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Course Syllabus for

HDDR 6370

Assessment & Interview Skills for Executive Coaches

Dr. Robert Barner

Office: Legacy Campus, Bldg. 3, Suite 118, Room 188bB

Office Hours: (by appointment only) Thursdays & Fridays; 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Tel: 214-621-1514

E-mail: ibscribe@earthlink.net

Course Overview

This course serves as the foundation for the three-course certification program in executive coaching. These courses would also be offered as electives in the Masters Program of Dispute Resolution. The course gives students access to research related to leadership development, leadership derailment, interview protocols, and assessment methodology. The course also introduces students to research on assessment methodology, with the primary focus on multi-rater feedback.

Students then learn to apply key concepts derived these areas to the assessment of leaders’ development and performance improvement needs. Within the course students obtain a basic introduction to coaching including its purpose, applications, and how coaching differs from counseling or mediation. They learn how to take steps to align all stakeholders (the client, client’s manager, and sponsoring organization) on the expectations of the coaching process, and the methodology that will be employed in this process. Students discover how to conduct in-depth assessment interviews with their clients, and with other organizational stakeholders, and how to integrate interview and multi-rater data into a consolidated assessment report. Finally, students learn how to develop a coaching contract and conduct an initial post-contracting interview.

Course Content

First Weekend

August 21 – 23, 2009

Friday; 4 – 9 pm; Sat-Sun 8:30 am – 5:30 pm

Pre-Work:

“The very real dangers of executive coaching” Steven Berglas
“The wild west of executive coaching” Stratford Sherman Alyssa Freas
“Executive coaching and consulting: Different strokes for different folks” William Berman and George Bradt
“Understanding implicit models that guide the coaching process” Robert Barner and Julie Higgins
“Linking theory to practice in executive coaching” Robert Barner
“A social constructionist approach to leadership coaching” Robert Barner and Julie Higgins”
“What’s your story?” Herminia Ibarra and Kent Lineback
“Executive coaching from the executive’s perspective” John H. Steven, Jr.
“Executive coaching: An outcome study” Karol Wasylyshyn

Understanding the Factors that Influence Executive Growth or Failure

A review of research related to executive derailment
Implications for executive success and coaching assessments

Understanding the Role of the Executive Coach:

The emerging role of the executive coach
Core competencies of effective coaching
How coaching differs from mediation or counseling
Establishing clear role expectations with managers and organizational sponsor

Linking Theory to Practice in Coaching: A View Through Four Theoretical Lenses:

The Four Models

· The Behavioral Model

· The Clinical/Counseling Model

· The Systems Model

· The Social Constructionist Model

How the models link to coaching assessment methodology
Video Review: The Psychology of Executive Coaching: The State of the Art (interviews with five psychologists who are professional coaches and two coaching clients)

Conducting the Diagnostic and Goal Setting Interview with the Client and Client’s Manager:

The social constructionist perspective to coaching assessment: How the coach’s and stakeholders’ use of language shapes the assessment process
Understanding the manager’s initial framing of the coaching challenge
Using the interview to assess performance issues and leadership needs
Gathering information on contextual factors that provide diagnostic information: [organizational setting, culture, client’s history with the organization, organizational structure, business performance issues, identifying organizational stakeholders]
Gaining the manager’s commitment as a coaching partner
Setting ground rules and guidelines for the coaching process
Establishing a preliminary coaching contract

Second Weekend

August 28 – 30, 2009

Friday; 4 – 9 pm; Sat-Sun 8:30 am – 5:30 pm

Pre-work:

“The targeted assessment coaching interview: Adapting the assessment process to different coaching requirements” Robert Barner
“Getting the most out of 360o feedback” Richard Lepsinger and Anntoinette Lucia
“”The impact of executive coaching and 360o feedback on leadership effectiveness” Elizabeth Thach”
“360-degree feedback” Craig Chappelow
“Assessment Techniques for Top Executives” John Stenn
“How to Play to Your Strengths” Laura Roberts and associates

Conducting the Coaching Assessment Interview:

Planning for the interview
Establishing rapport
Using the interview as a data gathering technique
Summarizing and closing
Identifying unresolved issues and blind spots
Dealing with resistance, confusion on goals, fear and uncertainty on the part of the coachee

Assessment Methodology:

An overview of tools commonly used in psychological assessment
The potential misuses of psychometric assessment tools
The language of assessment: how the coach’s choice of language constructs and frames a coaching intervention
Pitfalls to avoid in constructing the assessment
Caveats for using ‘second-hand’ assessments

Applying Coaching Assessment Tools:

Using self-report instruments
Using 360o instruments
Making use of performance data
Integrating 360o and performance data with interview data within a consolidated summary report
Conducting the Coaching Assessment Feedback & Review Session

Adapting the Coaching Assessment Interview to Three Different Coaching Requirements:

The unique client requirements and coaching pitfalls associated with transitional, developmental, and performance coaching
The three coaching protocols:

· For Transitional Coaching

· For Developmental Coaching

· For Performance Coaching

Final Exam

The final exam will be a comprehensive, closed-book test that includes both multiple-choice and short-essay questions.

