FAQs re Executive Coaching and Our Practice: (GD refers to Gopal'GD'Shrikanth)

    Agenda:   
    The ‘Agenda’ for the Coaching initiative needs to be set jointly by the Sponsor(CEO/SBU), Client         
    (Strategy/HR) and the Coachee (Exec), to get the Coachee’s buy-in. For Minor Agenda Changes, the
    rationale and concurrence of all stakeholders is required-However, for Major Changes, it s best to     
    close the current contract and start a new one. This Agenda should be ideally reviewed at least once mid-
    way through the engagement.

    Bandwidth:
    We have the bandwidth to coach 100+ Coachees per month. ‘Conservative’ Assumptions...
    (a) Each Coachee: 1 Hour per session, once a fortnight or ½ Hour per session, once a week
    (b) Each Coach: 2 Coachees per day, 5 days a week i.e. 20 Coachees per month
    (c) Global Panel of 20 Coaches spending only their spare time (25%), coaching our Coachees
    Note: Our Coaches can coach upto 4 Coachees per day i.e. 200+ Coachees, as and when needed
    We expect this bandwidth to grow significantly over the next year.

    Board:      
    GD does NOT accept any position of ‘independent director’ to avoid any conflict of interest

    Client:      
    We use this term to define the Head of Strategy/HR who is main point of contact/signatory

    Coachee:
    The Executive being Coached

    Why Global Coaches:  
    -Do you really want frank and fearless feedback ?
    -Do you want to be pushed towards achieving your goals ?
    -Do you plan to work for a Multi-National at any time ?
    -Do you plan to travel abroad / work there any time ?
    -Do you currently / plan to interact with overseas Coachees ?
    -Do you wish to become more assertive and creative ?

    Confidentiality:
    Discussions between the Coachee and the Coach will NOT be divulged to the Sponsor/Client.

    Consulting:
    Ideal, if you’re trying to leverage global best practices, industry surveys etc. Coaching is invaluable during
    'implementation'.

    Duration:
    Tele sessions – Min 30 mins / Max 60 Mins
    Video sessions – Min 1 Hr / Max 2 Hrs
    Face-to-Face sessions – Min 1 Hr / Max 4 Hrs

    Effectiveness:        
    Is often measured by comparing the results of 360 degree surveys conducted ‘just before’ and ‘6         
    months’ after the commencement of a coaching engagement. A far better measure is to observe ‘day to
    day interaction indicators between the Coachee and the stakeholders’ before and after…

    Equity:    
    We accept equity in lieu of payments ONLY from start-ups that do not have sufficient funding to         
    engage an external executive coach. In all such cases, we will exit at the earliest opportunity to maintain an
    'arm's length' objective relationship.

    Ethics Code:
    We are a signatory to the International Coach Federation’s Code of Ethics

    Exceptions:
    Conflict of Interest situations  e.g. We will not ‘personally coach’ individuals working for our Corporate
    Clients, since such individuals will in most cases be planning for another career ‘.

    Expats:      
    Inbound-are best coached by India based Coaches
    Outbound–are best coached by our Global Panel of Coaches

    Face-to-Face:        
    Ideal for initial rapport building; Observation (shadow coaching) during Board Meetings / Business
    Reviews / Coachee Presentations etc

    Frequency:       
    Weekly-Works only for 'highly driven' individuals looking for a 'crash course'
    Fortnightly-Recommended in most cases, works when the agenda is a combination of short term & long term
    Monthly-Works when the agenda is ONLY long term
    Note: The Frequency is best determined on a ‘case to case’ basis

    Funding:
    Ideally, needs to come equally from the SBU as well as HR to ensure that the Coaching Agenda gives equal
    weightage to 'Business Objectives' and 'Development Needs'

    GlobalCoaches ideal for:
    *Ongoing support for Indian Execs being posted overseas
    *Ongoing support for Indian Execs dealing with overseas clients
    *Huge savings in lieu of taking an Indian Coach overseas
    *No uncertainty of visas for Indian Coaches

    Guarantee:
    No Coach can guarantee that behaviours or results will improve - Willingness rather than Capability, of
    the Coachee, is often what makes the difference in the results of a Coaching Relationship

    Guidelines:
    We will not pursue a Sponsor’s agenda that is detrimental to the career of a Coachee. Likewise, we will
    not support a Coachee’s agenda that is detrimental to the business of the Sponsor. Refer to Agenda…

    Hi-Pots:   
    Often invest in ‘personal coaching’ / skill development to give them an edge over their peers. However,
    they are most likely to become ‘entrepreneurs’ or seek greener pastures, IF the Sponsor cannot         
    create an ‘ innovation culture’ or plot a clear career path.

