EXECUTIVE COACHING AS A TRANSFER OF TRAINING TOOL - EFFECTS ON PRODUCTIVITY IN A PUBLIC AGENCY

This action research is the first reported attempt to examine the effe cts of executive coaching in a public sector municipal agency. Thirty- one managers underwent a conventional managerial training program, whi ch was followed by eight weeks of one-on-one executive coaching. Train ing increased productivity by 22.4 percent. The coaching, which includ ed: goal setting, collaborative problem solving, practice, feedback, s upervisory involvement, evaluation of end-results, and a public presen tation, increased productivity by 88.0 percent, a significantly greate r gain compared to training alone. Descriptions of procedures, explana tions for the results obtained, and suggestions for future research an d practice are offered.