Executive Coaching Process Analysis

Approximately $2B is being spent annually in the United States by companies looking to increase leadership skills for their managerial staff through executive coaching (Center for Creative Leadership, 2015). Given this large monetary investment, organizational sponsors expect transformational change in the executive as an outcome of the coaching process (de Haan & NieB, 2015; Correia, Santos, & Passmore, 2016). The focus on transformation is driven by the research. For example, researchers found positive outcomes in three coaching training studies associated with transformative learning. Two studies found greater self-awareness, new perspectives, better interpersonal skills, and improved relationships (Beets & Goodman, 2012; Mukherjee, 2012). And Campone (2014) found increased reflective learning and decision-making capacity in situational complexity. Consequently, it is reasonable to focus on transformation as a desired outcome of an executive coaching engagement.

Although coaching outcomes have been a very popular stream of research (Grant et al., 2009), there have been few studies on transformational change. Up until now, much of the research is
The authors use the work of de Haan (2008a), de Haan (2008b), de Haan, Bertie, Day, & Sills (2010), de Haan & Nieß, (2012), de Haan, & Nieß (2015) to identify critical moments in a coaching engagement. de Haan & NieB (2015) define critical moments as attitudinal change and new insights by the coach and executive coachee and as transformational changes in behavior, communication skills, or interpersonal skills by the sponsors. All transformational moments are critical moments as they involve attitude and behavior changes. However, not all critical moments are transformational. This research study was an exercise to discover the core elements required to make the moment