The Goldsmith Coaching Process^TM(GCP^TM) is based on an empirically-tested method of executive coaching developed by Marshall Goldsmith, a leading authority in the field. Marshall's straightforward and highly effective process has consistently delivered successful results for many leaders in a broad spectrum of professions. The focus of the GCP^TM is behavioral change. By identifying specific behaviors to improve and choosing concrete methods of change, the GCP^TM supports leaders in making positive and measurable behavior improvements. How does the GCP^TM differ from other behavioral coaching models?

• Focus on only one or two behaviors to improve
• Visible process that involves key constituents
• Systematic measurement of progress

Specifically, the GCP^TM consists of the following eight steps that are typically carried out over the course of a year:

Step 1 - Establish Leader Buy-In
Leaders are more responsive when they set their own goals. During this step, the coach guides the leader through the process of defining the characteristics and qualities that are important for a leader in his/her position as well as the importance of improving, both for himself as well as for the company.

Step 2 - Identify & Enroll Assessment Contributors
In the case that the leader does not have a current leadership assessment, the coach involves the leader in identifying a suitable set of contributors to assess the leader. It is important that the leader be involved in this step so that he accepts the assessment results as valid and will not be likely to dismiss or discredit the feedback.

Step 3 - Implement & Review Assessment
This step involves conducting the assessment in a timely manner, compiling a report of the data collected, and sharing the report with the leader. If appropriate, the coach can conduct interviews with selected stakeholders to provide additional input.

Step 4 - Determine Key Behavior(s) & Stakeholders
Using the assessment report, the coach guides the leader to determine which one or two behavior(s) should be the focus of the coaching engagement and which assessment contributors should be the key stakeholders - individuals who are committed to the leader's development and willing to provide feedforward to the leader during the coaching engagement. Once the leader has identified behavior(s) and stakeholders, they are validated with the leader's manager (and/or HR).

Step 5 - Collect Feedforward
This step requires two types of activities. The first is to enroll the key stakeholders, which happens only once during the GCP^TM. The second activity is to collect feedforward (suggestions on how to improve the selected behavior in the future) from the key stakeholders. Collecting feedforward happens regularly throughout the GCP^TM.

Studies on the value of this step are very clear. When successful people identify and articulate goals, announce these goals to others and involve colleagues in helping them improve, positive and measurable change is more likely to occur.

Step 6 - Develop Action Plan
Once the stakeholders begin to provide feedforward, they become the true "coaches". This step involves the coach and leader developing an action plan with specific and measurable behaviors based on the feedforward suggestions of the stakeholders.

On a monthly basis, the action plan will be revisited and revised according to the leader's progress.

Step 7 - Facilitate Follow-up
This step occurs iteratively with Steps 5 and 6. In the leader's conversations with stakeholders, he will ask for feedback on his performance over the last month and then ask for feedforward suggestions. Depending on the stakeholders' suggestions, the coach works with the leader to adjust the action plan regularly.

Step 8 - Review Results
In addition to the informal follow-up conversations (leader-stakeholder, leader-coach, and in unusual cases, coach-stakeholder), more formal methods of assessing progress, called mini-surveys, are conducted at the mid and endpoints of the coaching engagement. These mini-surveys are designed to assess the stakeholders' perceptions of the leader's improvement in his selected behavior(s).

After the final assessment at the end of the coaching engagement, the coach and leader determine how the leader can continue applying the steps of the GCP^TM without a coach as they identify new behaviors they want to improve.