About the Author
Donna Karlin CEC, founder of A Better Perspective™ has pioneered the specialized practice of Shadow Coaching™ with global political and senior organizational leaders in the public and private sectors.
Donna uses an adaptable and comprehensive approach in working with her clients that enables her to understand individuals and their worlds sufficiently to design coaching that shifts their developmental level. Donna is an author, speaker and lectures internationally. In response to widely expressed interest to her highly successful and innovative approach to coaching, she established the School of Shadow Coaching™ to enable others to learn the practice.
Donna’s work has been written up in Fast Company Magazine, The National Post, The Globe and Mail, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Personal Success Magazine, as well as in numerous online articles including BusinessListening.com, The Training Report, and SelfGrowth.com. She recently co-authored the best selling book ‘101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life’ with Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy and Jim Rohn. Donna writes a weekly column for Fast Company called “Jumping Into the Deep End of Leadership” and is an Executive and Political Leadership Expert for SelfGrowth.com. Her blog Perspectives™ is subscribed to by readers from 127 countries and territories.
She has a proven track record in developing sustainable leadership.
See All Posts by This Author
May 2nd, 2008 •
Related •
Filed Under
One of my biggest challenges when coaching within an organization is to develop a collaborative relationship and get buy-in with the HR department. HR professionals have morphed into the nuts and bolts of staffing, however some have no idea what coaching is, never mind support it. Not only that, in a number of cases, as the HR staff think they know what coaching is, they may call themselves coaches (with no training whatsoever), and attempt to convince the powers that be that external coaches aren’t necessary…that they can do the job just as well or even better.
Do you think that HR professionals feel threatened by the presence of a coach? Should we develop an awareness or info session to define the differences between the roles of a coach and the HR department? What are your thoughts about the best ways to get HR professionals on board to support the coaching intervention? Or do you think organizational coaches should bypass the HR departments altogether, and work only with organizational leadership?
Popularity: 25% [?]
Comment by Christine Heinrichs on 3 May 2008:
It depends on the HR department, whether they are focused on a mission of maximizing the employees’ careers and contributions to the firm’s success or the corporate management sees the employees as leeches that are dragging profits down. Training HR in coaching techniques could make the department much more successful. There may be studies out there that document the financial advantages of positive HR that could help make the case.
Comment by Donna Karlin on 4 May 2008:
My concern with training HR departments in coaching techniques is creating a whole new wave of amateur practitioners. If we are to protect the integrity of our field of practice I think we need to define our roles and how we might work well together. I don’t believe coaches should dabble in HR initiatives just like I don’t believe HR should be pseudo coaches. Holding an awareness session with them so they know what we’re about and to see how we can work collaboratively together might do the trick.
Thoughts on this?
Thanks..
Donna
Comment by Leonardo Ravier on 6 May 2008:
1) Do you think that HR professionals feel threatened by the presence of a coach?
I do not think they feel necessarily threatened, but rather a genuine desire to be able to “do the same” as we do. Many responsible for human resources are approaching these functions (of the HR department) because they understand that there is the more “human” face of the company. Finally, the vast majority, end up doing routine tasks, administrative and even “hypocrites” within the company. Therefore, these people see in coaching a “new opportunity” to approach the more “human” face of the company, and perhaps feel a “healthy envy” that invites them to want to do the same.
Anyway, the threat can always exist (especially if unaware of the role of coaching).
2) Should we develop an awareness or info session to define the differences between the roles of a coach and the HR department?
Yes. I believe it is essential to have a briefing where we explain the “complementary” differences to both professions.
3) What are your thoughts about the best ways to get HR professionals on board to support the coaching intervention? Or do you think organizational coaches should bypass the HR departments altogether, and work only with organizational leadership?
It depends. It is always better to have the support of an internal department, especially the HR (as long as they understand our roles and objectives and support). If is not the HR department, it is good to have an internal “prescriber”, or link (even one person). Ultimately, he would be an interlocutor that can keep abreast of the process, and will also assume certain responsibilities, so that the process of coaching is as efficient as possible.
Comment by Carol Braddick on 15 May 2008:
I’ve had some great HR partners who’ve added a lot of value to coaching engagements. They’ve signed up to do more of what they already did - know what the exec is trying to change, observe the exec in action, notice his or her impact and give more frequent and richer feedback. The HR BP (the main HR person) that attends the leadership team meetings on which the exec sits or leads can be a great source of feedback. They can also be a great post coaching resource.
If an HR BP isn’t capable of doing this or isn’t invited to the “table”, the BP might already be feeling threatened and uncertain,and not just because an external coach is around.