ILM Level 7 8589 Unit 700 Understanding the Principles and Practice of Effective Coaching and Mentoring at an Executive or Senior Level Assignment Sample

ILM Level 7 Certificate and Diploma for Executive and Senior Level Coaches and Mentors Assignment Answer

Summary of ILM L7 8589-700 Assignment

This strategic report is aimed at reviewing the reasons why coaching and mentoring should be introduced at the executive and senior levels of organisational management. The report is a critical comparison of coaching and mentoring, a review of organisational conditions within which successful implementation takes place and a review of alternative forms of leadership development.

The report equally gives professional advice to coaches and mentors at the executive level on what they need to know, skills, behaviours and ethical practice that would make them effective coaches. The models of coaching, reflective learning practices and supervision styles are assessed to illustrate how the professional coaching standards may be upheld.

Lastly, the report will analyse approaches employed in assessing the effect that coaching and mentoring has on individuals, organisations and stakeholders. The results indicate that coaching and mentoring are effective leadership development instruments that have the potential of improving organisational performance, leadership capability and employee engagement when applied in a strategic manner.

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ILM L7 8589 Unit 700 SECTION 1 - Strategic Report : Know how to effectively contextualise coaching or mentoring practice at an executive or senior level

1.1 Critical Comparison of the Strategic Purpose of Coaching and Mentoring at Executive or Senior Level

Answer:

Critical Comparison of Coaching and Mentoring Strategic Purpose at Executive or Senior Level.

The concept of coaching and mentoring is well known as the one of the strongest leadership development interventions that are implemented to develop the effectiveness of the organisation and performance of the people at the highest ranks of the leadership system. As much as the two methods facilitate learning and professional development, their strategic objectives vary regarding their focus, organization and results.
The exercises of executive coaching are generally systematic and goal oriented driven in an attempt to increase performance as leaders and to advance organisational results. Coaching is aimed at assisting leaders to ponder over their behaviour, style of leadership as well as decision-making intellectual and discover viable solutions to organisational problems. The strategies that are associated with executive coaching include organisational strategy, performance enhancement and development of leadership capability. Whitmore (2017) argues that coaching assists individuals to discover their potentials through promoting self-understanding and motivating leaders to take charge of themselves.

Coaching at executive level is especially useful in solving sophisticated problems facing an organisation like strategic decision making, leadership change management and enhancing leadership. Leaders are usually working in high-stress environments where they need to make critical choices that influence the performance of organisations. Coaching assists leaders in creating an environment of confidentiality to contemplate and strategize on issues of leadership (Grant, 2014).

Mentoring, on the contrary, is about the long-term professional growth and knowledge transfer. The ideas of mentoring relationships usually entail a more mature person giving instructions, encouragement, and suggestions to a less mature colleague. Mentors enhance professional experience, organisational information and wisdom to the mentees in order to equip them with leadership capabilities and orientation in organisational systems. According to Clutterbuck (2014), mentoring aids in career development as it allows a person to acquire knowledge through the experience of an experienced teacher and become confident about his or her leadership skills.

Strategically, mentoring is commonly applied to assist in succession planning and development of leadership pipes. Mentoring programmes are used by organisations to equip future leaders as they get to learn with the experienced executives. Mentoring also helps in reinforcing organisational culture since collaboration and sharing of knowledge amongst various levels of management is promoted.

Nevertheless, although coaching and mentoring differ in several aspects, they have similar goals such as the enhancement of leadership ability and performance within an organisation. Coaching however is more self-directed in terms of learning and gaining performance whereas, mentoring is more of experience exchange and career advice. The relationships associated with coaching are generally short and goal-oriented whereas the relationships of mentoring are long-term.

Most organisations thus incorporate a hybrid model with coaching being used to solve particular leadership issues and mentoring to facilitate the long term leadership growth. This combination approach enables organisations to reap maximum advantage of the two interventions as well as build leadership potential at the executive level (Parsloe and Leedham, 2009).

