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Ganesh Chella and Archana Edward Madhavan, reflecting upon their vast experience of nearly two decades, working with over 250 clients and managing over 1,500 coaching assignments, adopt a unique approach as authors of the book. They urge the readers to “unbox” the product, ‘coaching’, with the help of a well-designed ‘user manual’ containing detailed installation guidelines (oops!), modes and programme settings (really?), operating instructions (come on!), warranty clauses (what??), safety instructions (seriously?!), troubleshooting (tell me more!) and the FAQs (phew!).
“Most books are read once and put away. I believe that is a book that you will keep coming back to,” writes Rajiv Lochan, MD of Sundaram Finance, in his foreword. Rightly so, because this book is an exposition of coaching in its multiple dimensions.
Declaring that this is not a book on theory or science of coaching, the authors provide a glossary of terms, right in the beginning, elucidating coachee, coach, coaching, coaching partner, sponsor, client, immediate manager, chemistry, sustainability and so on, which helps the reader consume the contents of the book in complete clarity. The authors merit special appreciation for their extensive effort in interacting with numerous industry leaders and documenting their experiences as “user perspective” of the product, as a coach, coachee, sponsor, HR manager, which adds tremendous credibility to the narrative.
Ajanta Chatterjee, Head of Talent, JSW group, underscores the fundamental purpose of coaching thus: “For any organisational transformation, the foundation is to build a team of leaders who foster an environment of constant aspiration,...and establishing a culture of coaching is the way forward to successful transformation.”
While a coachee may be the primary beneficiary of coaching, others within the organisation benefit indirectly from the process. Therefore, visualising the importance of coaching through a spectrum of beneficiaries — CEO, Board Member, CHRO, talent head, managers and promoters of MSMEs — helps in contextualising the concept of coaching as applicable to various stakeholders within, and outside the organisation. Manav Kohli, COO of Commosales P Ltd, who experienced coaching in various roles, as a coachee, a peer and a sponsor, sees coaching as an enlightening journey of introspection, self-awareness, feedback and exploration.
Accentuating the fact that coaching cannot happen in isolation and is influenced by the interplay between events, players, structures, needs and expectations, Ganesh and Archana present a systemic view of the operating environment for coaching, comprising the core, immediate environment, larger environment and the entire ecosystem that manages the strategic, regulatory and environmental changes. Authors argue that all these four elements need to be primed and aligned to support the success of any coaching engagement. Supplementing this view further, Krish Shankar, former Group Head of HR at Infosys, states that a confluence of three factors — coachee with a significant challenge or a dilemma, an insightful coach, and an environment that enables the coachee, — form the basis for thoughtful approach to coaching.
Differentiating from other avenues for development such as executive education, training, mentoring and assessments, authors maintain that coaching is the most appropriate leadership intervention whenever there is a need for personalised developmental support entailing behavioural change because it helps translate learning into action. The book dwells on more crucial aspects as to what kind of business needs could be addressed through coaching, who qualifies for coaching, how to identify and select coaches, means of securing sponsorship for coaching, role of HR leaders and also the ethical dimension.
The authors categorise coaching primarily into two modes — “One to One” and “One to Many” — with multiple programmes listed under each mode, clearly explaining the scope, purpose, process, benefits, limitations and complexities under each mode, which would help organisations identify the type of coaching necessary in a given context. Amplifying the subtle difference between team coaching and group coaching, the authors clarify that the former focusses on strengthening the team as a system whereas the later focusses on strengthening the individual capabilities in a group setting. Many such nuances make the book very edifying and useful.
Affirming that coaching is an experience that enters a coachee’s life for a relatively brief period, and what a person does from gains out of coaching, will be influenced by what that person goes through after coaching. Recounting his experiences as a coachee during the formal coaching engagements which ended ten years ago, Lakshminarayan Duraiswamy, MD of Sundaram Home Finance, calls it a ‘point of inflection’ in his career, and confesses that his informal coaching continues till date.
Offering a set of warranties such as, likely outcomes, sustainability of outcomes, flexibility of the coach, ethical practices, and recovery from setbacks if any, the authors endeavour to package coaching as a wholesome product. An exceptional feature of the book is the “Call to Action” at the end of each chapter, exhorting the readers to put their learning into action.
User manuals are normally very technical and boring, but this manual is very distinctive, with stimulating anecdotes and corporate cases, underlining how coaching has helped shape behaviours and growth of many successful leaders, leading to transformation of their entire organisation. All of 130 pages, with a narration that is simple and yet thought provoking, this hands-on guide to coaching is a treatise, easy to comprehend and practice. A must read for everyone who is, or likely to be part of the coaching ecosystem — corporate leader, coaches, coachee, sponsor, manager and HR/talent leader.
The reviewer is General Manager, Madras Management Association
Published on April 11, 2025
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