It is rare that senior executives as a group have serious dialogue about development. Regular meetings, strategy meetings and Supervisory Board meetings are their cooperation areas. Those involved are aware that they could work together more effectively, efficiently and sustainably and contribute better as individuals if they made time for themselves and for one another. For this reason, Group Coaching has been developed over the last two decades as a particularly effective format for management development.

1. White Paper
Petra Schulte
A Group Coaching program
at Executive Board level –
Learning paths and learning
spaces for Executives

2. It is rare that senior executives as a group have serious dialogue about
development. Regular meetings, strategy meetings and Supervisory
Board meetings are their cooperation areas. Those involved are
aware that they could work together more effectively, efficiently and
sustainably and contribute better as individuals if they made time for
themselves and for one another. For this reason, Group Coaching has
been developed over the last two decades as a particularly effective
format for management development.
Group Coaching context
Individual development
is supported by a
theoretical framework,
meta-models and a shared
understanding of
leadership.
As a format, Group Coaching mainly addresses the personal
development of the group members. A theoretical framework and
meta-models that look at people’s individual development within a
work context, form the background here. Personal reflection and the integration of the participants’ own experience from different areas of life
are important points of reference. Maturing as a person according
to one’s own recognized purpose is the main premise. The group,
as a framework and a space for exchanging ideas, learns from the
individuals’ reflection. It forms the learning space and provides a
reference.
Group Coaching programs target each management level taking a
company-wide shared understanding of leadership and a shared
language as the basis for a sustainable corporate culture that is
recognizable both internally and externally. The participants are
ambassadors of an understanding of leadership shaped by individuals
and developed according to shared values. This links in to daily
activities and therefore affects other management levels, teams and
business areas. The company recognizes them as role models.
The benefits of Group Coaching
Trust and
self-responsibility
develop a sustainable
corporate culture.
All target groups define the benefits of Group Coaching similarly:
increased responsibility and perceived purpose of the managerial role
lead to a deeper understanding of the company context. Connecting
participants to one another brings the development experience to
diverse areas of the company and creates a bridge of understanding
across spatial distances.
Trust grows and creates a culture of trust within a first community,
which links in to the corporate culture and further develops it. Interactive
work, experience and reflection come before theory input. Pair work is
a small-scale way of working, which provides further support between
coaching partners between modules and is a space for reflection during
the event. Individual reflection gains from the subsequent exchange.
© USP-D 2014 / Petra Schulte: A Group Coaching program at Executive Board level –
Learning paths and learning spaces for Executives
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3. Project work serves to anchor experience in the day-to-day business
activities of the company. Subject experts, as guest speakers alongside
the coach, provide high-quality input with an international benchmark.
The internal guests feed the process with background knowledge,
undergo development and push themselves in their own growth through
the exchange.
The management board as a target group
The coach accompanies a functionally heterogeneous target group,
which is also heterogeneous in terms of the participants’ needs. This
group embarks together on a journey of development. Functionally
heterogeneous means that the participants come from different areas of
the company and do not usually work together. They are however at the
same hierarchical level in the company.
Group Coaching at board level brings a maximum of two company
levels together in order to have a group of six to twelve participants who
are responsible for the company’s overall agenda.
Formal framework
Critical success factor:
a program structure
oriented towards the
needs of the target group.
As with other programs, a structure and a concrete design should
underlie group training programs. In this way, contributors and
participants have concrete information about the path to the goal.
Middle management Group Coaching occurs over twelve months with
four to five modules each lasting two and a half to three days. The total
duration of approximately 15 days should include an official kick-off
event and a closing workshop after the training has been completed.
At board level, we recommend Group Coaching takes place across
a period of nine to twelve months and involves three to five modules,
each two and a half days in length. The difference in duration and
scope arises from pragmatism based on experience to date: A senior
management program should be carried out before programs for middle
management and should link in with these. If combining the different
management levels is requested, senior management must plan
additional specified contingency time in addition to their own coaching
modules: in this way senior management can actively contribute to
the design of subsequent programs for the next management levels
through active monitoring and moderation tasks. In so doing, the formal
time investment requires fewer ‘active’ program days but is in fact more
comprehensive, more intense and more sustainable. If the target groups
spend at least two evenings and two nights per module as a group, this
can lead to intensive group dynamics.
