Give me a C-O-A-C-H!
But a coach doesn't come cheap. Fees can range from $250 an hour to $17,000 a day. Such potentially enormous profits have spawned hundreds of online coaching schools with lively titles like GottaGettaCoach.com, dispensing assorted bona fides for prices ranging from $29.95 to $1,795 a course.
That proliferation has helped breed skepticism about a profession that is not only unregulated but also boasts no oversight body or generally accepted credentials. "It's kind of like the Wild West," says Gisele Garcia, a coach who has organized a seminar for the Conference Board in New York this week on helping firms draft hiring criteria.
Some coaches have joined together to set up voluntary standards. But only 1,100 of the International Coach Federation's 7,000 members have qualified for ICF certification. And the Association of Career Professionals International--which counts outplacement specialists in its ranks--has certified only 500 of the 2,000 names on its roster. But stars of the field like Goldsmith and Ciampa don't belong to either.
To winnow the field, some corporations have created pools of approved coaches from which top executives can pick their private Vince Lombardis. And a handful of entrepreneurs have set up coach brokerages to offer experienced professionals to smaller businesses. Others are advised to check out degree claims and references with care.
A client should demand a code of ethics that guarantees revelations remain confidential and coaches don't overstep their limits. "If a coach sees someone is deeply depressed," says Toronto-based coach Dorothy Greenaway, "he or she has a professional obligation to say, `I'm not qualified to deal with this. Go see a doctor.' "
While most coaches insist a client's soul-baring is a sacred trust, Dee Soder, founder of New York's CEO Perspective Group, warns that some skittish boards and CEOs argue they have a buyer's right to know what key officers disclose. One result: An increasing number of corporate comers have begun paying for coaches from their own pockets.
Ciampa blames some clients' vague expectations for programming failure. Now he's writing an advice-taker's guide that will counsel clients to set up benchmarks for progress. For his part, Goldsmith prods clients to define a goal, then seek out a coach in that niche market. He himself refuses to deal with issues such as career planning or getting organized. In fact, Goldsmith has hired colleagues to coach him in both. "One of the biggest problems is not enough coaches turn down business," he says. Even in his own "narrow thing"--transforming CEO behavior--Goldsmith draws the line at clients whose problem is cooking the books. "People with integrity problems should not be coached," he says. "They should be fired."
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