Coaching, for better or worse, is perceived by many executives to be a “professional psychotherapy”. Why is it and how to change it?

1. Coaching – why do managers shun it?
About 25 years ago, while going through an unpleasant divorce (is there such a thing
as pleasant divorce?...), I went to see a psychotherapist for the first time in my life. A
friend with some experience of this had told me that the process was my
responsibility – whatever I bring to the table (or couch, in this case…) will be
discussed.
Coaching, for better or worse, is perceived by many executives to be a “professional
psychotherapy”. When a manager is encouraged to coach their direct reports they
have either been coached and don’t understand how to do it or have never been
coached and go to look it up on Google. What they will come up with are words like
“positive support, feedback and advice” (from Wikipedia), or “enhancement of work
performance, life experience, self-directed learning and personal growth” (from the
Association for Coaching website). Some will talk about a “process” but will not
elaborate what this process is.
And that’s the end of it. Many managers - especially in operational, finance and
technical positions -will find any excuse to avoid coaching their reports or even
attend a training to become a coach. “Me? A coach? I don’t buy into this
psychobabble” is a typical response.
This is why N.E.W.S.TM Navigation we have developed a methodology with
guidelines, tools and skills that can be developed by any manager. It’s no longer just
about what the employee brings up at a meeting that is to be analysed and
discussed – we provide proactive tools to conduct meaningful coffee-corner
conversations with direct reports if and when appropriate. We deliver a tried and
tested tool-set that almost every manager can practise in their daily managerial lives
as an integral part of being a manager. And unsurprisingly, even the most
sceptical/reluctant/hesitant managers buy-in – it is easier for a hands-on line
manager to adopt a coaching methodology/framework that they can apply whenever
facing a situation where a report needs to get feedback, get back on track or support
them constructively to work through a problem they have a hard time sorting out.