HOLLYWOOD actors have gurus; British executives have coaches. Coaching is the current fashion in today’s corporate world.
But as with all crazes, not everyone is thinking before they dive in. A survey of 15,000 organisations shows that 38 per cent of coaches do as they please and the employer has no idea of what is being taught.
Karen Dempsey, the editor of Personnel Today (Jan 10) says: “Just because everyone else is doing it, doesn’t mean it will suit your organisation.” She calls for managers to ensure that coaching fits organisational goals and says that “instead of leaving coaches to their own devices, perhaps HR could push for a set of agreed standards to ensure that . . . money invested in coaching is [not] wasted”.