An accomplished executive may find coaching useful and still resist a particular engagement. The goals may be vague, the adviser may misunderstand the role, or the proposed exercises may have little connection to the work.
High performance does not make someone inherently uncoachable. It does make a generic development process easier to dismiss.
Agree on a problem worth examining
Start with a recent situation in which the executive wanted a different result. What happened? What was within their control? What did other people observe?
Turn that account into a question that can be investigated. For example, why do decisions reopen after apparent agreement? Examine the meeting record, the instructions and the responses before deciding that the cause is personality or physiology.
The adviser should be able to explain the method being used and its limits. Experience, credentials and confident language do not by themselves establish that a method can identify the cause of a performance problem.
Keep a place for disagreement
An effective working relationship allows the executive to challenge an interpretation. The adviser also needs permission to question a favored explanation without turning the exchange into a contest over status.
Try a defined change in an actual situation. Review what happened and whether the evidence supports continuing. Some problems require organizational changes; others may call for a different professional's expertise.
Before renewing an engagement, ask what the executive can now do or understand that was previously difficult. If neither party can give a concrete answer, revisit the purpose. A demanding client deserves a clear explanation of value, and a good adviser should be willing to provide one.
