How Can You Maximize Your Executive Coaching Experience

Written by admin on Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

This is a great article on how to collaborate with your executive or business coach to get the most out of your experience with them. It gives a very detailed outline of all of the things you should be looking for with your executive coach, or any type of coaching for that matter.

“Personally, I’m always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.” — Winston Churchill

Executive coaching is a collaborative partnership between an executive, his/her organization, and an executive coach. It is not something that is “done” to you, nor does someone show you every step of the way. Coaching is a learning and discovery process to assist you in moving forward in new ways that will work for you. From a business perspective, the purpose of this partnership is twofold:

* Facilitate both the executive’s and the organization’s learning, and
* Achieve identified business results.

What Is a Coaching Partnership?

“Success is a journey, not a destination.” — Ben Sweetland

We see at least eight key elements of an effective coaching partnership.

1. A successful coaching partnership is composed primarily of one-on-one interactions between a professional coach and an executive and is supported, as needed, by others.

2. It is based on agreed-upon ground rules, time frames, and specific goals and measures of success.

3. The coaching partnership uses tailored goals and approaches, including:

* Skill building
* Performance improvement
* Development for future assignments
* Exploration, definition, and implementation of the executive’s leadership and the organization’s business objectives.

4. It follows a process that includes:

* Pre-coaching needs assessment, analysis and planning - Consulting with your stakeholders to determine if executive coaching is right for you, establishing the appropriate goals, and selecting the best coach - All of which ensure the best possible experience and outcomes for the executive and the organization

* Contracting - Ensure productive outcomes, clarify roles, prevent misunderstandings, establish learning goals, and define business and interpersonal practices by establishing a learning contract (the outcome related aspects including purpose and objectives, milestones, measures of success, identification and roles of stakeholders, clearly articulated guidelines and rules of engagement, confidentiality agreements including records management) and a personal contract (the operational/personal aspects of the relationship with the coach) for your coaching

* Data gathering - actively seeking assessments and feedback

* Goal setting - honestly setting realistic priorities to support your own perceived needs and the perceptions of others about you

* “Coaching” - the ongoing dialogues with the coach and being open to learning and acting upon new ideas in support of yourself and the organization

* Measuring and reporting results
* Transitioning to long-term development - effectively planning for your future learning and development including resources to support you.

5. It applies several of the following practices, among others:

* Problem solving and planning
* Rehearsal and on-the-job practice
* Feedback
* Dialogue
* Clarification of roles, assumptions, and priorities
* Teaching and applying a variety of management and leadership tools
* Referral to other developmental resources.

6. It focuses on leveraging the executive’s strengths and building the key competencies needed to achieve strategic objectives.

7. The partnership involves key stakeholders in the coaching process (called “other partners”), including:

* The executive’s supervisor
* Human Resources staff
* Peers
* Direct reports
* Other key people in the executive’s life.

8. A successful coaching partnership is guided by clear personal values and experiences that establish the credibility of the coaching process and maintain the welfare of the executive and his/her coworkers.

For the coaching outcome to be of the greatest benefit for the organization as a whole, all stakeholders must see themselves as partners in the coaching process.

Source: FGC Coaching Guide

Tags: business coaching - executive coaching - coaching partnership