighbor keeps your trust,
you may have feelings about what you have shared and feel inhibited every
time you encounter him. As a consequence, many individuals simply will
not open up very deeply to an internal coach. If that is what you
experience, then you need an external coach for the coaching to go beyond
being superficial and to provide you with the
benefits you should receive.
Independent Sounding Board
Often, people look to their coach to be an independent
sounding board for their ideas. With an external coach, you know
you've got someone who has no agenda for you, other than for you to be or do
what you choose. This can be a difficult point for many internal coaches,
because the corporation has expectations of them. They are part of the
system and that makes total independence more difficult to achieve.
Cost
Cost is a big motivator for companies to hire internal
coaches. Your internal coach is there all the time and can work with
many employees. Alternatively, your internal coach may have other
part-time responsibilities, typically within Human Resources. As a
coaching client, you may or may not see that as an advantage, as it may mean
that in her second position, your coach is involved in matters that may
concern you.
Availability
Some executives and managers like having an internal coach
around because the coach can be called anytime - and is expected to
interrupt whatever she is doing, as long as she is not in a client
conference. Your external coach is much more likely to depend more on
scheduled meetings, although he probably tries to be as accessible as
possible during normal working hours for quick calls or e-mails.
View other
coaching concepts.
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