Discussion: Selecting Coaches for a Global Organization

Let’s say you are working in a large global company and want to run a coach selection process to add to your pool of coaches around the world. And you’ve hired (increasingly common, btw) an external consultant to assist you in designing and running this process.

You and the consultant have designed an application form for prospective coaches to complete. Based on these apps, you’ll select coaches for an interview first with the consultant, then with you and your staff inside the company.

On the application form, you have asked coaches to provide references, specifically: Executive coaching client’s name, company and contact information.

Let’s see what this raises for buyers of coaching inside companies, coaches and clients:

• Buyers: how can you manage the confidentiality of this information on execs at other companies? Are you and your execs ok with this kind of information being supplied by coaches as they participate in coach selection processes at other companies?
• Coaches: How do you manage providing reference information with company or executive preference/policy on confidentiality?
• Clients: What preferences have clients expressed on reference requests?

Look forward to your thoughts and suggestions on how to deal with references at any stage of the selection process!