By Gary Markle
Chief Catalyst & Creator of Catalytic Coaching
What if one key leader’s development going from “Good” to “Great” could make your company another $10 million in the next five years?
That’s worth investing in, right?
An insightful CEO recently told me that he had exactly that opportunity in front of him. He saw massive growth potential in his business and was confident he had selected the ideal COO to rise up and actualize that potential. The biggest throttle on ultimate success, in his mind, was his ability to coach her. Coaching was a skill he’d been working on for years, but he wasn’t willing to gamble $10 million on either his methodology or proficiency.
He had heard enough to know that Catalytic Coaching was a vastly better way to guide developmental growth. But he wished to leave nothing to chance. So for him we created Catalytic Coaching for High Impact Cases.
High Impact Case Catalytic Coaching is an “In with both feet” approach that skips the classroom and dives straight into actual coaching. Instruction is provided “Just-in-Time” and only when relevant. The goal is not to teach Catalytic Coaching in general, but to strategically implement Catalytic Coaching for this one high stakes case.
Modelled after the In-Flight Training component of a more systemic Catalytic Coaching implementation, this technique brings together the CEO and a key direct report for a unique experience that rapidly strengthens burgeoning coaching skills. Like it’s predecessor, the High Impact Case Approach takes a coaching dyad through the entire process under the watchful guidance of a senior trainer/facilitator.
The main difference is time. In this case, with Zoom as a serendipitous delivery enhancer, we were able to spend as much time as the executive duo needed to carefully craft a reliable path to that $10 million.
We normally deliver In-Flight Training sessions while onsite with a client that is newly launching Catalytic Coaching. The experience is compressed into just four hours because budget and travel schedules don’t allow for more. Every working minute is squeezed from those few hours so that the power of Catalytic Coaching can be demonstrated with key leaders at the top of the organization. This is particularly important when the first person the CEO coaches using this new discipline is the next most strategic officer of the organization. In-Flight training allows us to set a superior benchmark for a key leader who will then try to replicate that experience for many others.
Our on-site, in-the-room format has held steady for the past twenty years and has empowered my senior trainers and me to oversee hundreds of amazing experiences. We’ve facilitated immediate breakthroughs on longstanding problems. We’ve helped key leaders make decisions to step up and others to step down. We’ve helped people ask for help, vent, and feel appreciated. At times an In-Flight Training exercise has led to the reorganization of an entire company.
But… no one had ever put an eight-figure value to the impact of a coaching experience before. So, I asked myself what we can do to guarantee a “Great” coaching outcome.
This is where the convenience of virtual Zoom-based delivery really paid off. With no planes or hotels required, we slowed down and stretched out the process and spent more time on each step. Maintaining a focused goal of improving the COO, we opted to concentrate exclusively on what was mission critical for her development. We postponed any discussion of implementing full Catalytic Coaching for the larger organization. We reinforced each step of the way with extra time and cooperative oversight. From a rushed four hours, we expanded to eight and then ten hours saturated with purpose. The delivery schedule also stretched out over a few weeks to give everyone time to get the most out of the coaching process without artificially disrupting their demanding schedules.
Decisions were made at every crossroads to take the path that would maximize the quality of the outcome. Through the flexibility of online video conferencing, we were able to enhance the final experience for both CEO and COO. Deep, impactful conversations bridged the three of us across three different time zones.
We got off to an excellent start with the Yellow Employee Input sheet. If you’re unfamiliar with Catalytic Coaching, the completion and review of this document is the focal point of the first step. It’s filled out by the person being coached and gives valuable insight into how they view their accomplishments, disappointments, relationships, and ambitions. We not only confirmed what the CEO had expected but gained more awareness about the personal motivation and ultimate aspirations of the COO.
Our next step brought us to the Blue Coaching Worksheet. This is, arguably, the most important phase of the Catalytic Coaching process. I used the Catalytic Coaching Online software to help the CEO draft and refine Strengths, Focus Areas, and Development Recommendations. We then used it to properly record and document each Headline, Clarifying Statement, and Example. This is where we really drilled down on what would propel COO growth from “Good” to “Great.”
An added bonus of the expanded High Impact Case Approach to Catalytic Coaching format was allowing time to solicit input and endorsement from three Board members who performed the traditional oversight role. Their perspective validated and enhanced the themes and examples previously drafted by the CEO. They were also quick to offer concrete suggestions for Development Recommendations. It was clear that they were all-in with respect to helping the COO in her quest for success.
After receiving the Blue Sheet, the COO stated that she felt both deeply understood and genuinely appreciated. She agreed with the positive impact that would be made by concentrating growth efforts on each of the Focus Areas. This left the CEO feeling personally satisfied knowing he had done his absolute best to guide her on the path to both succession and success.
Then it was time for the COO and I to get her Green Development Plan fleshed out. This step hands the reins back to the individual being coached and puts them in charge of their own developmental goals. They take the Focus Areas and Development Recommendations from their Coach and create SMART goals that can be stewarded over the next year, once approved.
Our final act was for me to watch the COO deliver the Green Sheet to her CEO coach. Seeing the hard work pay off as they formally finalized their plans was immensely satisfying. Not unexpectedly, the COO wrapped up her final comments by saying that for her to accomplish her now clearly defined growth goals, her executive direct reports will “all need a focused developmental plan, too.”
But with the High Impact Case Approach to Catalytic Coaching, that is a subject for another day.
So, what can you do to coach for millions?
● Don’t underestimate the impact. What is perhaps most unusual in this case is not the extreme value placed on the COO’s successful development, but rather the CEO’s wisdom in assigning it a proper price tag.
● Know that Good may not be Good Enough. Our goal for this mission critical coaching experience was not a passing grade. The three of us, as a team, were obsessed with earning an A+. With millions at stake, why would you consider anything else?
● Get help when trying something new. The CEO in the above-cited case study is a very good communicator, but he was opting to take a new approach to a developmental challenge he’s had mixed results on in the past. Contracting with a Sherpa to guide him up a mountain he’s not yet scaled, dramatically increased his chance for success and reduced the time needed to make it happen.
● Solicit other stakeholders. Taking the time to get buy-in from the boss’ boss (in this case, key Board members) provided invaluable insight to the person being coached. It also invested them further in her development and growth.
● Strategically pick your battles. Sometimes the best is worth it. While few of us can afford the best of everything, most of us can afford the best of something. Pick wisely and then indulge mightily.
A CEO’s time is valuable. Your time is valuable. When your coaching has mission critical importance, make it High Impact.
Garold (Gary) Markle is the creator of Catalytic Coaching and author of Catalytic Coaching: The End of the Performance Review.
He brings real world experience from 17 years in HR leadership in major corporations coupled with over 20 years of teaching small and mid-sized organizations how to cultivate their leadership and speed their pace of significant change.