© USP-D 2014 / Petra Schulte: A Group Coaching program at Executive Board level –
Learning paths and learning spaces for Executives
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4. Depending on the quality of the program, the effect of Group Coaching
can last one to three further years because the participants continue to
work with their experience and remain in contact as a group. Between
modules, supportive measures such as individual coaching sessions or
virtual coaching to help participants adopt learned skills into their daily
work are available to participants. These improve the individual
achievement of targets and performance measurement, as well as
strengthening sustainability.
Methods and pertinence of
Group Coaching for senior managers
Roles and expectations
are developed
sustainably using
target-oriented tools.
The first step in working together is building trust. Participants
observe closely whether distinctions are allowed by the coach or the
management board members in interactions between the different
hierarchical levels. Do the board members contribute well? Do they
take more space for themselves? Are they allowed more freedom? The
confidentiality rules, which are agreed for each coaching program, and
requesting that people be responsible for themselves, represent initial
approaches to building trust.
Further steps include defining roles and shared understanding and
language. A good way to do this is the concept of meta-levels. If all
participants, attendees and the coach agree as to when they are
discussing facts and when they are discussing the abstract ideas that
are derived from them, good foundations are laid for further work.
These steps function similarly in coaching sessions and Group
Coaching sessions. In Group Coaching with mixed management
levels – above all however with senior management – the work on
defining roles and on the concept of meta-levels indicates selectivity
and differentiation to the participants. It is related first to communication
levels and then to functions, contributions and expectations.
The ritual laying down of roles has proven successful in Group
Coaching sessions at mixed management levels and in particular at
board level: the participants symbolically lay down insignia of their
power and their everyday roles at the beginning of every coaching
module and take them back up again at the end, at the final round. The
insignia laid down at the beginning are generally mobile phones and
Blackberry smartphones but may also be wedding rings and watches.
The symbolic power of officially laying down their role affects each
person openly or indirectly.
Using feedback is also a way to increase the pertinence of the sessions.
The magic of Group Coaching comes from intensive feedback sessions
among the participants, sometimes on a one-to-one basis but mostly as
© USP-D 2014 / Petra Schulte: A Group Coaching program at Executive Board level –
Learning paths and learning spaces for Executives
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5. a whole group. Participants in Group Coaching want to be noticed.
The higher and more isolated they are day-to-day in the management
hierarchy, the truer this is.
Differences to Group Coaching for
middle management
Best practice and
benchmarks are the
indicators of successful
Group Coaching sessions
for Executives.
All coaching programs have a curriculum framework, which is defined
in advance with HR and senior management. Curriculum elements of a
Group Coaching session for middle management are often topics
such as strategy, leadership, team, conflict, change and intercultural
management. The curriculum for top managers and board members
includes vision and strategy as well as leadership and change.
However, conflict management, team management or leading teams
almost always replaces topics such as intercultural management and
globalization.
A further simple difference that can be seen in the design is that top
managers, in contrast to middle management or management trainees,
are not or are no longer very strongly interested in the theoretical
support for certain concepts. Instead, it is best practice and
international benchmarks that are of interest. They have more
resonance than scientifically proven concepts and reputable sources.
Pragmatism and accountability are considered much more important
than the intellectual elements of a model.
This target group grasps its function within the overall context very
quickly, often has fixed images, is happy to be surprised by the ‘wow
factor’ and recognizes the value of a small insight that really makes a
difference. Middle management wants comparatively often to establish
which information should be followed, looking at and evaluating the
content through debate.
Top-level management is fuelled by comparison – even between
themselves. They look for exchange, want to look at each other’s
menus or wine lists, and learn from one another as individuals. Middle
management wants to understand the world and the professional
context of others. Mutual understanding still has the purpose of
understanding diversity and affecting the overall view. Getting rid of
‘loneliness’ among senior executives only becomes a need later.
