Coaching: Priority and Clarity... This week's Dispatch, Do You Need a Coach? (Feb 22), generated some provocative comments from readers. Below, industry professionals comment. Next time, the coaches speak.

Terry Dickens, President & Chief Executive Officer of Bixby Land Company in Long Beach, CA, raves about his coaching experience. "I have worked with an executive coach, Jeff Zakaryan, for a couple of years. ... The experience has been excellent. Jeff brings experiences and ideas from working with other executives. ... It is especially helpful to work with a coach if one is leading a small company, as the coach can provide a 'sounding board' for ideas. He isn’t afraid to say, 'That sounds like a dumb idea' if it is. He also can provide suggestions that no one in the company sees."

Likewise, Gary Wood, Vice President & General Manager with Lurie Management in Chicago praises the value of coaching. "Coaching is ... not therapy, and it is not about your history or story. It is about where you are and where you want to go. It is non-judgmental, and it is confidential. ... Think about it. If you could talk to someone confidentially over the phone for 30 minutes every week about key issues in your life..., don't you think you would get focus and take action? ... A coach is a cost-effective way for someone to make a bigger impact by being more fulfilled and getting more balance in their life."

Terry Thompson, Senior Vice President with PM Realty Group in Newport Beach, CA, writes. "A great coach is first and foremost a great teacher, dedicated to teaching his students (players, employees, etc.) not only how to better and refine the skills they already have, but also for teaching them the importance of teamwork, dedication and unselfish actions... This is what great coaches like Vince Lombardi and John Wooden demonstrated throughout their respective coaching careers."

--Peter Pike