Business Management

Bluckert (2005) examined the coaching relationship as a critical success factor in executive coaching. He set out the characteristics of a successful coaching relationship and how to establish it. His findings were that the relationship is not just a critical success factor, but also arguably the critical success factor in successful coaching outcomes. Key characteristics of the coaching relationship such as rapport, trust, support, and challenge were critically examined and found to be vital to coaching success. Bluckert's arguments point to a need to direct the emphasis of coach training more strongly toward the core competencies needed in the development of the coaching relationship.

It has been suggested in the literature that variables to success using executive coaching include the coach's experience, education, coach training, and methods used (Blackman, 2006; Joo, 2005; Kampa-Kokesh, & Anderson, 2001; Stevens, 2005; Turner, 2006; Wasylyshyn, 2003). The same researchers found that superior executive coaches have been found to use varying protocols, assessments, and relationship-building techniques. As mentioned earlier, these coaches have enjoyed successful practices, despite their anecdotal approaches.

Many, if not most of the superior executive coaches, rely upon an academic background to propel them into the higher echelon of coaching. Many up-and-coming executive coaches, who possess graduate degrees, and have completed training with coaching institutions, do not experience similar accomplishment. With the desire in the coaching industry to rely upon empirically validated training, it becomes important to understand the core competencies developed and possessed by superior executive coaches.

One of the more intriguing areas of potential research for the expanded use of executive coaching concerns Wasylyshyn's (2003) assertion that executive coaches should be well versed in the use of soft skills. According to Wasylyshyn, with regard to psychology, there are certain general psychological skills essential for effective executive coaching, including interpersonal effectiveness, listening, empathy for widely differing groups, patience, adaptability, analytical problem solving, creativity, and humor. Those executive coaches who have found it difficult to break into the upper echelon of corporate coaching and do not possess a psychological background have been found to lack proficiency with soft skills.

With the aforementioned research findings considered together, this may assist the executive coach in adopting core competencies and practices possessed by superior coaches. This ability may render executive coaching more useful and effective by helping to establish a closer coach/client relationship quicker through a system of core competencies that incorporates effective interpersonal skills and assessment techniques.