Reasons for Group Coaching at board level
Group Coaching
prepares the ground for
dealing with change
and development.
Need and psychological strain often go hand in hand. If a company has
a change of policy, or the management is re-assembled or the board
pushes a new agenda, the time has come for a shared learning and
development period.
© USP-D 2014 / Petra Schulte: A Group Coaching program at Executive Board level –
Learning paths and learning spaces for Executives
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6. Strategy consultants and coaches are brought in and accompany
selective development processes with their expertise. Top-level
management acquires a taste for shared reflection and has regular
exchange in the form of a team supervision. Participants recognize that
this type of interaction challenges them as individuals. They recognize
that the format of team supervisions or strategy advice does not give
them legitimate space for individual reflection or wide-reaching overhaul. They also recognize that a constant coaching process within the
company not only gives them strength and clarity regarding their role
and function but can also empower and carry the entire company along.
Senior management perceives itself as the leverage point in the
coaching process: here, the course is set effectively and significant
change is effected around it.
Suitable target companies for this working format
Group Coaching at management board level should be applicable
everywhere. Global, international and national companies, mediumsized family businesses and middle-sized groups are similar in the
following ways: top management has barely been actively involved in
any learning scenarios for many years. Top management needs
exchange with their top managers that goes beyond strategic and
operative work topics. Top management directs development and
growth. At second glance however, closer differentiation is beneficial:
companies that are in a situation of upheaval or particular growth are
particularly willing to learn and open to a shared, strong learning
methods.
This effect can be seen in medium-sized companies in exactly the same
way as in medium-sized groups with employee numbers that are well
into five digits. It should be considered that the more global and larger
a company’s base, the rarer it is that the top level management is
involved in a coaching program because it is not offered to them.
How does HR open the door to a
development program for Executives?
Strategic management
development
starts at the top.
Human resources managers who have already experienced the efficacy
of Group Coaching at other management levels, speak to their top
managers openly about it. Some HR colleagues go the indirect way
and invite their executives to be involved in the program’s conception.
In these planning meetings, the need at board level can be
established. Such phrases as “the rot starts at the top” may be used.
Working on individual competencies of middle management is
important but the actual need is at the top. Recognizing this is simple
for top managers.
© USP-D 2014 / Petra Schulte: A Group Coaching program at Executive Board level –
Learning paths and learning spaces for Executives
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7. Strategic top level management development is always linked to the
strategic orientation of an organization. It addresses the future need of
the company with regard to competencies, skills, conduct and attitude.
It supports organization by attuning to a new vision, sketching this out
with an all-encompassing strategy and formulating measurable targets.
A few simple rules help to ensure quality and overall success:
1. Clarifying the contract before the program –
a contract is a contract
The particular target group of executives has power when making
economic decisions. They can award contracts and projects relatively
autonomously. As such the coach is presented with additional contracts,
which he/she carefully distinguishes from Group Coaching. The total
contract for a Group Coaching program at board level is agreed before
the start of the program with the head of HR and the board, and defined
in terms of all the formal facets, its boundaries and its purpose. Should
there be additional contracts, such as individual consulting or further
team events with managers, these are formally clarified with the
head of HR, as is also the case with other customer relations. Many
management boards are used to commissioning more than one expert
at a time. They therefore expect external partners to catch balls for
them as their external consultants or their internal management do.
This target group is so close to day-to-day business that they bring the
everyday into the Group Coaching sessions with them, and can switch
to normal working mode almost automatically in the middle of the
process.
The solution: The coach keeps these sometimes barely perceptible
boundaries in sight with aplomb and quiet attention and explains the
abstraction levels. The group relaxes more quickly as a result and is
aware of its own actions.
2. Initial diagnostics at the highest level –
defining the individual learning and development fields
Young talents, junior managers and management are nominated by
their superiors to be part of the program. They undergo a status quo
analysis before the Group Coaching begins. This takes the form of
Potential Workshops, Assessment Centers or Development Centers.
