Is It the Right Time For You to Work With An Executive Coach?
Back almost 20 years ago, I remember being a young vice president in the corporate world and asking my CEO for an Executive Coach. Without consideration, the answer was no. At that time, a lot of money was spent on flying me all around to retreats and conferences, but for some reason, Executive Coaching wasn’t on the table.
I wish it had been. I didn’t have many strong mentors or coaches in my early days so I really had to figure things out for myself.
Perhaps, this desire within me back in those days for strong coaching support was one of the reasons I was motivated to jump off into the great unknown from the corporate world to forming the Executive Coaching Potential Unlimited firm to help support others along their leadership journeys.
How do you know if working with an Executive Coach is right for you, or executives or high potentials at your organization?
I have learned that when it comes to ROI of working with a coach, the best return for your dollars is pairing a leader/high potential with a coach when the leader is showing great promise but needs to help work out a couple of issues or wants to reach for more.
Measurement in coaching is key. I work with assessment tools to help the leader learn where there could be hidden strengths and areas of improvement. We formulate three goals in the beginning which sets the focus for the coaching relationship. The client’s leader or mentor then is included in the conversation to ensure all goals align with strategic development plans. Action plans are developed and then measurement occurs throughout to ensure the client is on track to get exactly what they signed up for.
I have seen firsthand that when you pair an individual who is keen and showing great promise with a qualified Executive Coach, amazing growth can occur. Some examples of the types of benefits from Executive Coaching can include:
Combat executive isolation
Improves leadership efficacy and thought leadership
Elevate executive presence and confidence
Boosts individual and team performance
Accelerates goal achievement
Improves collaboration and innovation
Heightens individual self-awareness
Improves empathy
Strengthens individual and team resilience in times of uncertainty and change
Improves leaders’ ability to develop others
Reveals and challenges limiting beliefs and behavior patterns
Increases employee motivation, engagement, and retention
Improves productivity
Accelerates leadership development
Helps introduce leaders to tools that reduce the impact of burnout
What I love about coaching as a development tool is that it doesn’t just occur once. The coach and individual are connected for at least 6 months which helps to ensure ongoing progress is made and new traits/skills/habits can formulate over time. I have seen time and time again, that working with a coach can be an extremely positive life and career-changing experience!
Why is this connection so important?
Research shows that the biggest factor impacting the success of goal achievement in the coaching relationship is the fit between the client and the coach. So, it is a great idea for organizations to have an Executive Coaching roster as one style isn’t going to fit all.
I bring a strong business background with an MBA and senior leadership (outside of HR) experience along with my coach’s training and expertise. Because I have worked in the corporate world, I understand the dynamics of leadership and Boards and can play the role of a strategic sounding board. Some coaches are psychologists; others may have started their careers off as coaches fresh out of school. Each kind of coach offers something a bit different to their clients.
Are You Interested In Working With Me?
If you are thinking of working with me as your coach, the first step is for us to have a 20-minute virtual/phone conversation so I can learn more about you and your goals. I will share more about the coaching process and my style.
When I work with organizations, I also include this step of connecting early on with my coaching matches to learn more about them and for them to ask me any questions about the process or myself before we officially dive in.
If you are ready to commit to investing in yourself and your leaders, schedule a 20-minute call with me at ceo@potentialunlimited.ca to find out which program is right for you! Visit Potential Unlimited’s web site to learn more about coaching programs.
