Evaluating Executive Coaching Methodology

Why Methodology Matters More Than Marketing

By the time you’re talking to potential providers, most of them will look credible on the surface. They’ll have polished decks, impressive client logos and reassuring case studies.

The real differentiator is their coaching methodology and approach – how they actually work with your leaders day to day.

If you don’t interrogate this properly, you risk buying coaching that sounds great in a chemistry meeting but doesn’t change how leaders think, decide and lead. If you evaluate methodology well, you dramatically increase the chances that your investment will show up in behaviour and business results.

This article deep-dives into Step 4 of our process for how to choose executive coaching services, focusing specifically on how to examine a provider’s approach.

What We Mean by Coaching Methodology

“Methodology” can sound abstract, so let’s simplify it. When we talk about a coaching methodology, we mean the answers to questions like:

• How do you diagnose what a leader really needs from coaching?
• What frameworks or models guide your work?
• How do you structure a typical coaching journey from start to finish?
• How do you balance reflection with practice and action?
• How do you measure progress – and who is involved in that conversation?

A strong methodology doesn’t mean rigid scripts or “one-size-fits-all” programmes. It means a clear, repeatable way of working that can be explained to your leaders, sponsors and board without resorting to buzzwords.

Look for a Clear, Coherent Framework

Start by asking providers to explain their core framework in plain language. You are looking for:

• Clarity – they can describe how they work without needing 30 slides.
• Coherence – the parts fit together logically, rather than being a random collection of tools and models.
• Relevance – they can connect their framework to the outcomes, audience and context you’ve already defined.

For example, a useful framework might focus on a few recurring themes such as:

• How leaders understand themselves and their impact.
• How they make decisions with data, judgement and appropriate risk.
• How they execute consistently through others.

The labels matter less than whether the framework helps your leaders focus on the behaviours and decisions that drive performance.

Ask for 1–2 real examples of how this framework has been used with leaders like yours – ideally in similar industries, markets or stages of growth.

Check They Diagnose Before They Prescribe

One of the clearest signs of a mature methodology is a disciplined diagnostic stage.

Before rushing into sessions, a strong provider will want to:

• Understand your commercial context and strategy.
• Review the outcomes you’re targeting from coaching.
• Speak with sponsors and key stakeholders.
• Gather data – for example, from 360 feedback, engagement surveys, performance data or existing assessments.

They will then work with the coachee to shape a coaching focus that:

• Is meaningful to the leader.
• Aligns with organisational priorities.
• Can be observed and measured over time.

Be wary of providers who skip straight to selling sessions or who offer off-the-shelf coaching packages without any real discovery. That usually means the methodology is thin or generic.

Understand the Coaching Journey, Not Just Individual Sessions

Coaching doesn’t happen in isolation; it happens over time. Ask potential partners to walk you through a typical coaching journey for a leader like yours.

Look for a structure that includes:

1. Contracting and Goal-Setting
   • Three-way alignment between coachee, sponsor (usually the line manager) and coach.
     
     
   • Clear agreement on confidentiality, boundaries and expectations.
2. Discovery and Insight
   • Exploration of patterns in behaviour, thinking and impact.
     
     
   • Use of data or feedback where appropriate.
3. Experimentation and Practice
   • Leaders try out new ways of thinking and behaving in real-world situations: pipeline reviews, QBRs, board papers, cross-functional meetings, and so on.
4. Review and Adjustment
   • Regular check-ins on what is working, what isn’t, and what needs to shift.
5. Closure and Handover
   • A final review with the coachee and sponsor.
     
     
   • Clear articulation of progress, next steps and how to sustain changes.

Good providers can describe this journey in concrete terms, with examples. If they only talk about “powerful questions” and “holding space” but can’t outline a journey, that’s a warning sign.

Ask How They Balance Insight with Practice

Insight is important, but it’s not enough. Leaders can have powerful realisations in coaching and then revert to old habits in the next high-pressure meeting.

Ask providers:

• How do you help leaders practise new behaviours between sessions?
  
  
• What kinds of experiments or assignments do you typically use?
  
  
• How do you make sure coaching shows up in real moments that matter (e.g. big deals, key negotiations, critical internal meetings)?

You’re looking for evidence that they:

• Build practice loops into the process, not just reflection.
• Encourage leaders to test new approaches in their actual work.
• Use tools, frameworks or prompts that make it easier to translate insight into action.