    Industries:       
    *Auto *Retail *Media *Ratings *Banking *Telecom *Logistics
    *Info.Tech *Securities *HiTech.Mfg. *Health Care *ProcessControl

    Infrastructure:
    We subscribe to ‘professional virtual meeting’ solutions such as 'Adobe Connect' and 'Cisco WebEx'
    that allow multiple participants – especially useful when the Coach / Coachee are travelling and need
    to discuss a presentation / document. We have also registered local landline numbers in several
    countries where our partner coaches are based, to facilitate discussions.

    Inputs:     
    Some of the key inputs are ‘360 degree feedback’, Employee Satisfaction Survey, Customer Satisfaction
    Survey, Exit Interviews of Team Members, ‘Career Plan’, ‘Goals & Metrics’, Last 3 Appraisals etc.

    Investors:
    Often hire Executive Coaches to protect their investments in the hands of non-business oriented
    Domain Experts, they have invested in.

    Languages:
    English, French, German, Spanish, Portugese, Chinese, Japanese

    Leverage:

    Limitations:
    Coaches are NOT an alternative to Mentors, Consultants, Lawyers, Chartered Accountants etc. However,
    using Coaches can improve coordination, implementation etc

    Location:
    On-site -for back to back sessions
    Off-site- for ‘uninterrupted’ sessions / confidential initiatives

    Mentoring:     
    Coaching is NOT a substitute for Mentoring - the two are complementary.

    Methodology:
    We follow Columbia University’s Coaching methodology that is aligned to International Coach Federation
    (ICF)

    Nominees:      
    Coaching initiatives are successful ONLY when they have a positive image within the organization:
    (a) as a reward for Top Performers
    (b) as a perk for ALL senior execs at the same Location / Level
    Note: We do NOT take up ‘out-placement’ assignments i.e. for poor performers on the verge of being fired

    Oversight:     
    GD personally oversees ALL our Coaching Assignments

    Pricing:         
    On Par with Senior Management Consultants with similar Ivy League Credentials and MNC Leadership
    Experience

    Rationale:     
    Implementation Support, Fearless Observer, Best Practices, Sounding Board etc

    Reporting:        
    Milestone reporting, as agreed in the coaching contract signed by the Sponsor, Client and Coachee
    will be done periodically.

    Retreats:        
    From 2010, we plan to organize ‘weekend retreats’ for small groups of CxOs, across organizations

    Scheduling:    
    For Face-To-Face sessions – at least 2 weeks in advance        
    For Video sessions              – at least 1 day in advance
    For Telecons                        - at least ½ a day in advance

    Shadow Coaching:  
    On-site - for meetings with internal stakeholders/ Client visits
    Off-site- in conjunction with our Global Panel for Coachee visits to Client sites / on-site team meetings

    Sponsor:        
    Normally, a visionary VC, CEO or SBU Head who seeks to develop himself / the next level of Execs

    Stake:            
    We are a privately held entity and have no plans to divest

    Takeover:       
    In line with our Ethics Code, we will takeover Coaching engagements midway, ONLY if                     
    (a) the previous Coach gives his consent in writing
    (b) for reasons of emigration, relocation, reemployment, illness etc

    Tenure: (Recommended)
    12 Months – esp for Level 1 Execs e.g. C-Level Execs, Partners
      6 Months – esp for Level 2 Execs e.g. VPs, Directors, GMs etc
      3 Months – esp for Level 3 Execs e.g. Dy GMs, AVPs etc
    Note: The more senior the Exec, the longer the tenure !

    Timings:         
    Normally, 6am to 10pm India time i.e. 7:30am-11:30pm US EST Mon-Sat
    Note: We offer local time support globally, leveraging our global panel

    Training:  
    We are capable of Training ‘HR & Line’ Managers as ‘Internal Coaches’, leveraging our Global Panel of
    Certified Coaches. This is useful to bring about a ‘coaching culture’ within the organization.
    Note: Most senior execs prefer an External Coach for fear of confidentiality

    Travel:      
    Our ‘blended’ rates cover Travel Costs for our India based coaches. However, please provide for
    Business Class Tickets and 5 Star Hotels for our Global Coaches travelling to India.

    Weekend Support:      
    Saturdays – sessions can be arranged
    Sundays    -  only emergency sessions
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