Jane Creswell, CEO of Internal Impact. Founder of the IBM Coaches Network, currently 500 coaches representing IBM in more than 25 countries. The following transcript contains paraphrased responses to questions and has been approved by Ms. Creswell.
Motivation
Was there an event or observation that compelled you to consider coaching as a profession?
I’ve always been mission driven. My journey into coaching began when I served in a children’s ministry to migrant farm workers in Northeast Alabama. I noticed that parents would not permit their children to participate in the program if they were mistreated or disrespected by farmers who employed them to work in the fields. I began to wonder if people in corporate workplaces responded a similar way. More specifically, I wondered whether people might be more open to the gospel if workplace behaviors were based on biblical principles. When I returned to college I decided to minor in business to prepare for a career in business and decided to interview with only companies listed among the Fortune 500. I was hired by IBM after graduation.
I was not a very good programmer. But I was a good team leader and manager. I experienced challenging work and good growth but after several years realized I needed to prepare for a career after IBM. I heard about the new and emerging field of business coaching that seemed to match with my management style, I signed up for an evening class on coaching. I signed my first client within 30 days. I still worked for IBM during the day. I began using my coaching skills intentionally with my team and found improvement. But I also made another observation, that my non-employee clients made better improvements than those on my team. Employees are not as open with a supervisor than they are with an independent coach.
At that point I approached my new boss with a proposition. I wanted to serve as a coach, not as a manager. The boss agreed to a six month trial. If successful, she would work with me to create a formal role of coach. If not successful, I would probably lose my job, since lack of success meant my internal coaching clients had failed to make performance improvements. So we tried it and it worked so well that a new position and new organizational unit was born. I became the first coach at IBM and launched the IBM Coaches Network. This network has grown to over 500 coaches from more than 20 countries, worldwide.
What might be a typical (if there is such a thing) success story in coaching?
Most coaching engagements occur over a range of three to twelve months, with many lasting for about six months. When I began I met with clients every other week. But now I meet weekly with them for the first month or two to establish a trusting foundation and then move to a bi-weekly schedule. By the end of six months the client has identified a problem or need, developed a plan, and made progress. We review the progress at that time and decide whether to continue in the same manner or with changes. This framework is most often triggered by a need in the business that can be addressed by personal change.
How has coaching others changed you?
I’ve learned not to be as controlling as I used to be. I used to think “getting things done” meant “doing things my way.” I have learned to let go of that control. Sometimes others’ plans for themselves seemed like a foreign language. I could not understand their point of view. I was critical, but not so much anymore. Now I ask questions that prompt the client’s thinking and decision-making and do not do their work for them.
I’ve also learned to shut down the coaching role when not with a client. When you let go of control you don’t ask coaching questions until asked. I learned to be comfortable in my own skin and do not have to be “on” 24/7 to contribute value and I am a better coach for it. This seems counter-intuitive but the more quiet I am the more attractive I am as a coach.
Operations
At some point you decided to teach others how to coach. What prompted this decision?
My stated personal mission is “to create a more humane workplace.” It doesn’t matter whether I am coaching or another qualified coach is. If I can develop coaches I am achieving this mission. Recently I spoke at the World Business and Executive Coaching Summit before an audience of 11,000 coaches. My topic was “internal coaching,” which had not been addressed in any significant coaching literature. Speaking at this event gave those in attendance knowledge they did not have access to from any other source.
You’ve started businesses that include teaching coaching, writing, speaking, consulting, developing teams. Delivering these services and products required an administrative structure called a business, which also includes many things, planning, organizing, licensing, publishing financial management, personnel management, legal Were any of the tasks required to accomplish these operational duties outside of your range of expertise? How did you address these responsibilities?
The operational tasks were not a natural fit for me and it is one of the biggest challenges of being an entrepreneur. My husband is a detail person and has been very supportive. In the early years he took care of things like invoicing and software issues and I hired a lawyer and a bookkeeper. Eventually I recruited multiple partners and one of them is now responsible for all operations.
Are good coaches also good managers?
I don’t believe most coaches are good managers or that most managers are good coaches. The skill sets required for each role are different. Managers focus on details and are involved in checking & follow-up, and they engage in team motivation and some leadership skills. A coach is more interested in the individual and how they grow and develop. My experience in the workplace indicated good project managers were not usually good at people management and vice versa, so in that organization there has been an intentional shift from project management skill development to a talent management orientation.
Marketing
The word-of-mouth referral method is reputed to be the best marketing tool available in coaching. Is this true in your experience?
The word-of-mouth approach is where you start when launching a coaching business and it can lead to a lot of business. So I don’t discount it, but its not enough. There must be other methods and for my firm this is still a work in progress – finding the combination that works best for us.
Have you been surprised that a particular marketing segment (i.e., Cub Scout Leaders or Senior Citizens) has been more responsive to coaching than you expected?
Yes. My pastor asked me about my coaching business so I told him about it. He became very excited and introduced me to someone who asked me to teach pastors how to coach. Although I declined his offer about ten times, I eventually agreed to teach one course. About 25 pastors attended and this led to a whole different business called Coach Approach Ministries. I’ve taught hundreds of pastors how to coach and also co-authored a seminary curriculum (multiple courses), which is taught to students training to become pastors. The course is so popular many pastors and lay people audit the course just for the training
Do you envision a time when coaching will become institutionalized? In other words, that it will have a formal employee-role in organizations. Would this be a good thing, or maybe not?
I’ve spent every waking moment since becoming a coach in 1997 trying to institutionalize coaching. I believe it will happen. I just met with a representative of a large international government agency that plans to incorporate coaching as an employee development strategy throughout its organization. Some coaches are fearful that broad development of coaching skills among workers might dilute their expertise. But I believe the opposite is true. During my years in technology development the IT industry planned for a day when there would be a PC in every home. Programmers at that time saw this as a threat, thinking all people would learn enough about programming that they [programmers] would not be needed. But the opposite occurred. More people using computers led to exponential growth in programming needs. And that is what will happen with coaching. People will appreciate it and expect more high quality coaching.
