Executive Coaches

I came across a new paper cutting of 2001 today. I keep collecting interesting news paper items and keep them for long periods of time.

This news item starts with "on the trading floor at Merrill Lynch, a trader calls on 150 phone lines, filling orders for 20 blue chip stocks under his command. Above the din of TV broadcasts, he shouts over the intercom for help selling stocks he cannot seem to move."

The pace at the workplace demand peak performance - and he is lagging today, after a bad night with his sick baby.

Then he is approached by Don Greene, a sports psychologist and executive coach for a coaching session. Greene circulates weekly at Merrill Lynch and helps more than 50 traders overcome setbacks and regain the focus needed required to handle stock transactions worth billions of dollars each day.

Executive coaches such as Greene, part personal trainer and part psychologist are working in brokerage floors and executive suites.

Merrill Lynch gives me a free hand to talk to people one-on-one about their concerns, whether it's a poor decision at office or at home says Green.

Coaching is now part of the standard leardership development training for elite executives and talented up-coming executives at IBM, Motorola, JP MOrgan Chase, and Hewllett-Packard. These companies are discreetly giving their best prospects what star athletes have long had. A trusted adviser to help reach their goals.

IBM has 30 organizational psychologists to coach its top 300 managers. This initiative is delivering results said Tanya Clemons, the IBM Vice President overseeing executive development.

The most thorough coaches develop an action plan only after examining what factors are affecting job performance after consulting bosses, customers, subordinates and even spouses. Bob Kaplan, a founder of coaching firm Kaplan Devries of Greensboro, North Carolina says such a process acts as a mirror to an executive.

Coaching is about helping people see their strengths and develop their flat sides says Mark Lipton, an executive coach.

An article in Harvard Business Review by a sports psychologist comparing sportsmen and businessmen

How the Best of the Best Get Better and Better.
By: Jones, Graham,
Harvard Business Review, Jun2008, Vol. 86, Issue 6

For some important points made in the article visit
http://collection-mgmt-thoughts.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-best-of-best-get-better-and-better.html