This approach has been shown to not be particularly adaptable for
top-level management because of the lack of internal assessors. If the
board itself is not involved in the program, it can carry out appraisals
with the participants alongside the coach or external consultants. If
the board members are themselves program participants, there is a
different approach available.
The solution: 360 Degree Feedback with subsequent individual
feedback and agreed individual learning areas provide an appropriate
initial diagnostic. The overall results of the target group, anonymized
© USP-D 2014 / Petra Schulte: A Group Coaching program at Executive Board level –
Learning paths and learning spaces for Executives
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8. as a group report, also enable a good starting point for organizational
learning.
3. Transfer measures instead of a supporting project –
where senior management shapes organizational learning
Group Coaching programs for younger target groups frequently involve
company projects to ensure the transferability of learned skills. Several
senior management programs involve social work outside the organization. The nature of these projects is strongly dependent on the organization, the target group and the coach’s preferences. Programs that
are prepared strategically and want to give board members and senior
management more time for reflection find environmental and social
projects to be a welcome addition. Programs that accompany or work
on a specific issue (M&A), a change or restructuring frequently use
projects to tie in to company-relevant cultural and sustainability-related
issues.
The solution: Skills transfer and accompanying measures have
proved to be very successful where they involve processing
management board topics as input for other management levels, and
thus lead to company-wide learning. This group of participants can
easily identify themselves and recognize the benefits immediately.
These contributions also reflect the company’s change process well.
From the external perspective of the other management levels, the role
model nature of the forerunner group can be easily recognized and
encourages identification and a stronger ‘us’ culture.
Summary
Autor:
Petra Schulte
petra.schulte@usp-d.com
Group Coaching programs at board level have developed over the
past few years following significant demand from companies. Top
level managers who commit themselves to growth outlooks and written
change processes, rely on the energy and driving force of a companybased coaching process. They devote their attention to the differences
between senior managers and the attraction of sharing a direction. A
total of 15 to 25 days of investment per person for the design, execution
and continuing support of the whole organization ensures strong
management, a clear orientation and security in dealing with change.
USP-D
Deutschland Consulting GmbH
Moltkestraße 101
D-40479 Düsseldorf
Tel. +49 (0)211 913 697 00
Fax +49 (0)211 913 697 10
office.duesseldorf@usp-d.com
USP-D Consulting GmbH
Winckelmannstraße 8/6+7
A-1150 Wien
Tel. +43 (0)1 585 55 94
Fax +43 (0)1 585 62 26
office.wien@usp-d.com
www.usp-d.com
© USP-D 2014 / Petra Schulte: A Group Coaching program at Executive Board level –
Learning paths and learning spaces for Executives
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9. First steps to jump-start
Agree working rules – less is more: Two rules are sufficient.
They are confidentiality and individual responsibility
Meta-levels as a starting platform and shared language
Laying down normal roles, and mindfulness as conscious
steps away from the everyday
The same rights and duties for all – delegating responsibilities
for work and evening units with process feedback
Peer partnerships and psychological agreements as emotional
support
Effective working methods in Group Coaching
Small-scale:
Previous research, critical evaluation and mini presentation –
sharing with the group in order to decide individual priorities for
different concepts and theories
Peer coaching for confidential reflections and encouraging
transfer of learned skills between modules
Virtual coaching for integrating skills into day-to-day work
Transfer from leadership to participants: Lead the leaders
Method:
Story-telling, work on analogies, Gestaltarbeit
Script analysis for reflection on one’s own story, example and
successful concepts
Scenario techniques for visualizing interdependencies,
dynamics and phenomena
Mindfulness exercises, journeys through time and meditation
to slow down and become more aware
Feedback in various forms, one to one, group to one
Development of rituals and contracts for defining roles and
establishing role changes
© USP-D 2014 / Petra Schulte: A Group Coaching program at Executive Board level –
Learning paths and learning spaces for Executives
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