1.2 Critical Review of Organisational Context, Strategy, Culture and Conditions

Answer:

To have successful coaching and mentoring initiatives in the executive level, organisations need to establish the right organisational climate and to make development programmes consistent with the strategic goals. Leadership development initiatives are greatly dependent on the organisational context, strategy, culture as well as internal conditions.

Organisational context is the environment within which the coaching or mentoring programmes are applied. Organisations are run in intricate environments that are shaped by economic, technological and social forces. In particular, the executive coaching of multinational corporations might be necessary to assist leaders in leading international teams and overcoming cross-cultural difficulties. On the contrary, mentoring programmes can be used by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to build leadership capacity and retain important talent.

Strategy is another important factor when it comes to defining the role and reason of coaching programs within organisations. The leadership development programmes should be in line with the organisational objectives so that coaching can work towards strategic objective like innovation, productivity or organisational change. Garvey et al. (2017) suggest that coaching is best applied to the organisational strategy and that it can be adopted as a means to assist leadership growth.

The success of coaching programmes is also determined by the organisational culture. It is more likely that a learning-based organisational culture which promotes reflection, feedback and open communication should enhance effective coaching relationships. To be a beneficiary of coaching, the leaders need to be comfortable to discuss challenges, mistakes and areas of development. Leaders in hierarchical or risk-averse organisations might not want to openly participate in the coaching conversation.

There is also the need to take the organisational circumstances that favour coaching programmes into account. A successful coaching program should be well supported by the top management, have clear policies and sufficient resources. Top managers should show the desire to develop leadership to become involved in coaching programmes. In the absence of overt leadership assistance, coaching programs can be viewed as secondary or unnecessary.

Organisations should also make sure that they have the right structures that could facilitate coaching practice. This implies hiring of competent coaches and setting up confidentiality policies and making coaching relationships grounded on trust. Passmore (2016) identifies organisational commitment and well-defined governance structures as the key factors that make coaching programmes effective.
In general coaching and mentoring programmes are most effective when they become part of organisational strategy, backed by leadership commitment and entrenched within a learning-focused organisational culture.

1.3 Critical Evaluation of Alternative Learning and Development Methods

Answer:

Even though coaching and mentoring are effective leadership development functions, there are other learning and development (L&D) techniques that organisations employ to facilitate executive development. These strategies involve training programmes that are formal, on-line and job shadowing. Both methods have their own pros and cons in comparison with coaching and mentoring.

Executive training programmes is one development method that is widely used. Leadership development programs and training sessions are formal ways in which the leaders can be exposed to new ideas, models and techniques of management. The case studies in training programmes are usually based on group discussions, learning through experience and simulation that are aimed at building up leadership qualities. Nonetheless, the training programmes might not be personalised and might not apply to the problems that individual leaders have. Armstrong (2020) additionally states that knowledge acquisition through training programmes is effective but not always associated with long-term change in behaviour.

Online learning is also another significant learning approach that has grown in popularity within contemporary organisations. The online learning systems offer unlimited access to the leadership development resources such as webinars, online courses and interactive learning modules. This approach enables executives to build their knowledge at their pace besides undertaking professional duties. But online education does not give the interactive conversation and personalised response that coaching is feasible, which can restrict its utility in the development of complicated leadership skills.

Another form of development is job shadowing in which a person follows the work of experienced leaders in the actual organisational situations. Job shadowing enables the aspiring leaders to understand how to make decisions, leadership behaviours, and organisational issues. It also teaches people to know how the leadership strategies are put to practice. Nevertheless, job shadowing might be a deficient reflection support and individualised feedback.

Although these development methods are very effective in terms of learning, coaching and mentoring are more personalised in developing. Coaching is a leadership undertaking that revolves around personal leadership issues whereas mentoring allows one to take advantage of the experience and knowledge of senior leaders. Consequently, most organisations bring together coaching, mentoring and other development techniques to formulate holistic leadership development programmes (Garvey et al., 2017).