COURSE TEXTS

Students will be asked to purchase a binder containing articles and cases pertaining to executive assessment. Student’s will also receive a copy of The Executive Coaching Handbook: Principles and Guidelines for a Successful Coaching Partnership, by The Executive Coaching Forum (3^rd Edition) 2004

GRADING PROCESS

The course evaluation process is as follows:

50% of the final grade will be based on a comprehensive, closed-book exam that includes both multiple-choice and short-essay format.

50% of the final grade will be based on the evaluation of a case study. Cases are evaluated on eight factors: clarity of problem definition, the degree to which causal factors are clearly identified from the facts of the case, the development of preventive and corrective actions that are supported by the facts of the case, style and format, clarity of organization, depth of analysis, and completeness (the degree to which the case questions posed by the instructor are fully addressed). During the first class session students are provided with a written handout summarizing grading criteria. The grading scale for papers, exams, and cases is as follows:

94 – 100 = A 84 – 86 = B

90 – 93 = A- 80 – 83 = B-

87 – 89 = B+ 77 – 79 = C+

Academic Policies of Special Importance to Students

Academic Integrity and Ethical Conduct as an SMU Student:

Students are reminded of the SMU Honor Code as referenced in the Student Handbook. Intellectual integrity and academic honesty are both the foundation and the goals for this program. Please reference and review the university policies on the responsibilities, policies, and penalties regarding academic honesty.

http://www.smu.edu/studentlife/PCL_05_HC.asp

Religious Observance:

Religiously observant students wishing to be absent on holidays that require missing class should notify their professor in writing at the beginning of the term, and should discuss with them, in advance, acceptable ways of making up any work missed because of the absence.

Disability Accommodations: Students needing academic accommodations for a disability must first contact Ms. Rebecca Marin, Coordinator, Services for Students with Disabilities (214-768-4557) to verify the disability and establish eligibility for accommodations. They should then schedule an appointment with the professor to make appropriate arrangements.

Class Decorum:

To foster a good learning environment for yourself and your fellow students we ask that you adhere to the following guidelines during class:

Please turn off (or set on vibrate) all cell phones or pagers.
Do not read newspapers, books for other classes, or other outside reading material during class.
Walking into class late is disruptive as is leaving early. If you have to leave early, make arrangements before class begins, and then, when you leave, do so quietly.
Professional respect and courtesy for your fellow students is imperative at all times.

Key Learning Objectives	How Achieved
1. Determine how the clinical/counseling, behavioral, systems, and social constructionist models of coaching differ in terms of the assumptions each model holds regarding a) the goals of coaching, b) how coaching leads to personal and professional change in the client’s life, 3) the coach’s role in the coaching process, and d) the appropriate focus of the coach’s inquiry in the assessment process.	1) For each of the four theory models students will asked to describe what characterizes a particular model in terms of a) the goals of coaching, b) how coaching leads to personal and professional change in the client’s life, 3) the coach’s role in the coaching process, and d) the appropriate focus of the coach’s inquiry in the assessment process. 2) Students will be given transcript of a mock coaching intervention that includes a summary a dialogue between coach and client, and references to those assessment tools that are used by the coach. Based on a review of this transcript students will be asked to identify the primary model that characterizes the coach’s practice.
2. Identify how these four models differ with respect to the assessment methodologies and coaching interventions that are likely to be employed by the coaching practitioner.	Students will be given a series of short descriptions of tools and methods that are typically used in coaching assessment and intervention. Student will be then asked to identify and briefly describe the theory base from which a particular tool or method is derived.
3. Identify implementation factors that influence the overall effectiveness of multi-rater feedback as a development tool, based on current research.	Given a case study involving a failed implementation of a 360 feedback process, students will be able to identify factors that (as derived from the facts of the case) are likely to have lead to the failure, and to reference at least one related research study substantiating their position.
4. Students will learn how to conduct an assessment interview with the coachee, to evaluate the coachee’s commitment to coaching, key development issues, and potential constraints to the coaching process.	Given background data involving a mock coaching situation students will conduct a coaching assessment interview. The quality of that interview will be evaluated through the use of a structured interview evaluation form completed by other students and the instructor.
5. Students will learn how to accurately employee 360o feedback and interview data to identify a coachee’s key development needs, and potential constraints to the coaching process.	Given data collected through the interview and a mock 360o summary report, students will create a written rank-ordered listing of the coachee’s five top development needs, and potential constraints to the coaching process.
6. Students will be able to identify the primary features that distinguish the clinical/counseling, behavioral, systems, and social constructionist theory models for executive coaching.	Given a case study of an executive coaching situation, students will be able to identify the theory model that most accurately represents the approach taken the coach. In doing this, students will consider a) how the coach communicates his or her role, b) the coach’s choice of assessment tools, and c) the coach’s strategy for formulating a coaching intervention.
7. Students will be able to implement five steps for planning for the coaching assessment interview.	Students will be asked to applying the five planning steps to a case study involving a hypothetical executive coaching scenario.