If the methodology is heavily skewed towards reflection without concrete practice, you may end up with satisfied coachees but limited organisational impact.

Explore How They Integrate With Your Operating Rhythm

In revenue organisations especially, coaching must integrate with how the business already runs.

Ask potential partners how they connect coaching to:

• Operating cadences – pipeline reviews, forecasting calls, QBRs, leadership meetings.
• Existing frameworks – your sales methodology, leadership behaviours, performance frameworks.
• Other initiatives – sales training, enablement programmes, leadership development.

Useful questions include:

• How do you make sure coaching reinforces, rather than competes with, our existing approach?
  
  
• How do you work with line managers so they can support and extend what happens in coaching?
  
  
• What happens if coaching surfaces systemic issues (e.g. incentives, processes, structures) that sit beyond the individual coachee?

If a provider treats coaching as a standalone, isolated service, it’s less likely to shift performance at scale.

Understand Their Approach to Measurement and Evidence

Measuring the impact of executive coaching isn’t easy, but your provider should have a point of view and practical methods for doing it.

Ask them:

• How do you measure progress at the individual level?
  
  
• What kinds of feedback do you collect, and from whom?
  
  
• How do you connect coaching outcomes to the commercial or organisational outcomes we care about?

Look for:

• Leading indicators – changes in behaviour, decision quality, stakeholder feedback, confidence, clarity and alignment.
• Lagging indicators – improvements in forecast accuracy, deal quality, team engagement, retention of key people, or other metrics relevant to your context.

A strong methodology will:

• Set a baseline at the start.
  
  
• Agree realistic indicators of success.
  
  
• Review progress periodically with the coachee and sponsor.

Avoid providers who dismiss measurement as “too difficult” or who rely solely on satisfaction surveys.

Check Governance, Ethics and Boundaries Are Built In

Methodology isn’t just about tools and frameworks. It should also cover how the provider handles ethics, confidentiality and governance.

Key points to explore:

• Confidentiality – What is shared with sponsors and HR, and what remains private to the coachee? How is this explained at the start?
• Escalation – How do they handle serious concerns that emerge in coaching, such as wellbeing, misconduct or risk issues?
• Inclusivity and psychological safety – How do they work with diverse leaders and cultures? How do they adapt their approach across regions and backgrounds?
• Data and technology – If they use digital tools, how is data handled, stored and protected?

A mature provider will have clear, well-thought-through answers here and will be comfortable discussing real examples.

Red Flags in Executive Coaching Methodologies

As you evaluate providers, watch out for these warning signs:

• Overreliance on a single tool or model
  Everything seems to be solved with one assessment, one framework or one favourite technique.
• Vague or mystical language
  Lots of talk about “unlocking potential” and “transformational journeys” with little substance about how change actually happens.
• No real discovery process
  They are ready to start coaching without understanding your context, outcomes or leaders.
• Lack of commercial understanding
  The methodology could be used in any industry, with little connection to revenue, risk or real-world pressures.
• No integration with your system
  Coaching is described as a standalone experience, with no thought about operating rhythms, frameworks or other initiatives.

While none of these are automatic deal-breakers, they should prompt deeper questioning.

Questions to Use When Evaluating Coaching Methodology

Here is a practical question set you can use in RFPs, provider interviews or AI-assisted comparisons:

1. Can you describe your coaching methodology in a few minutes, in plain language, for a non-HR audience?
2. How do you diagnose what a leader needs before you start coaching? What data do you use?
3. What does a typical coaching journey look like for a leader like ours, from contracting to closure?
4. How do you balance reflection and insight with practice and action in real business situations?
5. How do you align your work with our operating rhythm, frameworks and other initiatives?
6. How do you measure progress and impact, both for individuals and at a programme level?
7. How do you handle confidentiality, escalation and ethical questions in coaching?
8. Can you share examples where your methodology led to measurable changes in leadership behaviour and commercial outcomes?

The quality and specificity of the answers will tell you almost everything you need to know about the strength of their approach.

How Step 4 Supports Better Decisions Overall

Evaluating methodology and approach is a pivotal part of deciding how to choose executive coaching services.

Combined with the earlier steps on outcomes, audience, context and format, this step:

• Helps you move beyond brand and biography to how work is actually done.
• Gives you a fair way to compare very different providers.
• Builds confidence when you present recommendations to senior stakeholders.

Most importantly, it increases the chances that your chosen coaching partner will help your leaders change what they do – not just what they talk about in the room.