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From: 2008 Sherpa Coaching Studywww.sherpacoaching.com
“Why Are Executive Coaches Used?
“In the early days of coaching, most efforts were directed toward problem-solving and “career saves”. An executive who wasn’t living up to expectations was the most likely to receive coaching. This created a stigma, in certain circles, about coaching: “There must be something wrong, or you wouldn’t need a coach.”
There’s now meaningful movement toward providing executive coaching as a pro-active move. More coaching is now devoted to developing leadership, and a smaller share of coaching is designed to address specific problems. As a result, having an executive coach is not a sure sign of trouble any more. In fact, it’s become a status symbol, the mark of an up and coming leader being groomed for greater possibilities.
The Sherpa survey asked coaches, HR professionals and coaching clients to share the ways they saw coaching used. Coaching is becoming a more widely used leadership development tool. Over three years’ time, the use of coaching primarily for leadership development has picked up from 43% to 50%. In the same timeframe, coaching to address a specific problem or challenge has dropped from a previous high of 37%, down to 32% in the 2008 survey. The remaining 19% of respondents tell us that executive coaching is most needed by people in transition: promotions, transfers and new hires.
Compared to 2006, about seven percent of coaching has moved from specific problem-solving to general leadership development. In a billion-dollar business, that represents re-allocation of $70 million dollars over 2006.
Among those who purchase or use coaching services, 70% feel executive coaching is most appropriate for people who need leadership development.”
