Get the Most from Your Coach
Executive coaching is the stealth-weapon behind the success of many of today's corporate leaders.
Today more and more senior executives use coaches, for everything from accelerating their transition into new leadership positions to navigating the politics and culture of their organizations.
The right coach can have a significant positive impact on your career.
But there's more to maximizing the executive coaching experience than just selecting the right individual. So how do you get the most from your coach? Here are several guidelines:
Establish Rapport
It doesn't matter how great your coach's reputation is, if you can't establish rapport, you'll never fully benefit from the relationship.
There's no formula for assessing rapport in advance. And no credentials or testimonials will indicate a good match.
You'll get a "gut feeling" from your initial conversations indicating whether this is the right collaborative relationship. If it doesn't feel right, don't make the assumption that things will get better over time. look for a better match.
Be Yourself
Many ambitious executives feel they need to take on a "leadership persona." But maintaining this persona with your coach will only hamper progress. In fact, there's no point in trying to change the essence of who you are.
A key quality of today's most respected CEOs is genuineness. Don't expect your coach to make you over into someone you're not. The right coach will help you bring out your best.
Focus on Performance
A coach is there to help you improve your game, not to ferret out and fix every flaw. The best results are achieved by focusing on strengths, not weaknesses.
Of course the right coach will help you identify and correct major stumbling blocks to progress. However, the primary focus should be
maximizing your strengths.
Insist on Confidentiality
You need to make sure that sensitive matters stay confidential. That's why so many executives today hire their own coaches, rather than rely on internal advice.
Keep in mind where your advisor's ultimate loyalty lies. For example, if you're working with a coach hired by your board, you won't want to bring up any issues that might result in a conflict of interest. On the other hand, if you hire your own transition coach, the coach's only allegiance is to you.
It's not uncommon for personal issues to arise that impact performance. Coaching isn't therapy, but you should feel secure revealing any pertinent information to your coach.
Keep in mind where your advisor's ultimate loyalty lies. For example, if you're working with a coach hired by your board, you won't want to bring up any issues that might result in a conflict of interest. On the other hand, if you hire your own transition coach, the coach's only allegiance is to you.
It's not uncommon for personal issues to arise that impact performance. Coaching isn't therapy, but you should feel secure revealing any pertinent information to your coach.
Define Your Goals
As you work with an adviser, it's important to keep in mind what your specific needs are. What are your most immediate goals? What long-term results are you seeking?
Advice on emerging markets, financial strategy, etc, is one thing. However, interpersonal issues - dealing with people, changing culture, navigating politics and making the right career decisions - require more than business acumen. A coach who can identify the potential psychological ramifications of your decisions, in advance, can mean the difference between outstanding results and disaster.
Advice on emerging markets, financial strategy, etc, is one thing. However, interpersonal issues - dealing with people, changing culture, navigating politics and making the right career decisions - require more than business acumen. A coach who can identify the potential psychological ramifications of your decisions, in advance, can mean the difference between outstanding results and disaster.
Benefit from Psychological Savvy
While advanced degrees aren't any guarantee of effectiveness, a psychologically informed coach can help you better understand and counterbalance habits that stand in the way of your advancement.
The right coach can assist in navigating the politics of your organization, identifying likely opposition and recommending ways to deal with it. A psychologically informed coach can also often obtain "inside" information -- information that others want you to hear, but find difficult to communicate directly.
Demand Brutal Honesty
The higher you rank, the harder it is to get honest information. People around you have a vested interest in keeping you happy.
Dr. Steven Berglas, psychiatrist and UCLA business professor explained in an interview with Chief Executive Magazine, "A lot of times consultants and coaches are deemed great because they're adding syrup to a sundae. They just go along." The CEO may feel good, but little progress is made.
In fact, according to Berglas, an "alarming number" of coaches without psychological training hurt their clients more than they help them. They either fail to identify behaviors that get in the client's way, or their lack of expertise keeps them from tackling these difficult issues constructively.
Dr. Steven Berglas, psychiatrist and UCLA business professor explained in an interview with Chief Executive Magazine, "A lot of times consultants and coaches are deemed great because they're adding syrup to a sundae. They just go along." The CEO may feel good, but little progress is made.
In fact, according to Berglas, an "alarming number" of coaches without psychological training hurt their clients more than they help them. They either fail to identify behaviors that get in the client's way, or their lack of expertise keeps them from tackling these difficult issues constructively.
Give Your Coach Access
If you have good rapport, confidentiality and respect for your coach's abilities, you'll find it easy to give him or her access. Allow ample rein to inquire, research, survey, whatever it takes to thoroughly understand the issues you face and,
most importantly, get you the information you need.
© 2007 Dr. Robert Karlsberg & Dr. Jane Adler
Dr. Robert Karlsberg and Dr. Jane Adler are experts in leadership development and founders of TheRoadtoCEO.com. They work with senior executives to maximize performance, facilitate transitions and accelerate key business results.
Visit www.TheRoadtoCEO.com for more articles and a complimentary subscription to Peak Performance - Strategies & Tips to Maximize Personal Productivity and Business Performance.
737 words
Articles may be reprinted in electronic media or in print, provided that the author information and resource box above is included.
Dr. Robert Karlsberg and Dr. Jane Adler are experts in leadership development and founders of TheRoadtoCEO.com. They work with senior executives to maximize performance, facilitate transitions and accelerate key business results.
Visit www.TheRoadtoCEO.com for more articles and a complimentary subscription to Peak Performance - Strategies & Tips to Maximize Personal Productivity and Business Performance.
737 words
Articles may be reprinted in electronic media or in print, provided that the author information and resource box above is included.