The words executive coaching brings up different perceptions in people’s minds. There is often a great deal of confusion on what the term means, even amongst the coaching fraternity. Furthermore, how can coaching be of benefit to an executive?
Before we look at what it is perhaps it would be useful to look at what coaching is not. Executive coaching is not about telling people what to do. Whilst a coach may help a client by telling them what they could do in particular circumstances, a process called mentoring, this is not their primary duty. Any trained coach will avoid this to a large extent because coaching should be about empowering people and telling people what to do simply robs them of their own power and ability.
Secondly, coaching is not about lecturing people. Otherwise coaches would simply be teachers. This brings up an interesting point: just because you know something very well and can probably teach it to someone else does not mean you are a coach. Besides, it is well understood that many adult learners do not like being lectured to and would rather learn by doing and drawing their own conclusions. A good coach will allow their client to do just that.
Thirdly, executive coaching is not for people who “are a problem” or who “need fixing.” This is because, on the one hand, there is really no such thing as a problem person, just a person with challenges. Secondly, even people that are outwardly successful and seem to “have it all” can benefit greatly from coaching.
Betska K-Burr of Coaching and Leadership International recounts an experience she had with a client named Sam. At the time he started coaching with her he was in despair. His family relationship with his wife and kids was suffering. He was nearly bankrupt and had suicidal thoughts.
One very enlightening thing he told Betska was that he was a Mensa genius with an IQ of 185. He was among the smartest people in the whole world. So he asked her “If I am so smart, how come I can’t solve my own problems?”
A year later, thanks to the coaching Sam had gotten from Betska and his commitment to it, he had gotten out of his depression, had wonderful relationships with his wife and children and had changed jobs. He was winning awards of excellence for innovative thinking in his new job.
This story goes to illustrate that even “smart” people can benefit from coaching. I know no one in any sphere of life for whom coaching would not be a worthwhile and highly rewarding investment.
This is because coaching is defined as “a partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”
Therefore it does not matter what you have or have not achieved in life because your potential as a human being is virtually limitless. Thus coaching will simply help you to take that potential to new heights and to be able to use your own internal and external resources to solve your problems. I like to think of coaching as a process of “digging out the gold” in a person and helping them to realise that they already have what it takes to succeed in any area of their life.
1.Meeting Ethical Guidelines and Professional Standards - Understanding of coaching ethics and standards and ability to apply them appropriately in all coaching situations.
2.Establishing the Coaching Agreement - Ability to understand what is required in the specific coaching interaction and to come to agreement with the prospective and new client about the coaching process and relationship.
3.Establishing Trust and Intimacy with the Client - Ability to create a safe, supportive environment that produces ongoing mutual respect and trust.
4.Coaching Presence - Ability to be fully conscious and create spontaneous relationship with the client, employing a style that is open, flexible and confident.
5.Active Listening - Ability to focus completely on what the client is saying and is not saying, to understand the meaning of what is said in the context of the client's desires, and to support client self-expression.
6.Powerful Questioning - Ability to ask questions that reveal the information needed for maximum benefit to the coaching relationship and the client.
7.Direct Communication - Ability to communicate effectively during coaching sessions, and to use language that has the greatest positive impact on the client.
8.Creating Awareness - Ability to integrate and accurately evaluate multiple sources of information, and to make interpretations that help the client to gain awareness and thereby achieve agreed-upon results.
9.Designing Actions - Ability to create with the client opportunities for ongoing learning, during coaching and in work/life situations, and for taking new actions that will most effectively lead to agreed-upon coaching results.
10.Planning and Goal Setting - Ability to develop and maintain an effective coaching plan with the client.
11.Managing Progress and Accountability - Ability to hold attention on what is important for the client, and to leave responsibility with the client to take action.
The ICF is a non-profit, individual membership organization formed by professionals worldwide who practice business and personal coaching and exists to Build, Support and Preserve the integrity of the coaching profession through programs and standards supported by the individual membership. It is therefore crucial that any coach adhere to these standards and have the competency to do so.
This is important in determining the success or failure of any coaching relationship. Without the use of these competencies and other specific coach training, the relationship can easily be one of lecturer-student and will be of little benefit to either client or coach. The client will not achieve the things they would like to achieve and the coach will develop a bad reputation as being ineffective in the long run.
Let me also address the other side of the coin, namely the people that deliver executive and life coaching services. There are a lot of well-meaning people around that are into life coaching and call themselves as such. Whilst I do not doubt their intellectual ability and the vast amounts of knowledge and expertise they have built up over the years in their particular fields, I am always disappointed with use of such titles as “life coach” without proper training to accompany it. You do not wake up one day and suddenly decide to call yourself a life coach, just as much as you do not wake up one day and decide to call yourself a lawyer.
There is a lot of training that goes with having titles and the whole purpose of that training is to enable you to serve your clients competently. Therefore anyone who is serious about being a life coach and helping others will get the required training so that they can be competent at what they do and serve their clients with the utmost professionalism and effectiveness.
For the organisation and the client wanting to acquire the services of an executive coach there is an important lesson here: always ask for the credentials of such a person. Check their certification if necessary and find out where they trained. This is the only way you can be guaranteed of getting value for your money.
After all, when it comes to executive coaching you are often entrusting someone with very personal and confidential information. Not only that, you trust them to help you make progress in your life, job or business. Shouldn’t you at least check that they are qualified to do so?
Perhaps the up side of all these experiences and observations is that people and organisations are beginning to see the value of coaching and that those that are so inclined are taking up the challenge to be coaches. But thus far it has been haphazard. What is required is a more organised and professional approach. Ihave no doubt that we are well on our way to achieving this.
I have no don’t also of the tremendous value there is in getting an executive coach. Many of the challenges faced in the modern workplace cannot be solved by conventional means. There are issues such as stress on the job, interpersonal relationships at work, dealing with difficult people, conflict resolution, team building, leadership, innovation, recognition, time management, mission, vision and goals and so the list goes on.
Dealing with work-related challenges is one thing, but more valuable and effective is the coach that can help people in their totality, whether it is personal issues or work-related issues they want to work on. That is why I am excited about Power Coaching® with Mind Kinetics®, in which I am trained. But... that is a whole other story which will have to be told another time.
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