There are many different types of coaches – for the sake of this blog, let’s define them in two categories: the internal coach is employed by the organisation, and uses coaching as part of or all of their job. The external coach is not employed by the organisation, and is brought in from outside to provide coaching support, usually on a paid basis.
There are pros and cons of each type of coach, from the organisation’s perspective. From the coach’s perspective, it’s important to understand how the internal vs external dynamic may affect our approach. In a previous blog I explored the challenges for internal coaches – and in this one, let’s focus on external coaches.
How is external coaching organised?
There are a number of ways that an external coach finds themselves coaching within organisations. The main ones are:
- They are on the organisation’s approved coaches’ list. They are invited to provide coaching and are allocated coachees to work with.
- They work for a partner or sister organisation. And are invited in as part of a team of coaches, offering coaching support.
- They have a professional relationship with an individual within the organisation, often a senior person. So they are booked directly by that person to coach them.
Each of these ways is a legitimate way to secure coaching contracts, and each of them gives the opportunity to provide coaching support. But these ways of contracting also give rise to challenges….
External coaches: the challenges they face
Limited sight of the learning and development strategy
Often external coaches have limited sight of the organisation’s overall learning and development strategy. They are a small cog in a much larger process. This can be frustrating for the coach. There may be unexpressed outcomes and purposes hoped for from the coaching. Good organisations will choose to share wider strategic objectives with external coaches, but many don’t!
Allocation of coachees
The coach will often be allocated people to work with who they don’t yet know. This means that the initial job of relationship building and contracting has an extra layer of complexity. This is because the coachee hasn’t chosen us, the coach, themselves.
Challenging how coaching is being deployed
In an ideal world, coaching is used for professional growth. But often it is used as a remedial process, to tackle underachievement. Or it is used as an alternative to good management practices of supporting struggling staff. It is hard to challenge this type of usage of coaching when invited in as a hired hand. Simply said, our voices have less impact than those of internal coaches.
Reporting back to the sponsor
Sometimes (often!) sponsors want to be involved in the coaching process. They may give the coach secret briefings, ask for progress updates, and expect specific outcomes. External coaches need to be quite courageous to resist this, and to explain why the coaching relationship deserves privacy.
Lack of control over the process
Organisations change quite dynamically at times, and this can have an impact on the coaching arrangements. External coaching may get cancelled at short notice, when a contract isn’t completed. Coachees may be promoted, transferred or otherwise deployed, making coaching impossible for them. And there is the feast or famine problem – coaches may be allocated lots of coachees at one point, and very few at another.
Working in isolation
Unlike internal coaches, external coaches are unlikely to be brought together and work as a collective unit. This means that there is a lack of overall unity in the coaching approach. This in itself may impact on coaching outcomes.
These challenges are not impossible to overcome, but they are good to be aware of. Often coaches who are new to external coaching get caught up in the internal dynamics of the organisation. It is hard to resist requests to be influenced by the sponsor, so this is understandable. Or they accept poor conditions and arrangements. Being able to overcome these difficulties not only helps the organisation. It also helps the coach to grow and stretch.
External coaches: the advantages they have
The list above could also be turned to the coach’s advantage. And in addition, there are more advantages:
- External coaches don’t have to be burdened by too much knowledge about the organisation. They are free from worrying how decisions coachees make may impact on specific organisational structures, or members of staff. In short, they are free to coach the coachee to the outcomes that the coachee is looking for.
- There is a lightness and a curiosity to how external coaches are able to coach, because of the above point. The coaching comes from a place of genuine enquiry.
- External coaches may be able to help the organisation develop good practice for deployment and organisation of coaching. Some of the items in the challenges section of this blog come about because the organisation may not have experience in organising coaching. The external coach can help with protocols, paperwork and arrangements. And these will make things better all round (including for future coaches who come along!)
- The experience of coaching people in a number of organisations gives the coach more experience. The coach will have a wide repertoire of experiences, questions and approaches that they can use to enhance the coaching experience.
- The emperor’s new clothes! As in that story, the coach may ask a revealing question simply because they notice or hear something that doesn’t sound right. They will not have the “that’s the way things work round here” blinkers that most people get when they are the insiders.
- The coachee may feel freer and more relaxed in talking to an external coach. Of course, the internal coach will be highly professional and will respect confidentiality. And yet, there is some reassurance about being able to talk to an outsider, and to let go of any internal/organisational worries.
So what tips are there for external coaches?
Since 2007 we have been working as external coaches within organisations. And in addition we have trained many coaches, who then go on to become external coaches. And these are the top tips some of these coaches have shared:
Ask for the big picture
Be informed as to the wider purpose of a coaching engagement, and can see how it meets organisational goals. This will allow you to focus on the coaching, and not worry about not supporting an agenda that you don’t know about!
Contract with the sponsor
Treat it as a norm that the organisation will accept standard contracting with the coachee and with them. Make sure they understand the need for confidentiality between coach and coachee.
Take opportunities to add value
It may become clear that the organisation or sponsor don’t have a strong system or a good understanding of how to contract coaching. So work with them to help them develop a good process. Provide examples, resources and experience for this.
Be brought into the centre
If you are booked by one individual to coach them, ask to be introduced to HR or the department responsible for staff development. Having them know about you gives you and them the best chance of creating something long term and sustainable, as a coaching relationship.
Suggest your ideal contract length
If you have a coaching package, consider that to be the norm of how you will work with each client. If the organisation wants something different, and it looks like it is good practice, then go with that. But if they want something different, which isn’t good practice (too few sessions, too spaced apart..), notice this. Then respectfully suggest your package is the one to use.
Final thoughts
The external vs internal coach debate can continue. Hopefully from the two blogs on this subject you can see that there are benefits to both approaches. External coaches are hugely important to organisations, offer great extra value and support long term growth. As external coaches it is our job to make sure that we stick to good practice, help organisations develop good systems, and give our coachees great outcomes.
Happy coaching.
If you’re a coach looking to frow your coaching business, and you think you could do with some help, please get in touch.
