Coaching: Supporting Public Executives on the Job

Abstract

Public managers and executives frequently find themselves in go it alone situations. They are expected to survive by their own wits with little support from superiors or peers; the result is significant role isolation. Support is hard to seek or find. When executives decide to seek help, they may place themselves at risk if the helping person makes judgments about future roles for them. They may be interpreted as admitting that they are not capable of adequately fulfilling current role expectations. This circumstance could violate the established image of the executive as a competent manager. Thus seeking help may risk jeopardizing future promotions. Related to this vulnerability is the myth of that surrounds the popular idea of an executive role. The person who assumes an executive or managerial position is attributed an aura of competence. Why else would the person have been selected? Therefore, why would help be necessary? On the other hand, once people think that an executive does require help as a result of some observable failure, then the leper syndrome sets in. When this happens, one no longer exudes an aura of competence and takes on the reputation of the failed executive. So, beware the leper, because the failure may be contagious. What follows is often a conspiracy of silence. Any help or feedback that might somehow support this executive in trouble is even less likely to be forthcoming. Finally, few organizations have incorporated the norm of giving or receiving help into their executive role definition. The executive is often saddled with a macho role definition where seeking help and making one's self vulnerable to others is not appropriate behavior. When help is given, it is frequently provided in a way that does not facilitate personal development. This help is usually in a solution and advice mode: I'll tell you what you should do in this situation. Rather than nurturing, the support is tied to the helper's ego needs for having the advice accepted and implemented. Facilitative help is noticeably absent from the male dominated executive role definition in most organizations.