1.4 Factors Affecting the Integration of Coaching or Mentoring

Answer:

Integration of coaching and mentoring programmes at the executive level is a success that requires various organisational factors. These are some of the factors that determine whether coaching programs yield relevant organisational results.

Among the issues, effective organisational policies and procedures are also important. Organisations need to set rules that identify goals, format and anticipations of coaching programmes. Having clear policies assists in creating uniformity, responsibility and congruency with the organisational strategy.

Senior leadership commitment is another factor of importance. Leadership development programmes have higher chances of positively succeeding when senior leaders that are keen on coaching initiatives embrace them. When executives show dedication towards coaching, it is an indication that the leadership development is appreciated in the organisation.

Coach choice is also the determinant of the effectiveness of the program. The organisations have the option of hiring internal coaches or external professional coaches. External coaches can create an objective and more specialised knowledge whereas internal coaches can understand organisational culture and internal dynamics.

Lastly, strategies of change management are crucial in incorporating coaching programmes in organisations. Implementing coaching programs could involve organisational and cultural change. Communication and stakeholder involvement would assist in making sure that the leaders would be aware of the rationale and advantages of coaching programmes.

By dealing with these, organisations are able to build an environment that facilitates the successful coaching and mentoring practices, as well as improving leadership competence throughout the organisation (Passmore, 2016).

ILM L7 8589 Unit 700 SECTION 2 - Handbook Contribution : Understand the principles and practices required for effective coaching or mentoring at an executive or senior level

2.1 Critical Analysis of the Knowledge, Skills, Behaviours and Practices Required for Effective Coaching or Mentoring at Executive Level

Answer:

Senior or executive level coaching and mentoring involves complex professional skills. Executive leaders work in multifaceted organisational environments through which strategic choices establish organisational performance, organisational culture, and sustainability. Consequently, the coaches and mentors in this level should exhibit an advanced mix of knowledge, skills, behaviours and professional practices.

Knowledge

One of the key elements of an effective executive coaching is knowledge. To assist senior leaders, coaches have to be highly knowledgeable about leadership theories, organisational behaviour, strategic management and human psychology. The nature of executive coaching is often to solve organisational issues that are complex, like change management, relationships with stakeholders and leadership performance.

Coaching practice is also facilitated by knowledge of coaching frameworks and theories of development. To illustrate, being able to use adult learning theories will enable coaches to facilitate experience-based learning in the context of leadership development. Experiential learning theory of Kolb argues that people can learn by reflecting on the experience, exploring and testing new knowledge (Kolb, 1984). Executive coaches can thus make leaders think about their leadership behaviour and devise new mechanisms of handling organisational problems.

Also, understanding of organisational systems is required when dealing with the top leaders. Executives work in interdependent organisational systems of various stakeholders, organisational cultures and strategic priorities. Coaches need then to know the role of leadership decisions in organisational performance and culture. Garvey et al. (2017) argue that good coaching work necessitates that coaches should be familiar with organisational settings so that they may help the leaders to overcome the intricate organisational settings.

Skills

Executive level coaching involves high levels of interpersonal and analytical capabilities. Active listening is one of the most significant coaching skills. Active listening entails paying full focus to what the client is saying, feeling and the hidden issues without being judgmental and providing advice. This enables the coach to gain the opinion of the leader and provoke more contemplation.

Powerful questioning is another required skill. Good questions will put executives to test their assumptions, beliefs and decision-making processes. Instead of giving direct solutions, a coach poses open questions which encourage the leaders to come up with their own lessons. Whitmore (2017) states that the right coaching questions help a person arouse self-awareness and seek new ways of thinking.

Good feedback skills are also necessary in executive coaching. Constructive feedback is used to make leaders realise how their behaviour affects other people and how they can be effective leaders. The feedback at senior level must be sensitive and professionally credible since executives might not on the contrary respond well to feedback that questions the leadership practices they are already doing.

