Why a boss cannot coach (Part I)

I hear senior management (whether CEOs, MDs, Directors, take your pick of title) increasingly say they’re interested in coaching their key people, and more books (and speakers) trying to show how the boss can act as Chief Coach. It cannot be done, and the sooner a boss-or a subordinate-realises that, all the better for everyone.

Here is why:
The relationship between a boss and subordinate is authority and follower—if that was not the case, there would be no business structure. And a subordinate [usually] has no interest in telling the boss of his or her weaknesses, or what is bothering them. The boss is concerned about one thing only—can this person truly contribute what they’re supposed to, the way the company prefers to have it done. That’s pretty much it, and most people are measured on performance, not potential.

A coach’s job is analogous to a Dr. The patient will tell the doctor what’s hurting, and the doctor’s only concern is the pain, concerned with what is ailing the patient—that’s the whole point, looking to fix what is wrong. Whether a GP or psychiatrist, one relies on a code of conduct, Hippocratic or ethical, but it remains exclusively between healer and patient.

A boss is seldom concerned about the subordinate’s weakness or worries; that is not what generally takes their time (unless it stands to rivet the company order) and most bosses are not particularly interested in getting personally close to their key people, or shouldn’t be. The job to be done is the main goal, not digging into their vulnerabilities, which ends up judging the person more than the role, and then there is no sense to organising an enterprise.

Thus, a boss should leave the coaching work to someone from the outside who has no vested interest in the company, and whose trust is inviolable. Only then will the efficacy of a senior level coach become apparent.

Mentoring is different, and there is tangible benefit for high potentials, if handled with foresight. Coaching is best left to coaches who understand the patterns, as a Dr who sees patients every day. Knowing what to ask, and how to listen, is the hallmark of both a good healer and a good coach.