Types of Coach in Companies: External Coach (Advantages and Disadvantages)

Definition and Context of the External Coach

The external coach is an independent professional who provides coaching services to different companies or organizations.

Unlike the internal coach, he/she is not an exclusive employee of any of them, but an independent service provider.

The contribution of a professional from outside the company structure is often necessary.

This may be because the organization does not have internal staff specifically trained in coaching, or because it is considered strategically convenient to provide a global and impartial vision of the areas that need improvement within the company.

The external coach brings a fresh perspective, detached from internal dynamics.

Formative Objective of the External Coach (Ideal)

Although hired to intervene directly, a desirable ultimate goal of the external coach should ideally be to contribute to the training of managers within the organization.

These trained managers should, in turn, be able to apply coaching techniques with their own employees in appropriate circumstances.

In this way, the external coach not only solves a one-time need, but also helps to internalize and extend the coaching culture and skills within the client company over the long term.

Advantages of the External Coach

Hiring an external coach offers several significant advantages:

• Broad Vision and Benchmarking: can provide a valuable overview, based on their experience with different companies and industries, to serve as a comparative benchmark for the client organization.
• Absence of Hierarchical Conflicts: Not being part of the internal structure, there is no problem of power relations and hierarchies that may inhibit the relationship with an internal coach.
• Greater Objectivity: They have a more objective view of the company's problems, since they are not immersed in its internal policies or cultural biases.
• Emotional Distance: Can remain emotionally detached from pre-existing relationships between members of the organization, facilitating a more neutral intervention.

Disadvantages of the External Coach

Despite its advantages, using an external coach also has some disadvantages:

• Variable Involvement: Sometimes, there may be a lack of mutual involvement; the organization may not be fully committed to the work of the coach, or vice versa, the coach may not be sufficiently involved in the reality of the company.
• Higher Economic Cost: Generally, hiring an external professional means a higher direct economic cost for the company compared to using internal resources.
• Lack of Continuous Internal Support: Unlike the internal coach, the external coach does not have a constant support figure within the company once the sessi