Besides, coaches should be able to demonstrate analytical and reflective skills. The complex organisational issues that are discussed by the executive leaders concern the strategic decisions, the interpersonal relationships and the organisational culture. Coaches should therefore be in a position to critically analyse situations and assist the leaders in generating possible solutions.

Behaviours

The professional behaviours have a great bearing in creating trust in the executive coaching relationships. Coaching in the executive position demands a lot of credibility, integrity and professionalism. The greater the trust that senior leaders have in the coach in terms of competence and professional ethics, the more likely they will open up to coaching dialogues.

Objectivity is one of such behavioural characteristics. Coaches should always be objective and not to force his or her personal views on the client. They ought to instead enable reflective dialogue which enables the executive to discover their own solutions. Being objective allows coaching discussions to be based on what the client needs to improve as opposed to the personal view of the coach.

Empathy is another important behaviour. The executive leaders tend to be under a lot of organisational pressure and responsibility. Empathetic behaviour enables the coaches to empathize with the emotional and psychological difficulties experienced by the senior leaders without crossing professional lines.

Another important principle of behaviour is confidentiality. There is a tendency of executive coaching talks to be around sensitive organisational information or leadership problem. Strict confidentiality is useful in building trust between the coach and the client and assures the leaders that they are safe to discuss organisational issues.

Practices

The professional coaches practice incorporates the use of systematic coaching procedures and high standards of professional practice. Best coaching practices entail setting of goals, monitoring progress, documentation and ongoing assessment of coaching results.

The process of executive coaching is usually initiated by a defined contracting process that establishes the goals of coaching, expectations and confidentiality agreement. The setting of specific objectives is a guarantee that the coaching sessions do not lose their direction towards the development of leadership and organisational needs.

Professional coaches also keep documentation of the coaching sessions, points of discussions, developmental targets and action agreed. These records assist in reflection and tracking the progress made in the course of the coaching process.

Continuous professional development is also another critical professional practice. The executive coaches need to train, supervise and reflectively learn on a regular basis. Passmore (2016) found that the profession of coaching practice assumes continuous progress in the development thereof to ensure high levels of coaching effectiveness.

2.2 Critical Review of a Coaching Model Suitable for Executive Level Coaching

Answer:

Coaching models offer systematic approaches in coaching discussions and facilitate effective leadership growth. The GROW model is one of the most popular executive coaching models, created by Whitmore (2017). GROW model is made up of four steps namely Goal, Reality, Options and Will.

The goal identification is the initial phase of the model. Goal setting in executive coaching can be associated with leadership performance, organisation or strategic decision making. Setting of aims is what makes coaching sessions effective and goal-oriented towards organisational goals.

The second phase entails delving into the existing reality. At this phase, the executive reviews their present state, leadership issues and organisational environment. The coach proposes that the client should examine his or her behaviour, decision making and the relationship with the colleagues and stakeholders.

The third phase is aimed at the creation of options. The coach assists the executive in finding the potential options or approaches of dealing with leadership issues. This step promotes creativity and critical thinking besides enabling the executive to think of various problem solving techniques.

The last step is that of defining the will or commitment to action. The executive ascertains certain activities that will be enacted after the coaching session. Developing specific action plans is useful in converting the observations of coaching discussions into effective leadership practices.

In the view of the coachee, the GROW model presents a well-organized and clear process through which problem solving and reflection can take place. It pushes leaders to examine their present condition and come up with practical solution.

In the eyes of the coach, the model provides adaptable construct that may be adjusted to various organisational settings and leadership issues. It assists in making sure that coaching dialogues are narrow but at the same time, give room to explore.

Under the organisational perspective, the GROW model assists in the leadership development in line with the organisational objectives. Since the model focuses on setting goals and action planning, it assists in making sure that the outcome of coaching is added to organisational performance.

