the importance of impression management

August 29, 2006 by  

Like in any other industry, the cream of the coaching profession is rising to the top!

A C.E.O. Needs a Certain Shine Best Learned at Finishing School: “Part therapist, part drill sergeant, an executive coach concentrates less on business plans than on reversing potentially self-defeating barriers to success — a loping walk, clumsy presence or inarticulate speech, as well as poor interpersonal skills, naïvete about conducting business abroad and failure to navigate office politics.”

Most coaches are hired by businesses to help up-and-coming executives or those who have arrived but still lack that certain je ne sais quoi. Human resource professionals say it is money well spent because it gives employees — and companies — an edge in a hypercompetitive world.

Suggesting a coach can be a ticklish situation when dealing with executives who believe they should be judged on their work alone. “This is 100 percent finishing school,” she said. “It’s not just how you dress. It’s your delivery, how you speak — it’s everything. If you are somebody who is going to be with customers, you really need to know what is correct and what is not because you are representing your company. We all have customers, and each one of us has to feel we know what we are doing, how to do it, how to be proper.”

Rates range from $150 to $1,000 an hour, with the commitment varying from an afternoon to more than a year. Some consultants charge by the hour, while others do it by the month or by project.

(Via NYT > Job Market.)

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