Are you an executive or people leader ready to level up your, your teams’ and organization’s game? Executive coaching is the secret sauce to achieving your goals and unlocking your full potential. 

Successful organizations know the competitive advantage of ongoing development for leaders and the benefits of providing coaching aligned with your grand strategy. Coaching also amps up employee engagement, turning your team members into motivated rockstars who are ready to give it their all. And the best part? Coaching develops a killer bench strength throughout your organization, creating a lineup of rising stars who are ready to rock the stage and take on bigger roles.

Coaching clients report that they improve relationships (73%), communication skills (72%), interpersonal skills (71%), work performance (70%), work/life balance (67%), wellness (63%), self-esteem or self-confidence (80%) thanks to coaching. (2009 ICF Global Coaching Study)

But wait, should you go for an internal coach or an external coach? Buckle up, because we're diving into the pros and cons of each approach to address the unique benefits they offer to help you and your organization find the perfect coaching match.

External Coaches: Fresh Perspectives and Insights

It's time to break free from the ordinary! External coaches bring a whirlwind of diverse experiences from various industries and organizations. These mavericks offer mind-blowing insights and best practices that'll shake things up in your organization. They'll help you unlock new possibilities for growth, guide you through challenges, and help you reach those professional and personal goals with style. Get ready to fuel innovation and drive positive change like never before!

But hey, guess what? External coaches are more than just wingmen. They create a safe space where you can let your guard down and explore with vulnerability. No reservations, no holding back! They have no stake in the success of the organization and will be entirely focused on you. 

Which also means you know they’ll always be delivering frank feedback and direction without fear. They provide objective perspectives, essential constructive feedback, and help uncover blind spots that may hinder an executive's progress. These skilled and understanding coaches will be your trusted partners, supporting you as you soar to new heights.

When you work with external coaches, it also gives each coachee the opportunity to find the right fit — in style, personality or even specialties. As long as the coach is certified by the International Coaching Federation you are in good hands, but you also want to look forward to meeting with your coach. Providing the bio of a selection of executive coaches for coachees to interview and choose from facilitates relationship development and personal agency from the get-go.

If you are seeking an executive coach just for yourself (and are paying yourself) or a few people, than working with an external coach may also be the more cost effective approach.

Organizations that use coaching perform 14% better than organizations that don’t. (Jones, R.J., 2015, Journal of Occupational & Organizational Psychology) 

The median company return on investment was 700%, or seven times the initial investment in coaching. (ICF 2009)

There’s a 50% chance a new executive will fail or leave the organization within their first 18 months. The cause of most transition failures is not poor selection or gaps in competence, but rather what happens during onboarding and assimilation. Executive (integration) coaching is the answer. (HBR 2017)

Internal Coaches: Tailored Interventions and Seamless Integration

Okay, let's take a U-turn and explore the internal coaching world. Picture this: an insider who knows your organization like the back of their hand. An internal coach dives deep into your culture, values, and challenges to deliver coaching interventions customized just for you and your organization. They'll be your secret weapon, addressing specific needs, identifying trends and driving real results in partnership with your people leaders while maintaining coachee confidentiality.

Internal coaches are able to provide continuous support, personalized guidance, and targeted interventions to keep you on track even when you’re incredibly busy. Think of them as your 24/7 sidekick, always by your side, ensuring your growth never hits the pause button. Together, you'll form an unstoppable team that conquers obstacles and celebrates victories!

Seamless integration is the name of the game. An internal coach becomes part of your organization's workflow, aligning coaching objectives with strategic goals in collaboration with HR and leadership teams. Your coach will be plugged into the matrix of your organization, ensuring a cohesive and effective coaching approach - from new leader integration and succession planning, to hi-potential and leadership coaching, to company-wide group coaching and training.

While you will be adding an overhead position cost-wise, you'll be amazed at how smoothly everything falls into place when you develop a coaching culture! If you have more than 5 people you’d like to receive coaching on a regular basis, then hiring an internal executive coach and/or a large coaching platform like BetterUp could be more cost effective.

With a culture of coaching, you can foster open communication, a growth mindset, continuous learning, and accountability, leading to higher engagement, improved individual and team performance, and ultimately, greater success for your organization.

A meta-analysis of 18 studies of coaching in organizational settings showed that coaching has a relatively large effect on clients’ coping capacities and resilience, subjective well-being, attitudes, performance, and goal-attainment. (The Journal of Positive Psychology)

51% of organizations with strong coaching cultures report a higher revenue than similar companies. 62% of employees in those organizations rate themselves as highly engaged. (Human Capital Institute)

Which Approach Will Help You Most?

It's decision time! Internal or external, which coaching adventure suits your needs? Both options bring unique advantages to the table. External coaches offer fresh perspectives, a safe space for vulnerability, and the opportunity for each employee to find the best fit. Internal coaches provide personal and organizational-tailored interventions, seamless integration, and continuous support. No matter which approach you go with, an executive coach will be your dedicated partner, ensuring your and your teams’ development never skips a beat.

Get Started, Today!

Ready to level up, achieve greatness, and become the rockstar executive you were born to be? Have a team or organization you know will benefit from a coaching culture? Set up a discovery call and let’s talk about how I might be able to help you as an external or internal coach!