CEOs, business managers, and other officers-in-charge in the workplace are responsible for executing a variety of tasks including training people, solving internal issues, and finding means to increase sales among others. Due to the gravity of the responsibilities assigned to them, many of these executive officers, especially those who have just received their promotions, are encountering office stress that can sometimes be too much to handle. More often than not, such stress could take its toll on executives, which could eventually lead to loss of the strategic direction of the organization and underperformance not only on the part of the officer but also the people he or she is managing. Yes, it becomes difficult to remain a high-performer when put against high expectations and pressures in a fast-paced environment, and this is when CEO coaching can be truly helpful for the company. \n

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\n Coaching to improve organizational performance and to help bring about the potential of executives has also gone through a history of increased acceptance. Although there is no specific timeline as to when coaching for executives began, some business professionals believe that coaching has been going on for fifty years or so under the names of consulting or counseling. Most people would simply agree, however, that this exercise is not a common practice until the latter years of the 1980s or early 1990s. \n

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\n In the earlier years, CEO coaching was often triggered when it became apparent that an executive is lacking a certain skill necessary to become a leader, such as the inability to speak effectively in front of many people or over the television. More often than not, the primary reason for hiring a coach in the organization had to do with personal issues, or probably there were concerns of “personal” nature that is closely related to health, career, or family matters. Usually, these situations are dealt with secrecy because of the desire not to let anybody know that a coach was being used to resolve such issues. Today, however, the workforce platform has changed significantly, and coaching has become a cutting-edge leadership technique employed by many organizations to become a core part of their executive development programs. \n

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\n In its simplest form, CEO coaching is a specialized form of consultation that aims in helping employees in top management positions to develop or improve their leadership skills such as the art of influence, the ability to delegate as well as to train their successors. This process begins with establishing a contract between the coach and coachee that sets forth the goals as well as the schedule. The work plan in this effort does not need to be carried out face to face at all times, rather it is also possible to arrange phone conversations, instant chats, web conversations, and other real-time and virtual-enabled approaches that would reinforce the whole coaching process. The executive coach could also administer psychological assessments to the coachee. \n

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\n There are many reasons why executive coaching instantly evolved into the mainstream. For one, it is seen as an effective way to help top company executives maintain their competitiveness inside the workplace, while still keeping a healthy work-life balance. Coaching allows top company executives preserve focus by giving them the motivation and strength that are usually applied in sports coaching. That is, the coaches or the mentors help the executives point out their strong points and shortcomings in order to efficiently carry out their daily tasks, develop expertise or mastery along the way, and increase employee morale. This process additionally aids executives in learning how to manage their time and tasks efficiently so that they can function on their feet, especially when critical workplace situations ensue. Executive coaching is also seen to benefit executives in building and maintaining effective team dynamics. As executives would be able to learn how to bridge the gap between them and their employees through communication, in the end everyone else will be persuaded to work as a team since they would feel that their work contributions are valued, avoiding the instances of workplace misunderstanding. \n

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\n Generally, executive coaching improves business performance in so many ways. Aside from helping top management employees to develop their leadership skills, it is also a ground for them to understand their new generation of employees who have different set of ethics and values. With the aid of systematic coaching as an integrated part of a company’s leadership program, any organization would be able to refine employee skills that would help achieve them success for the years to come. \n

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\n For more information, please visit CEO coaching