Critics however argue that the GROW model can simplify issues in organisations that are complex. Challenges encountered by executive leaders are usually complex and entail organisational politics, relationship with stakeholders and long-term strategic actions. Also, further coaching models or psychological strategies might be needed to facilitate more in-depth investigation of leadership issues (Passmore, 2016).

2.3 Justification for the Importance of Reflective Learning

Answer:

Reflective learning is also important in professional coaching practice. Reflection also helps the coaches to analyze the experience they have had, analyze how well they have performed and where they can improve their professional experience.

The experiential learning cycle by Kolb can be used to understand reflective learning. Learning has been explained by the model as a cyclical process which goes through four steps namely concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation and active experimentation (Kolb, 1984). Reflection is a process where the coach analyses the coaching sessions and determines the impact of the interventions on the learning process of the client.

Reflective learning enables coaches to have a better understanding about their coaching process, communication levels as well as professional behaviour. Coaching interactions help coaches to see their strengths and areas of weaknesses.

Ethical coaching is also supported by reflection. Coaches need to take into account the ways in which their personal beliefs, assumptions and biases can impact coaching conversations. Reflective practice serves to remind coaches about these influences and stay professionally objective.

Moreover, the continuous professional development can be facilitated through reflective learning. The profession of coaching itself is dynamic whereby practitioners have to work with the dynamic environments of organisations and leadership challenges. Reflective practice enables coaches to be guided by the experience, and also have the ability to keep on refining the coaching techniques.

Reflective practitioners (as described by Schoen 1983) practice in two ways: reflection-in-action (thinking whilst performing a practice) and reflection-on-action (reflection of what has been done after the practice). Both the types of reflection assist coaches to refine their professional abilities and improve coaching effectiveness.

2.4 Evaluation of Ethical Practice in Coaching

Answer:

In executive coaching, it is crucial to engage in ethical practice since coaching relationships may be a matter of sensitive personal and organisational information. Ethical frameworks are ethical guidelines and standards that govern professional coaching practice that are set by professional coaching bodies like the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC).

The ethical decision-making model is one of the theoretical models applied in analysing ethical decision-making where fairness, integrity and professional responsibility are the focus of the principles. Ethical decision making expects coaches to be concerned with how the action will affect the clients, organisations and other stakeholders.

The right to confidentiality is one of the most important ethical principles in the sphere of coaching. Executive leaders should get comfortable that coaching dialogue is confidential. Confidentiality promotes openness and enables leaders to talk about sensitive issues in the organisation without fear of any repercussions.

The other principle of ethics that is crucial is the professional boundaries. Coaches should not be in a position where they have their personal interests or organisational pressure to make their judgement in relation to the profession.
Ethical coaching is also largely based on non-judgmental behaviour. The coaches should not interfere in autonomy of the client but also not to impose their view or solutions. Rather, they are expected to contribute to reflective dialogue that will enable the client to make personal decisions.

Trust, professionalism and accountability in coaching relationships are consequently supported by ethical practice.

2.5 Critical Review of Coaching Supervision

Answer:

Coaches in the executive level have a significant professional support tool, which is supervision. Coaching supervision is coaching that is done through reflecting on coaching experiences with an experienced supervisor in order to reflect on professional practice, ethical issues and client relations.

The Seven-Eyed Model of Supervision of Hawkins and Smith is one of the most accepted supervision frameworks. This model analyses coaching interactions in many ways and perspectives such as the client, coach, client-coach relationship and the broader organisational system (Hawkins and Smith, 2013).

The first component of the model pays attention to the client and his/her situation. Supervisors assist the coaches to be aware of the organisational environment and leadership issues of the client.

The second aspect looks at the interventions of the coach and the effect on the coaching relationship.

The third aspect is concerned with coach-client relationship and this involves issues of trust, communication and tension that may arise.

The model also takes into account the internal response of the coach such as emotions, assumptions and personal biases that are likely to be used in coaching practice.

