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CEOs are in a lonely position, and confidentiality and organizational stability often go hand in hand. When CEOs face a major dilemma involving another senior executive, they often turn to their HR leader for support in navigating the challenge. But where do they turn when they encounter a non-HR-related situation?
Often, the challenges CEOs face are operational in nature. While most operational issues ultimately impact employees, it’s not always obvious to HR leaders. But chief of staff is exactly what every strong CHRO should have. HR leaders not only help anticipate and plan for the human impact of business decisions, but also provide a safe place for top management to discuss issues with confidence.
As the world of work experiences crises and major disruptions, including the 2008 recession, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the surge in remote work, CHROs have solidified their roles as executive coaches for leadership teams. But this role is not only useful in times of crisis.
As a senior HR leader, I often find myself in the role of executive coach, and this role becomes even more in demand as I apply my skills to guide C-suite executives through crises and transformations. clear.
exchange hats
For example, in one of my previous roles, the CEO asked me to discuss significant layoffs that might also impact my own role. I am able to serve as a sounding board—even though the decision may affect me—because I have developed a level of trust with the CEO in terms of my professionalism and objective judgment. Of course, I have my own feelings about the situation. But at that moment, the CEO not only needed an advisory committee to decide on upcoming personnel actions, but also a way we could salvage the situation.
In this case, the CEO literally faces the burden of future decisions and has no one else to turn to. The CEO cannot risk talking to other members of leadership for fear that they might panic or violate confidentiality, making the situation worse. When we discussed this objectively, I was able to help the CEO determine how long we could hold out and develop a plan to save as many jobs as possible through some creative approaches that combined layoffs with other cost-cutting methods.
This is the role of the executive coach. When we wear this hat, we are no longer the Chief Human Resources Officer. We are there to listen and guide, by serving as the necessary confidants and coaches to help top management address issues outside the traditional purview of HR.
This experience has led me to where I am today, occupying a niche between coaching and transformational business leaders, and I view HR broadly. Almost every aspect of business involves people; you’d be hard-pressed to find something that doesn’t exist in some way. An executive coach is a trusted ally in the decision-making process, helping to hold executives accountable and keep their perspective stable, which is an invaluable asset to the organization. It also ensures that the CHRO always has a seat at the table, as they are needed to help shape the table.
Improve your coaching skills: 6 steps
How do you transition to adding executive coaching to your CHRO toolbox? Here are some of the ways I’ve found to be successful in my career:
- Stay curious. Be genuinely interested in understanding your management team members, their strengths, opportunities, and what keeps them up at night.
- Spend one-on-one time. Try to spend time alone with each member of the executive team and set the tone for confidential conversations so they feel free to discuss any needs or concerns.
- Guide people to find their own solutions. Please provide guidance if needed. But if not, coach leaders to find their own solutions to the dilemmas they face. You don’t need to be an expert in your business area to be an effective coach.
- keep neutral. Seeks to resolve conflicts and encourage team cohesion. This is especially important if the issue being discussed involves friction with another leadership member. Maintaining a neutral perspective and helping senior executives recognize that other leaders’ perspectives may simply be different can be an effective way to resolve conflicts and overcome feelings of dissonance.
- Build trust one interaction at a time. Create a safe space in every conversation. Trust is built slowly over multiple interactions. The more you keep secrets, support your leaders, and provide insights they can use, the more trust will grow.
- Exclude personal feelings. It’s easy for us to react based on the results we want to see. But that’s not the coach’s role. Coaches remain neutral and guide employees toward outcomes that are best for them and the organization. Sometimes this is hard to do, but the more you practice, the easier it gets.
At the heart of effective coaching is building trust. I’ve found these six techniques to be very effective at building trust and building a healthy coaching and listening dynamic. When C-suite leaders have neutral confidants and coaches, they can truly excel in ways they cannot in silos.
Lauren Fast is the Chief Human Resources Officer of iS Clinical and an executive coach and consultant.
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