Becoming an Executive Coachee - the new, essential guide to being coached. - written exclusively for company executives on how to set up, maintain and get most benefit out of executive coaching.

The co-authors, Michael Carroll and Maria Gilbert maintain that not having preparation in being a coachee for Company Executives dramatically affects the motivation and effectiveness which reduces the financial payback of even the best executive coaching.

This manual puts the coachee at the centre of the whole coaching arrangement
so it is an excellent resource for Coaches, Learning and Development Managers, HR Directors and coaching trainers.
It is packed with enabling resources and knowledge, so that the coachee is fully empowered to engage with the process and can move forward to becoming a self-directed learner. Pragmatic guidance is given ranging from preparation for coaching sessions across to presentations on the six basic foundations types of learning.

All written in accessible language, with fully engaging exercises in easily-digestable self-contained sections.

Becoming an Executive Coachee
By starting with a declaration of Executive Coachee rights and responsibilities Carroll and Gilbert set the tone and direction of the manual. It clearly demonstrates their driving principle, that the individual being coached must be held as the central customer and owner of the coaching programme.

This manual will provide an excellent curriculum for preparing Executives for coaching programme and support for those already recieving coaching.

The self-directed learner:-

The highly practical yet engaging manual provides information and learning for the Executive coacher to move to the position of self direction, where he can align the coaching effort to his working environment and personal learning challenges.

The manual covers -

  • The Executive Coaching Relationship (or Choosing the right coach)
  • The Executive Coaching Contract
  • The Executive Coaching Conversation
  • Issues in Executive Coaching
  • Executive Coachee Skills:-

All supported by a number of practice examples and exercises.

The manual is based on solid executive coaching theory and practice. It is not just a simple “How to do” book but it leads the coachee through steps of understanding what executive coaching means, recognising the importance of contracts, 
Throughout, the manual holds together the various stakeholders in the executive coaching arrangements – the organisation, the executive, the coaching company (at times) and the executive coach. Dealing systemically with these various players in the coaching field is not an easy task for the coachee and so contracts, confidentiality, giving feedback, evaluating and dialogue become central features of what coachees need to do.

Vital learning skills preparation

Even the type of learning is looked at in some detail: do the executives want to learn skills, competencies, capabilities: do they want to develop themselves or be involved in transformational learning? Are they problem-solving or engaged in deep change?
The six key types of learning covered are:

  • Learning how to learn
  • Learning how to reflect
  • Learning how to give and receive feedback
  • Learning emotional awareness
  • Learning realistic self evaluation
  • Learning how to dialogue
  • Dealing with Problems in Executive Coaching

Carroll and Gilbert have good credentials for writing this book.  Both are psychologists, both psychotherapists, both executive coaches and trainers of coaches.  Carroll runs an Advanced Diploma in Coaching Supervision (validated by Middlesex University) and Gilbert is a progamme leader of the new MSc in Coaching Psychology/MA in Psychological Coaching at Metanoia Institute (validated by South Bank University). The manual draws heavily on their experience and each chapter ends with a case example and a series of review questions for coachees.

The full title of the book is:  Carroll, M. and Gilbert, M. (2008) Becoming an Executive Coachee: Creating Learning Partnerships.  London: Vukani Publications. (ISBN Number: 978-0-9551139-1-8). It can be purchased from Vukani Publishing and is available from 1st October 2008.