Executive coaching and the bottom line

Executive coaching and the bottom line

Posted by Pia Sharma on 13 November 2007 | 0 Comments

Tags: Exectutive coaching

Even high-potential successful managers (both executive and middle management) can benefit from the candid and constructive feedback from a coach. There are two primary goals for an executive coaching process. Firstly, the clients learn to more accurately assess his or her strengths and development needs, both in relation to interpersonal issues as well as to tasks. Secondly, the manager sets and achieves challenges and goals which build on strengths while remedy weaknesses. An executive coaching process may last from 3 to 12 months and are often initiated with a written agreement with regards to confidentiality and expectations. At the outset of an executive coaching process it is crucial that learning and performance goals and indicators of success are formulated. Ultimately the goal is to keep improving the bottom line, but often the issues at hand are less tangible. For instance, clients may be hesitant to initiate change and have difficulty coping with change in general, which is often one of the reasons that a collaboration with an executive coach is sought in the first place. The method is dialogue and the coach will reflect back to the client crucial expressions and point of views that the client may not be aware are obstacles to change and/or represent a limiting outlook. The coach is hence a mirror for the client, who may not always like what they see. However, this is probably one of the most powerful aspects of the coaching process. Although empathy and support are the staples of an executive coaching process, at some point the coach may have to call on the client to take a step away from the old patterns and really make a change by altering behavioural patterns. This can be achieved in numerous ways depending on which learning and performance goals that the client has formulated with his or her coach. Many executive coaches use a 360° feedback system as a way of identifying areas of development. This involves interviews or questionnaires to colleagues, friends, superiors and subordinates on how they perceive his or her management style and weaknesses and strengths. If the development goals involve issues related to interpersonal communication e.g. with business partners, colleagues, subordinates or superiors, one of the best ways to change language use is through role playing. As a way of imitating reality the coach and the client will take turns in playing and replaying different roles from particular situations, which the client has experienced as being difficult. In this way, the client will not only experience how he or she may come across, but will become more aware of how the other parties look at the same issue, and gain an increased understanding of his or her own reactions. Finally, this is an excellent way of practising listening skills, and expressing thoughts and emotions in a collaborative way. An executive who is aware of how to utilise his or her own strengths and remedy weaknesses can pass this on to the rest of the company and ultimately have a healthier bottom line.