Executive coaches have a number of advantages of supervision. It offers a guided system of reflection, assists ethical decision-making as well as aiding coaches to be professional. Supervision also helps in professional development as coaches would learn through their experiences and get constructive feedback.

Passmore (2016) refers to supervision as one of the best practices of professional coaching as it helps to develop the coach and protect the clients.

ILM L7 8589 Unit 700 SECTION 3 - Evaluating Coaching Or Mentoring At Executive Or Senior Level

3.1 Critical Review of Methods for Evaluating the Impact of Coaching or Mentoring on Individuals

Answer:

Coaching and mentoring programmes should also be assessed on their effectiveness in ensuring that leadership development initiatives have quantifiable value to individual and organisations. On the executive level, assessment is aimed at determining leadership capacity improvement, decision-making skills and behavioural change. The measurement of coaching effectiveness on individuals is conducted through a number of assessment techniques and they include formal assessment models, feedback systems and self-assessment procedures.

The Four-Level Evaluation Model of Kirkpatrick is one of the most popular evaluation frameworks. The model by Kirkpatrick assesses learning and development interventions through four stages which include: reaction, learning, behaviour and results (Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick, 2006). The former level is an assessment of how the participant responds to the coaching experience. At executive level, this can be done by evaluating the perceptions of the leaders about coaching as useful, relevant, and supportive of their developmental needs.

The second level also measures the rate at which the executive has learnt or gained new knowledge in the course of the coaching process. The executive coaching may be aimed at enhancement of leadership awareness, emotional intelligence and strategic thinking. The assessment at this level can be in form of reflective discussions or learning tests to establish whether the leader has acquired new views on the leadership behaviour.

The third level of the model developed by Kirkpatrick is behavioural change. The element of behavioural change is also crucial in the assessment of executive coaching since leadership development is designed to enhance the interactions of leaders with others, decision making and handling organisational dilemmas. Feedbacks provided by colleagues, managers, and stakeholders can be used to measure behaviour change.

The last level is the results level, which is the assessment of the development of leadership in relation to organisational performance. An example is that there might be better results of coaching through improvements in team performance, effectiveness of a leadership or an organisational culture. Measuring results at executive level can, however, be a difficult endeavour since leadership impact is usually affected by various organisational factors.

The other common technique of measuring coaching effectiveness is the 360-degree feedback. The approach seeks feedback provided by various people, such as colleagues, subordinates and supervisors, and is aimed at providing a holistic picture of the leadership behaviour. London and Smither (2002) observe that 360-degree feedback is specifically useful in development of leaders as it gives leaders a wide range of insights on their performance and behaviour.

360-degree feedback is also commonly undertaken in pre- and post-coaching interventions in executive coaching programmes. This is because organisations can be able to compare how their leaders behaved before and after and determine whether coaching has facilitated any measurable improvement in communication, collaboration and leadership effectiveness.

Other important methods of evaluation are self-assessment and reflective learning. The leaders of the executive are also advised to contemplate their growth progress during the coaching process. Reflective journals and personal development reviews enable leaders to review their personal development in leadership and the areas they need to improve further. Continuous improvement is also reinforced through reflective learning since the leaders gain more awareness on how their actions affect the outcomes of organisations (Schön, 1983).

Although these assessment techniques are advantageous, it might be difficult to determine the personal effect of coaching. Behaviour of leadership is determined by context of an organisation, team interactions and organisational strategy. Consequently, evaluation processes can only be carried out concurrently to offer an in-depth evaluation of the effectiveness of coaching.

