I read a lot about so called e-coaching - people being coached or
mentored online through modular e-mails, combined with phone calls
with coaches etc. - please can you provide a definition of such
coaching, and access to sources and people who are doing it
successfully. Thanks.

---

Request for Question Clarification by brettquest-ga on 13 Jan 2005 18:54 PST

dtnl42-ga:

Is their a paticular area of coaching or mentoring that you most
associate with the concept of online coaching? Is their a particular
field of online coaching that you most want information on and
resources for? Are you interested a broad overview or do you have
specific criteria in mind?

Regards,

Brettquest

---

Clarification of Question by dtnl42-ga on 13 Jan 2005 23:13 PST

Executive coaching - and is anyone out there providing the proven
benefits of coaching (in person) on a one to one basis?

Hope that helps

Thx

Hello, dtnl42-ga!

 The following information focuses on executive e-coaching. I also
included a few reports about the benefits of executive coaching, in
general, at the end of my answer in case they are beneficial.
 

DEFINITION OF E-COACHING
=========================

The best definition I have found for e-coaching is from the article,
"E-Coaching: Connecting Learners to Solutions," by Gerald Marino.
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/ARossett/pie/Interventions/ecoaching_2.htm

"E-coaching is the process for connecting distance coaches to clients
through technology and distance communication methods. Some use the
term e-coaching interchangeably with distance coaching or distance
mentoring (telementoring.) Few practitioners differentiate e-coaching
from distance coaching since normal coaching practice combines all
distance coaching channels (telephone, video conferencing, e-mail,
online chat sessions, knowledge bases, instant messaging, etc.); but
e-coaches who employ all appropriate and available distance channels
to provide ongoing support gain many benefits. E-coaches can work
asynchronously with clients who may be across the globe; they can draw
on electronic support systems such as knowledge bases and data
repositories; they can connect clients to experts with specific
knowledge of the content in question and they can collect data and
develop trends from all their electronic transactions."



BENEFITS OF E-COACHING
=======================

The article referenced above mentions the shortage of quantitative
studies concerning the benefits of e-coaching compared to in-person
coaching - however, a few studies are cited in the article:

"However, information from practitioners claims several benefits for
e-coaching/distance coaching relationships and the limited research
conducted reports gains: Goldsmith and Morgan (2003) showed that
"feedback or coaching by phone worked just about as well as feedback
or coaching in person." Wentling and Wang (2001) established that
e-coaching can have significant impact, positive and negative, on
transfer of training; Wadsworth (2001) demonstrated that the specific
communications methods employed in distance coaching can also improve
e-coaching results in training transfer; Bennett, Tsikalas, Hupert,
Meade, and Honey (1998) reported that distance mentors (telementors)
helped high school students make science, engineering, and computing
career choices."

"Linda Miller, Director of Coaching Services for The Ken Blanchard
Companies reports success with e-coached (distance coached) clients
she has never met in person. These clients worked through very
challenging situations via phone conversations and e-mail contact.
With many clients, the entire coaching relationship and experience was
developed over the phone or online without any face-to-face
interaction."

(Please see article for complete study citations) 
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/ARossett/pie/Interventions/ecoaching_2.htm


==


The following excerpt also highlights some benefits of e-coaching:

From "E-Coaching," by Merry Lee Olson. Learning Circuits. September 2001.
http://www.learningcircuits.org/2001/sep2001/olson.html

"Homan--who is a founding member of the Board of the International
Coach Federation--says that a significant benefit of a Web-based
program is that it creates a consistent coaching methodology. Most
companies that offer coaching programs agree that they improve
performance, but they find that coaches' credentials vary. "We've been
able to use the Web-based platform to train coaches and certify that
they have consistent skills," says Homan. "They're also better
equipped because they can draw on the platform's resources." Bruss
defines additional resources as built-in learning activities, models,
and assessments. "Each coach can tap into a storehouse of resources
and become a super coach, so to speak," he says."

"More important, Web-enabled coaching initiatives can be designed to
support a wide variety of learning programs. The technology platform
allows companies to adapt coaching to widely-used third-party training
and learning programs, and new content can be integrated as needed.
"With the support of technology-enhanced programs, coaches can make
learning a top priority, closing the gap between awareness and doing.
We call this J3 Learning--just in time; just enough; just for me."

"And an intuitive Web interface provides a shared workspace for
coaches and clients that supports online sessions with an array of
self-assessments, exercises, and other resources, including tools to
help set goals and record and track progress, assessments to provide
baseline data for measuring progress, and tracking mechanisms to
produce attendance reports that evaluate effectiveness. Unlike
face-to-face sessions, online sessions are digitally stored, so
clients can review goals, chart milestones, and review progress over
time. "We collect a lot of data that can be analyzed, measured, and
tracked over time," explains Bruss. "Through that functionality we
have developed a rich database that provides support to other coaches
and clients."

"Quantitative measurement through data analysis can be as simple as
attendance and satisfaction levels, or as complex as productivity
improvement and return on investment studies. Measuring ROI may be one
of the best aspects of delivering coaching through a Web-based
platform. "That isn't a big concern when one person has a coach," says
Blanchard. "But if 100 or more people are in a program, organizations
need to be able to track and measure results."

(Read further....


==


Some more benefits of e-coaching from dnaGlobal
http://www.dnaglobal.com/coaching.htm 

"Electronic (web based) coaching allows individuals to receive
feedback from their coaches immediately the need arises: at their
workplace, where they take action right away. When you hit a crunch
problem that challenges you, your thoughts and reactions can be logged
so you can capture the effects in real time. This means you can
re-visit the issue and the potential transformational learning points
in the time and place to suit you, the coachee; whether on a plane,
train, at the office or away on business, enabling you to address the
points at a time that suits your schedule. Responses from the coach
can be viewed, stored and reviewed whenever it is convenient and
appropriate. Because of the process of coaching via electronic mail,
time is allowed for reflection; a process proven to enhance learning
breakthrough."


