What Must You Do With Your Business Coach

Written by admin on Saturday, March 7th, 2009

This is a great article that talks about how to work with your business coach so you can get the most value from the partnership. It is the 10,000 foot view, but it will give a great starting point and specific focus before you even start coaching.

“Learning is a willingness to let one’s ability and attitude change in response to new ideas, information, and experiences.” — Peter Vaill

Upon beginning executive coaching, the executive is placing significant trust in the coach and the organization. She is allowing herself to be vulnerable and open. To ensure that she remains receptive to feedback, new ideas, and learning, the organization, coach, and other stakeholders must establish and maintain a psychologically safe and respectful environment.

The relationship between the executive and his coach is sensitive and often private. To maintain this relationship, all stakeholders must be clear in their presentation of issues, organizational information, coaching goals, coaching activities, and ground rules for confidentiality. All partners must adhere to clearly articulated guidelines and rules of engagement. Breaches of trust or actions that run counter to agreements and guidelines are extremely serious, especially if the executive suffers negative consequences such as a loss of reputation, income, or relationships. All parties must therefore function at the highest levels of integrity and candor when involved in executive coaching activities.

There is no recipe for the perfect coaching experience. Along the way, unpredictable challenges, conflicts, and opportunities arise. Whether these situations help or hinder the executive’s development depends upon the judgment the stakeholders exercise in an ever-changing work environment.

What must I do?

“The significant problems we face cannot be resolved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” — Albert Einstein

The quality of the coaching relationship is a key element of success. The coach creates a safe environment in which the executive can feel comfortable taking the risks necessary to learn and develop. Drawing from a broad knowledge base and a solid repertoire of learning tools, the coach offers guidance and activities that help the executive meet his learning goals. Conversations explore the executive’s current work situation to find practical, business-focused “learning lab” opportunities.

The practical activity of coaching is based on principles of adult learning: awareness, action, and reflection. Using data gathered from the assessment phase of the process, the coach engages the executive in discussion and activities designed to:

* Enhance self-awareness of the implications of typical behaviors
* Learn skills, build competencies, change behaviors, and achieve results
* Reflect on ways to improve and refine skills and behaviors.

Learning tools and activities may include, but are not limited to, purposeful conversation, rehearsal and role-plays, videotaping, supportive confrontation and inquiry, relevant reading, work analysis and planning, and strategic planning.

After the assessment is complete and goals are established, additional forms of coaching or development besides executive coaching may be required as part of the executive’s learning. These types of coaching and development activities include, among others, career coaching, management development training, personal coaching, presentation skills training, coaching on dressing for success, organizational development consultation, process reengineering, and video coaching. When the coach has expertise in these areas and they fall within the scope of the learning contract, the coach may provide the assistance directly. If the coach is not qualified, or the additional coaching is beyond the scope of the learning contract, other arrangements may be made. The coach may make appropriate referrals or work with other members of the organization to obtain the additional help.

As an executive being coached, the following are commitments that you will need to make in order to maximize your coaching experience:

* Assume ownership of your learning. Use your coach as a consultant to help you maximize your unique learning style.
* Be forthright about what is and isn’t working in coaching sessions.
* Engage wholeheartedly in the agreed-upon coaching assignments.
* Take required actions for learning, and reflect on those actions.
* Maintain an open attitude toward experimenting with new perspectives and behaviors.
* Willingly be vulnerable and take risks.
* Focus on your own growth within the context of your current and future organizational role.
* Transfer learning gained through coaching to your day-to-day work.
* Exchange feedback with your coach about the helpfulness of the coaching.
* Seek feedback from others in the organization about the results of your coaching.

Tags: business coaching - business coach