3.2 Critical Review of Methods for Evaluating the Impact of Coaching on Organisations and Stakeholders

Answer:

Besides considering the effect of coaching on the individuals, organisations need to consider the overall organisational benefits of coaching programme. In most cases leaders in organisations apply executive coaching in their leadership development strategies and therefore evaluation must take into account how coaching will impact on organisational performance level, strategic goals and stakeholder performance.
The Balanced Scorecard is one of the most common organisational evaluation tools created by Kaplan and Norton (1996). The Balanced Scorecard measures organisational performance in a variety of dimensions, which include financial performance, internal processes, learning and growth, and customer outcomes. When used in coaching programmes, the Balanced Scorecard assists organisations to evaluate the role of leadership development programs in relation to the strategic purpose like improving productivity, creating innovation and engaging employees.

To illustrate, the effectiveness of leadership associated with executive coaching can be improved; hence, enhance employee engagement, effective decision-making, and organisational performance. The organisations can show the strategic importance of coaching programmes by correlating coaching results to performance indicators of the organisation.

The second relevant approach to assessing the organisational impact is the analysis of key performance indicators (KPIs) on the level of leadership performance. Some of the metrics that organisations can evaluate include the level of employee engagement, staff retention, the level of leadership performance or productivity of teams. The positive changes in these indicators after coaching interventions could be indicative that coaching has made a positive contribution to organisational performance.

They are employee engagement surveys that are helpful in assessing how the leadership development initiatives affect the organisation. Studies indicate that strong leadership impacts a lot on employee motivation, organisational commitment and workplace culture. Employees can also have a higher level of job satisfaction and engagement when their leaders are coached to enhance their communication and decision-making skills coupled with emotional intelligence (Grant, 2014).

Stakeholder feedback is also another measure that can be used to assess the impact of coaching. Senior leaders, board members, line managers and colleagues who get to deal with the executive undergoing coaching may be considered as stakeholders. Stakeholder feedback would give feedback on whether coaching has enhanced effectiveness of leadership, collaboration and organisational relationship.
As an illustration, better relations between executives and their staffs can signify effective results in coaching. The stakeholder feedback also assists organisations to establish areas whereby additional leadership development may be necessary.

The other method of assessing coaching effectiveness is by assessing the return on investment (ROI). The ROI analysis is used to compare the financial cost of coaching programmes to the organisational benefits in terms of better leadership performance. Although the calculation of ROI in leadership development programmes may not be easy, organisations can estimate financial gain through an analysis of their gains in productivity, efficiency or retention of employees.

Nevertheless, there are scholars that insist some of the qualitative advantages of coaching, including better leadership confidence, organisational culture and quality of decisions, could be ignored because of the attention paid to financial results. Consequently, a mixed-methods evaluation method is embraced by numerous organisations and implemented with quantitative performance metrics and qualitative feedback and reflective learning assessments (Passmore, 2016).

Finally, to compare the impact of coaching on the organisational level, it is necessary to approach it in the holistic manner that takes into account not only the measurable results but also the overall organisational gains. Appropriate evaluation will help to keep coaching programmes in line with organisational strategy and provide sustainability in leadership development.

Conclusion 

Leadership development intervention has taken the form of coaching and mentoring in the contemporary organisations. These practices offer reflective learning, strategy formulation and behaviour shaping opportunities in executive and top leadership levels, which facilitate organisational performance.

The report has shown that coaching and mentoring are used to different but complementary strategic purposes. Coaching aims at enhancing leadership performance by engaging in reflection and goal setting which is structured whereas mentoring is a long term career advancement and knowledge exchange. The best way that organisations can utilise the two approaches is through integrating them in leadership development strategies.

Effective execution of coaching programmes requires the organisations to be placed in a successful context, commitment to coaching by the leadership and a favourable organisational culture. Moreover, it is expected that professional coaching practice would entail great knowledge, high-level communication abilities, ethical conduct and constant learning through reflection.

Types of evaluation like that by Kirkpatrick model, 360 feedback assessment and organisational performance measures are used to enable organisations to evaluate the role that coaching programmes play in enhancing leadership development and performance of the organisations.

In general, coaching and mentoring programmes, properly implemented and appraised, can prove to be quite formidable in strengthening leadership competence and to the long-term organisational success.