Senior leaders are pushing back on coaching interventions. How can you win them over?

Figure out what are they actually pushing back. "Coaching intervention" is a concept in their mind and they would have given their meaning to what it is. What specifically in a coaching intervention are they pushing back? What are their reasons? What are their assumptions? How do you know they are really pushing back the coaching intervention, not something else? At the end of the day coach asks questions and these are good questions to ask!!

Empathy is the hallmark of a great Coach! Their resistance means you need to work on establishing Trust, first. Understanding their resist is the initial step toward addressing their concerns. Resistance may stem from a fear of vulnerability, past negative experiences with coaching, or a perception that coaching is unnecessary for their level of expertise. To address these issues, it’s important to listen actively and empathetically to any reservations. Creating a safe space is a must! Encourage open dialogue and ask questions to uncover the root causes of their skepticism. By understanding their perspective, you can then tailor your approach to better meet their needs and alleviate their concerns.

1. Showcase Evidence: Present data and case studies demonstrating the success of coaching interventions. 2. Align with Goals: Link coaching benefits directly to their strategic objectives and business outcomes. 3. Pilot Programs: Offer a trial coaching program to demonstrate value with minimal risk. 4. Highlight ROI: Emphasize the financial and productivity returns from investing in coaching. 5. Involve Them: Engage senior leaders in designing the coaching approach to ensure it meets their needs.

Most times resistance is due to insecurity due to lack of clarity of end goals or lack of communication from key stakeholders. Once these are in place, things flow and minds open up to new possibilities.

Understand the reason to resist! At times it is a resistance to unknown, a fear of unknown, some insecurities, probably lack of clarity on the outcomes and eng goals. Foster a dailogue / open communication and address.

Trust is the glue of coaching relationship. Building trust is crucial in overcoming any resistance. Focus on establishing trust by demonstrating genuine interest in their development and being consistently reliable and transparent. Share your background and experience to show credibility, but also focus on creating an equal partnership. Make it clear that the coaching process is collaborative. Show respect for the whole person- their expertise, feelings and their context, and ensure that confidentiality is maintained. Building a rapport and establishing trust takes time, so be patient and consistent in your efforts. Trust is the foundation and without it, progress can be slow or even impossible.

Coaching improves individual performance and productivity, leading to better overall company performance. It also increases employee motivation and satisfaction by making them feel valued and invested in, which enhances their morale. Leadership development is another key benefit, as coaching equips leaders with tools and insights to make better decisions, manage teams effectively, and inspire their employees. Additionally, coaching helps both employees and leaders adapt to change, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. Investing in coaching also aids in retaining top talent, as employees are more likely to stay with a company committed to their growth.

Most of the times I've found that the clients (sr. leaders in this case) do not understand 'coaching'. It is best to offer a trial. If it is organization led - inform the need to the clients and make that the objective. If self led - focus on the objectives. Get the coaching agreement done, highlight the clause on confidentiality & non disclosure. One clients see some quick gains, I think it will help building acceptance.

In my view, the biggest driver of most of the senior executives is ROI. Their logical mind always look for benefits from time/ money invested. Hence, one of the way to get senior executives onboard for coaching intervention is bringing ROI in conversation.

It’s not about push and win. They are challenging the possibility of an outcome which matters to them. So in the beginning set the path to understand their goals and then a convincing process to meet their objectives. They matter a more to a mentor than himself or herself.

There is no substitute to actually experiencing working with a coach. So getting a leader to work with one or a couple of coaches (with different styles/approaches) for 1 or 2 sessions is a great way to introduce the leader to coaching and assess for themselves if it is something that works for them.