“I began my executive coaching career more than 20 years ago—long before it had a label,” says Joan Caruso, Managing Director of Organizational Effectiveness Consulting at The Ayers Group. “It’s exciting that people have come to understand what executive coaching is about. At the same time, it’s disappointing that the barriers to entry have become so low almost anyone can qualify as a coach.
“Certifying organizations are proliferating,” she continues. “My research shows that, in almost all cases, anyone who pays and completes the programs they offer is certified as a coach—regardless of personal suitability to fulfill the functions required of an executive coach.”
The Ayers Group has rigid standards for its executive coaches. “We use criteria that, to me, are far more important than the process that makes someone a certified executive coach today,” Caruso says. “We’re not interested in anyone learning how to coach at our clients’ expense.” To be part of the firm’s OEC practice, a coach must have all of the following:
- an advanced degree in organizational development or behavior, or an MBA with a concentration in organization behavior
- corporate experience in an OD capacity
- a demonstrated track record as an executive coach
The firm’s high standards have won it a reputation for excellence in the marketplace. “Clients find our approach refreshing, and it really gives us a competitive advantage,” Caruso observes. ”We’ve worked with companies that have waived their rigorous internal screening processes in recognition of how demanding we are in vetting coaches. We have a client that had been working with a stable of providers but within three months of establishing our relationship began entrusting us with all of its new executive coaching assignments—again, because we demonstrated such high standards."
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"One of the many things that impresses me about the coaches we are using from The Ayers Group is that they are seasoned professionals with years of corporate HR/OD experience. Understanding the business context and systemic nature of leadership issues is paramount to a successful coaching engagement at our organization."
HR/ODExecutive, Risk Management & Professional Services Firm |
Caruso points out that another key differentiator is the Chinese Wall Ayers maintains between its Career Transition and OEC practices. Although many of the firm’s outplacement counselors readily meet the executive coaching criteria, they are not permitted to move between the practices.
“It’s important, from the client perspective, that we not send mixed signals,” Caruso explains. “Being coached by someone known to the client organization as an outplacement counselor may be viewed as a signal that the coachee is only a step from dismissal. As an executive coach, you want to be welcomed and regarded as someone who can help people achieve growth and excellence, not ease them into outplacement. Other outplacement firms that have coaching practices tend to commingle the two practices, but we’re as rigorous a in maintaining a separation of the practices as we are in maintaining our standards."