1. 27
MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIPMANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP
particular challenge you are facing which
you would like to work on? Are you
looking for ways to be more innovative,
better communicate your vision to
employees, or more efficiently manage
your time?
If there isn’t a specific challenge or area
you want to work on, then discuss this
with your coach, because coaching can
be a great tool to discover what you may
like to improve and can help identify
strengths and build on those areas that
energise you.
Coaching can also help uncover those
issues that we aren’t aware of at the
outset, so some flexibility throughout the
engagement is useful.
FIND THE RIGHT FIT
The right ‘fit’ is something talked about a
lot in coaching. One of the intrinsic
benefits of coaching is having the
opportunity to discuss issues you may not
be able to talk about with anyone else. If
you don’t feel that a coach is the right fit,
then this may inhibit your willingness to
be open and honest, which is essential.
Most coaches will sit down with you for an
initial ‘fit’ discussion, and this is an
opportunity to get to know the coach and
to get a feel for how you would work
together. At its best, coaching is a
partnership—with you, the client, being
the common focus. But it is not just about
feeling comfortable and supported; you
also need to make sure your coach will
challenge you and ask the hard questions.
MENTOR, CONSULTANT,
OR COACH?
There is an endless debate as to whether
coaching, consulting, and mentoring
overlap or whether they work best when
separate and distinct. I think that
coaching works best when decoupled
from mentoring and consulting, because
How to get the most out of an executive coach.
WORDS STUART J BARNETT
it is the objectivity provided by a coach
that is inherently beneficial to the
process—all other relationships are
biased by the very nature of the
relationship, be it partner, employer,
consultant, colleague, or mentor. A coach
is there for you alone, and doesn’t have a
particular opinion or perspective to push.
That said, it is ultimately about what you
want. There is no doubt a successful
engagement can involve some mentoring,
consulting, and coaching—different hats
being worn on different occasions. I know
of at least one large ASX-listed company
that successfully engages former CEOs as
mentors for senior executives who then
coach as part of the process.
Having a clear sense of what you want
from the coach will also enable you to
discuss how you want to be coached.
Are you open to being asked the hard
questions? How do you want to be made
accountable for any inaction? Do you
want to talk about personal issues as
well as business ones?
BE OPEN TO PERSONAL
DISRUPTION
Even if you were to do nothing more than
use a regular meeting with a coach to
pause and reflect, taking a break from the
general business of work, there would be
great benefit. But coaching is so much
more if you are open to exploring. And
this is key: there’s not much point
pursuing improvement if you are not
open to change.
Becoming aware of what you might need
to change is the first step. This is
personal disruption, challenging the
status quo. It can be uncomfortable, but
it is an essential part in the continual
pursuit of improvement.
So you need to change a behaviour or an
approach to move forward. This is where
coaching really pays off—it’s personal,
supportive, and works with you to
achieve the change you seek.
Sometimes changing is as simple as a
shift in perspective and everything flows
relatively easily from there. Other times it
is really hard work and requires time to
explore how to implement the change,
discovering different options, and trying
them out in the workplace.
PROVIDE FEEDBACK
Your coach may, at times, ask permission
to provide you with some feedback. This is
a useful part of holding the mirror up to
you and creating self-awareness, but it is
also really important to give feedback to
your coach. Part of the skill of an executive
coach is to find the way that works best for
you, the best way to engage with you,
communicate with you, and reflect back to
you. It’s a relationship that will develop as
the engagement progresses. So give
feedback, let your coach know what is
working and what isn’t.
AND FINALLY: ENJOY!
It seems like a cliché, but personal
development is about the journey, not
just the outcome—much like life. It can
be daunting at the outset, but having
someone completely devoted to your
improvement, understanding your
viewpoint, and 100 per cent on your side
is enjoyable and productive, particularly
if you are open to new perspectives.
T
he use of executive coaching
to enhance leadership and
interpersonal skills has
proliferated in recent years.
No longer is it a sign of trouble
but rather a sign of the continual pursuit of
improvement. In a recent blog post,
Marshall Goldsmith—recognised as one of
the top 10 most influential business
thinkers in the world—observed: “I have
seen the perception of coaching shift over
the last three decades. Instead of a
punishment, it’s now a mark of prestige to
have a coach. It means you’re probably
going places in your career.”
So if you’ve engaged an executive coach,
how can you get the most out of the
sessions? Here are some tips to ensure a
good return on your investment.
WHY DO YOU WANT AN
EXECUTIVE COACH?
Before meeting with your coach, it is a
good idea to have a clear idea about why
you want to be coached. Is there a
Even if you were to do
nothing more than use a
regular meeting with a coach
to pause and reflect, taking a
break from the general
business of work, there would
begreatbenefit.Butcoaching
is so much more if you are
open to exploring.
26
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