Executive coaching has become increasingly popular for managers and executives who need individualized, unbiased input to help them make the most of their developmental experiences. Executive coaching is a formal engagement that matches a qualified coach with an organizational leader in a series of dynamic, confidential sessions designed to establish and achieve clear goals that will result in improved business effectiveness, both for the individual and the organization. A good coach helps executives develop clarity of purpose and focus on action. Coaching works best when it is part of a development plan. For coaching to deliver its promised results, executives need to find the right coach. Finding the right coach can be a challenge because executive coaching is an unlicensed profession. Preliminary screening helps to narrow the coaching search. Coaching engagements usually begin with one or more lengthy face-to-face meetings in which the coach and the client build the rapport necessary for honest communication and establish realistic guidelines and expectations. Engagements typically last for 6 to 18 months. Managers who have identified skill areas they want to improve can often benefit dramatically from coaching. (RT)