==


Also read:

Coaching Success Stories from Coaching.com
http://www.coaching.com/Marketing/Common/successstories.htm

"Impact Evaluation Report on the Coaching.com Intervention for [Client
Company]." October 2001.
http://www.coaching.com/Marketing/Common/images/ImpactReport.pdf


==


The Online Coaching Clinic has also outlined some benefits of e-coaching:
http://www.coachingclinic.com/learnonline.html

* e-coaching can help employees, managers and coaches magnify the
amount and variety of coaching that is available and gets done.
* e-coaching can fit into time periods when the employee is available
to learn. It can be available 7x24, at work, home or on the road.
* e-coaching can provide knowledge about specific subjects for
managers as well as their staff.
* e-coaching allows for advance thinking time so people can focus
better during a coaching session.
* e-coaching can help to make a difficult topic easier to coach when
it has been read about in advance.
* e-coaching, supported by promotion, creates an aura of a "learning
organization" which builds morale.
* There's no incremental cost to provide "just in time" coaching when
it is available on the Intranet. Managers can act fast when an
employee needs help.



************************************
ONLINE EXECUTIVE COACHING COMPANIES
************************************

 Online executive coaching services are not as abundant as I thought
they would be. It appears that some coaches feel that an understanding
of an individual's work environment is an important key to tailoring
personalized sessions.

I have highlighted some companies below that specifically offer online
coaching services.


Coaching.com
==============
http://www.coaching.com/Marketing/Common/default.html
 
"By combining a team of seasoned, highly credentialed coaches with a
proprietary Web-based platform, Coaching.com extends the benefits of
coaching beyond the executive boardroom providing flexible and
cost-effective services to all levels of the organization."
http://www.coaching.com/Marketing/Common/process.htm


Executive Coaching Studio
=========================
http://www.executivecoachingstudio.com/executivecoaching.htm

"With offices in the UK, New York and Toronto, The Executive Coaching
Studio is strategically located to serve clients worldwide. Our
coaching solutions are offered in person, online, or via telephone."


Online Coaching Clinic
=======================
http://www.coachingclinic.com/index.html
 Click on the left-hand tab labelled "Why e-coaching?"


dnaGlobal
=========
http://www.dnaglobal.com/coaching.htm
 "Electronic (web based) coaching allows individuals to receive
feedback from their coaches immediately the need arises: at their
workplace, where they take action right away."


Peyton Investments
===================
http://www.peytoninvestments.com/coaching_process.htm

 "Executive coaching can be short-term, recurring, or on-going,
depending on your specific needs. It can take place in person, over
the telephone, via email, or using instant messaging. And your coach
is available 24/7 because problems don?t always arise during business
hours."


Advantage Coaching and Training (phone - not internet)
======================================================
http://www.advantagecoaching.com/professional_coaching.asp


EMCI (phone - not internet)
============================
http://mycoach.com/coaching_execcoach.shtml


==


The Business.com directory also has a list of executive coaching
companies and many of these may actually offer online services even
though internet coaching is not specifically addressed on their
website. You would have to call each company individually.
http://www.business.com/directory/human_resources/leadership_and_teams/coaching/executive_coaching/



***************************************
BENEFITS OF EXECUTIVE COACHING OVERALL
***************************************

 Whether online or offline, executive coaching has numerous benefits.
I have provided some further references which outline the
effectiveness of executive coaching.


"Case Study on the Return on Investment of Executive Coaching."
Prepared by Merrill C. Anderson, Ph.D. MetrixGlobal, LLC. November 2,
2001
http://www.coachcentral.info/Merrill_study.htm


"Benefits of Executive Coaching," by Victoria Green, Ph.D. 
Philadelphia SHRM. July 2003.
http://www.phillyshrm.org/newslet/july03.pdf


"Strategic coaching has bottom-line benefits," By Dr. Alyssa M. Freas
and Dr. Don Mankin. Management Centr Europe.
http://www.mce.be/knowledge/262/27


Fee-based article "The benefits of executive coaching." Smeltzer CH.
Pricewaterhouse Coopers Healthcare Consulting Practice.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12394594&dopt=Abstract


==


 I hope this information helps to answer your questions about online
excutive coaching services.


Sincerely, 

umiat

Search Strategy
e-coaching
online executive coaching
benefits of e-coaching
online coaching
online executive coaching
does online executive coaching work?
success of ecoaching
benefits of executive coaching

In answer to your question, you can find a few who are doing coaching
in any simple Google search.  There are dozens of them.  They often
also do the work of explaining coaching to you.  One that I found
through a Google search just now was the explanation of coaching at
http://www.ferocecoaching.com/coaching.html.  It's a site pretty full
of info.  Another is www.coachfederation.org, and www.coachvill.com,
two of the certifying bodies.

I have been an executive coach for almost 5 years now and have
conducted the vast majority of my work very effectively via telephone.
 (Michael Beck http://www.XLeaders.com)
1) Executive Coaching over the phone allows a coach to focus on what
the client is saying and what they aren't saying, compared with
coaching in person and having to deal with the distractions of the
surrounding physical environment.
2) If the nature of the work is executive image, certainly in-person
coaching  (executive shadowing) is more effective.
3) If by "e-coaching", you mean coaching via e-mail or IM, my
experience is that the effort would not only be ineffective, but would
often lead to misunderstandings.  Too much of the communication is
left up to "in the moment" writing (in which the words used are often
poorly thought through) and the responses are open to too much
interpretation (given the absence of voice inflections and
clarification).