The why of an executive coach
My clients ask me constantly, “But who is your coach?” True,
I have my own coaches and mentors. But they aren’t the ones who get
me motivated daily.
Who is it then? The answer is obvious. My clients!
Seeing my own clients' eyes light up and seeing their hopes and dreams come alive within their own souls gets me fired up about my own dreams again.
The result is that—without fail—, no matter how depressed I felt walking into a client meeting, I always feel like a million bucks after the meeting. That's one of the most important lessons I can teach you: don't feel like meeting with a client, force yourself to go. It will be worth it once you do.
Remember:
The only person who can make someone do something is the other person. You can’t make someone do something. It doesn't matter how important you think a task is for them, if they don't see the need or the benefit in doing it, they won't do it.
a word sketch of what an executive coach do
Foremost, you must be coachable.
Coaching is not
training. It is all about helping you perform at a higher level, improving your
self-awareness, the achievement of which can be an uncomfortable process and to
function as a catalyst for growth and development in motivated individuals.
It is a one-to-one
conversation between me and you, the client. I am your thinking partner and
sound board. I’m not giving answers. I’m not telling you how to run your
business. I am asking questions and listening very, very carefully for not only
what you are saying but how you are saying it. I provide a safe space and give
honest feedback to help you see how others may view you and identify areas for
growth.
It is not about
prescribing solutions, but about empowering you, the executive, to find your
own way forward. It will have a significant impact on your ability to clarify
and communicate your goals and improving the way you (the executive)
collaborate with your teams and view their work.
It improves your
leadership skills and management performance by drawing on my fundamental
expertise, “wisdom” and strengths, while allowing you to recognize areas that
require further development.
I am the first person
you go to when tricky situations arise to talk through them, as a neutral
party, I can help to get clarity and equip you with tools for dealing with this
tricky situation, leading to changes in attitude and behaviour that will have a
continuing and sustainable impact.
We are not consultants, although we are experts in the fields in which we coach, and we are not therapists. We are skilled in asking the right questions to help you tackle tough issues and achieve optimum performance.
Awareness, Intentions, and Answerability are the keywords that spring to mind when describing your personal and professional development.
Awareness
It begins with awareness
- awareness of where you are today and where you want to be tomorrow. If you
like, you can call it goal setting, but we set some targets.
We create measurable metrics.
How are you performing as a leader?
As an executive, how would you like to perform?
And how would you know you have reached that aim or that level of performance?
Intentions
Our goal is to close the
performance gap between your current performance and your desired performance.
We ask:
What are your intentions to get there, too close that gap?
What specific actions are necessary?
When are you at your best?
When are you at your worst?
What are the
circumstances that bring out the worst in you?
What are the things you
do that are associated with exceptional performance – you at your best, so to
speak?
What things are you
going to do to maximize the number of times you are at your best and minimize
the times you are not?
Accountability
Then there is
accountability. The role of an accountability partner is one of the most
important aspects of coaching. My goal is to serve as a sounding board and a
thinking partner. I’m not giving answers. I’m not telling you how to run your
business. I’m asking you question and listening very carefully to not only what
you are saying, but how you are saying it.
I am asking you about
alternatives. Have you considered other alternatives to solving a particular
problem or challenge? Maybe it’s a Human Resources issue, or a communication
issue. Maybe it’s a vendor, supplier, or customer issue.
What are the best
practices organizations used to address and resolve such issues, and have you
considered these?
As part of executive
coaching, executives can identify blind spots, some serious enough to limit
their careers. As a result, it helps identify behaviour is that limit
effectiveness.
Coaching is asking
provocative questions, acknowledging that you, as the client, are the ones who
know the answers. Whether or not you believe it, you have the resources to
answer these questions. Most senior executives do not realize how well
resourced they are. Untapped potential is what executive coaching is all about.
Often, executive
coaching is about communication.
As a leader, you have such an enormous impact on the culture of the organization. The camera is always on you, and your behaviour (the way you conduct yourself) is extremely important. That is hard, as you know. Leadership is a heavy responsibility, but it is why you get the bonuses and authority and responsibility, because people are watching you.
What about relationships?
It is all about
360-degree relationships - your peers, your subordinates, and the people you
report to, if you have any. You may report to owners, or as C-level executives,
to a board of directors.
Accountability and
answering to people are part of your job description.
Often, an executive
coach is one of the few people you can talk to completely anonymously and off
the record. We serve as a sounding board for your ideas and in terms of your
work, your team, your organization, and very often, your personal life,
executive coaching, can be extremely valuable.
Results are measured as business results and are therefore quantifiable and tangible.
In my own business, I
have collaborated with my own executive coach for years as a thinking and
accountability partner. I encourage you to do the same.