« Vol 4, Issue 4, Spring 2005

A New Way to Capacity: Executive Coaches

Professional athletes have long had coaches. Corporate CEOs by the hundreds now benefit from their services and support. So why aren't nonprofit executive directors, typically far more strapped for help than their private sector counterparts, using the services of a new breed of executive coaches focusing on the nonprofit sector?

The answer, according to recent focus groups on executive coaching funded by The James Irvine Foundation, has two parts.

For one, many executive directors of nonprofit organizations, especially newer ones, simply aren't aware of the option. "They may be in leadership roles for the first time, and they don't know what they don't know. And many are not aware of the resources out there to help them specifically with their leadership development," says Diane Schweitzer, a consultant to philanthropy who conducted the focus groups.

"Coaching is often an overlooked tool," says Martha Campbell, Irvine's Vice President for Programs. "We were surprised that many of the executive directors in our focus groups didn't know about executive coaching - in particular, how flexible and customized and powerful that kind of support can be."

The second reason why the growing supply of coaches for nonprofit executives still goes untapped is more complicated: many nonprofit executives simply aren't willing to spend the money on themselves.

"Investing in oneself as an executive director is often going to be the last thing you put in the budget," says Torie Osborn, executive director of the Liberty Hill Foundation and an executive coach. "Nonprofit leaders have an ethic of self-sacrifice. You'll put professional development for your staff way before you do so for yourself. It seems like gravy."

Yet for the nonprofit organization, typically knee-deep in work and starved for resources, hiring an executive coach is among the most cost-effective investments it can make.

"Working with a leadership coach was extremely beneficial for me, and for my organization, at a very critical time," says Jose Garcia, Executive Director of Inquilinos Unidos (United Tenants), a nonprofit that organizes low-income tenants around housing issues in Los Angeles. When Garcia took over the position of executive director in 2002, the organization was at a transition point. With the support of the board, Garcia took on the task of carving out a clearly defined role for the executive director, refining relationships among the board and staff, and eventually developing a strategic plan for the organization. Throughout the process, he was coached by Torie Osborn as part of a group of nonprofit executive directors and in one-on-one sessions with her.

"The coaching experience provided me with a lot of confidence, and really pulled out the best in me," says Jose Garcia. "It gave me the tools to manage changes that we all wanted to take place. What was really important for me is that I learned how to articulate our needs to the board, to propose solutions in the right way, and then to implement those solutions. Coaching really helped me to understand not only the general principles of being a leader, such as the importance of planning, but it gave me some very practical insights into dealing with day-to-day challenges that every executive director faces."

In light of the executive director's crucial role, and the proven impact of executive coaching, the Irvine Foundation is identifying ways it might support executive directors among its grantees with coaching to enhance their capacities to lead their respective organizations. The focus groups, conducted in Los Angeles and San Francisco, were part of this effort.

"Investing in the development of an executive director of a nonprofit is the best investment you can make," Torie Osborn says. "It allows you to leverage other organizational and human resource development. When your executive director develops his or her skill set, time management, and confidence, it ripples throughout the organization."

Indeed, the foundation sees its effort to match more grantees with executive coaches as an organizational development strategy. "The executive director serves a critical role as the change agent in an organization - setting vision and strategy and mobilizing resources to further that vision," says Irvine's Martha Campbell. "The person in that role is the linchpin within an organization and the key leverage point for change. Helping the executive director perform better helps the organization perform better."

Long used by corporate CEOs, a new generation of executive coaches are now working in the nonprofit world. Coaches can provide a distinctively personal and useful brand of support to nonprofit leaders - deeper than the professional development seminar, broader than an organizational consultant. "The great thing about executive coaching is that it's not a one-shot deal," says Torie Osborn. "You're working with somebody over a period of time. It gives you the ability to follow through."

Nonprofit leaders call on executive coaches for a number of purposes, according to Diane Schweitzer, ranging from overall support as they begin a new position to help with strategic planning and organizational changes to advice on dealing with tricky management issues and board relationships. Indeed, it was in the latter areas - working with boards and managing personnel - that California nonprofit leaders participating in the Irvine focus groups said they needed the most coaching help.

Participants in the focus groups said they are looking for coaching to be flexible and tailored to the particular needs of the executive director. Continuity and context - in the form of an ongoing relationship with someone who knows the director and the organization - are also important. And nonprofit directors want coaches who have experience in the nonprofit world, ideally as executive directors themselves.

Experts such as Diane Schweitzer say there are several keys to a successful engagement with an executive coach. "It's a very personal decision in terms of the skill set you're looking for in your coach, as well as a personality fit in terms of how you like to work and relate," Schweitzer says. "So it's important for executive directors to understand what coaches can and can't do for you, and to interview a few of them before selecting one. Another key is taking the time up front to establish the relationship and also to set concrete goals that the two of you will be working on during your time together."

When is the right time to seek an executive coach? "Certainly if you're a new executive director, or if your organization is going through a major transition," says Torie Osborn. "But I don't think there's ever not a good time. As an executive director, you often can't talk to the board about staff issues; you can't talk to the staff about many board issues - it's lonely at the top. The executive coach provides a really good space to work through some of the natural questions and challenges that come up. There's no substitute for the one-on-one, confidential, ongoing relationship with a coach."

Links:

Leadership Recognition Programs: A Scan of the Field - As part of the Irvine Foundation's investigation into creating a statewide leadership recognition program, Putnam Community Investment Consulting conducted a scan of the field to identify effective models for current leadership recognition programs, and to determine how a similar program might advance the Foundation's mission.

CompassPoint Nonprofit Services' Executive Coaching Project - CompassPoint Nonprofit Services embarked on a 12-month demonstration project of Executive Coaching with 25 Executive Directors in the San Francisco Bay Area. A longitudinal evaluation by Harder + Company studied these new executive directors who worked one-on-one with executive coaches who helped them navigate both personal life issues and organizational leadership matters.
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