Executive Coaching - Finding a Coach and Understanding the Process

Nobody in business can fail to have noticed the recent rise in the number of coaches and consultants offering their services. But how do you go about finding a coach who will give you a return on your investment? Executive coaching might be an option for you if you are running your own business or are in an employed management role, and have aspirations to achieve more.

I would advise you to initially identity an executive coach through recommendation, or by conducting your own research on the web or in trade publications, and then request a free session to ask questions and find out more about them. Most coaches will give you some time without charge at the outset to discuss what your objectives are in beginning coaching, and to establish whether there is sufficient compatibility between you.

If there does not seem to be a connection, or if the coach feels someone else can help you more, they will refer you on to someone who is more appropriate. Only commit if you feel excited and relaxed about working with that individual - if there are any doubts, go with your intuition. We are all different and what works for your friend or colleague may not work as well for you.

You will be asked to commit to an agreed period of coaching, not to protect the coach's income, but to give the process a fair chance of taking effect. The period will vary from coach to coach, and will depend to some extent on what you are wishing to achieve. You may find you are getting cold feet once you have committed to coaching, and feeling nervous or negative about the outcome. This is entirely natural and will disappear once you have embarked on your regular sessions.

You and your coach will decide on specific goals to be attained, but don't worry if you have none at the start of coaching, as they will soon become evident as you think about what you want to achieve in life. Often our goals shift anyway, as we learn more about ourselves and what we want, rather than what society wants for us. You will be expected to spend time between sessions on accomplishing the goals you have set with your coach and on reporting back to them so they are prepared for the next session.

An executive coach is a sounding board who allows you to understand your own strengths and realise where your comfort zone ends and how to move beyond it. It is like having a conversation with a friend who has only your interests at heart and who can contribute to your development in a completely detached way. A friend who has no emotional investment in you staying the same and will be purely delighted, and not at all threatened, if you start to achieve more of your goals.

As a coaching client, you will be required to be open and honest with your coach and tell them what you feel is and is not working. In order for executive coaching to really make a difference to you, you must be willing to look at yourself as objectively as possible and not become defensive or upset if it becomes apparent that some of your current behaviour is not the best response to the situation you find yourself in.

You will need to be able to change your behaviour in some circumstances to see if an alternative works better. You should also be prepared for changes throughout your life and not just at work - we do not operate in boxes, and a change in one area of your life will have a knock-on effect in others. You may well find family and friends remarking on the changes in you.

Try to be as open-minded as you can about executive coaching and what it may bring you. Many people are pleasantly surprised by the fundamental improvements it can help bring about at work and home.

Andy Britnell is an executive coach who works with businesspeople in both the public and private sectors who wish to achieve better results. There is more information at http://executive-coaching-for-business-growth.com/ and you can read some testimonials at http://executive-coaching-for-business-growth.com/executive-coaching-testimonials.html

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Coaching Information:

Related Articles

Are You Too Critical?
First of all, criticalness breaks up more relationships, than anything else. And that criticalness is usually over the children or money!Criticalness can be seen in eyes that slant down.
Sorry Dr Maslow, I Think You Got It Wrong
In the 1950s Abraham Maslow published a book entitled " Motivation and Personality" in which he outlided his now famous Hierarchy of Needs. Over the years since its publication Maslow's work has gained wide acceptance as a tool in understanding human motivation.
Are You Addicted to Anger?
Michael was raised in a home where anger was used to control. His parents used their anger to attempt to control each other as well as their children.
Business Coaching - Ten Ways of Dealing with Mistakes You Made
You can either choose to dwell on what happened and get stuck in the past or you can choose to start using your energy to build your future. Either choice is okay.
Trust In The Moment, and Trust In Yourself
Do you often get yourself upset and feeling less than fully confident, as part of your preparation for facing a daunting challenge? You can improve your performance if you let your somatic intelligence lead the way."You move too much to be effective.
Keeping Your Anger Under Control
In my work with individuals and couples, I see many people who have a difficult time expressing and managing angry feelings. Let's take a look at what causes people to become angry and how they can respond to stressful situations more productively.
Listening Skills In Relationships
Recently, when out to dinner with another couple, my husband is surprised at what someone says about one of our neighbors. He even comments this to the person about his amazement.
Whats Next Syndrome
Terms like Postpartum, Post Traumatic and Post Gulf War are all well-known Syndromes - mysteries no longer to the medical community or even those of us who count ourselves among the great unwashed. We hear and read everyday about the negative outcomes from life-threatening trauma.
Run to Win
I was never much of an athlete growing up. Notoriously clumsy, I was ostracized by our school volleyball and basketball teams.
You Have The Right
The other day I was having a interesting conversation with an acquaintance, but it soon turned out to be surprising and unpleasant. The other person blurted out an unwelcome comment, in a tactful manner by pin pointing a personal issue within the conversation.
Mentors and Coaches: How to Find a Great Mentor
A career coach or mentor is a person who can guide you with the benefit of their experience. He or she may be someone more senior from within your organisation or someone external to your organisation who has been successful in the field or skills you want to develop.
9 Guidelines For Spiritual Coaching
Spirituality coaching is more than creating goals and holding someone accountable. Spirituality coaching takes into account the whole person, that is, mind, body and spirit.
HR Professional in New Avtaar: HR as a Coach and Mentor
IntroductionThese days in corporate sector, everybody is talking about the role of HR professional as a coach and mentor. People are exited as well as confused.
Words That Inspire - PEACE
WORDS THAT INSPIREA monthly quick shot to motivate you, in less than 45 seconds, from Julie Cohen CoachingHow might your PEACE impact the world?Dictionary*says:State of tranquility or quiet, freedom from civil disturbance, a pact or agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war.What it REALLY means:The feeling of contentment with your life at present; your state of being when things feel comfortable, at ease, light; time in which you feel centered, calm and well.
5 Steps to Derail Difficult People - Your Surefire Way to a Peaceful Resolution
That one guy at work that always has to be right; your buddy's wife who can't eat anywhere they serve burgers, or the monster-in-law, I mean mother-in-law, with too many opinions for your own good, difficult people, we all know them. So the question is, is there a right and a wrong way to deal with them? The answer is yes, if you want to avoid unnecessary confrontations.
Mailey's Introspections [Monday, December 6th 2005]
As I work with clients as their introspective Inner Peace/Relationship coach, an issue that has come to my awareness is the tendency we have as human beings to stray away from the present moment. Some people tend to live mostly in the past, some live in the future, while still others ricochet from future to past and back to the future again.
Handling Disappointment
Disappointment is an inevitable part of home-based business. Clients won't pay, bids fall through, or business associates don't come through on their promises or act unethically.
Coaching: YOU Can Improve Your Organizations Performance
GOOD BUSINESS COACHING: Clearly, the right kind of coaching can alter a team's or an organization's performance. The implication for business is that if you create a climate of coaching in any organization, you can produce performance that exceeds your expectations - and you won't have to change the people to do so.
Masterminding Success - How to Start a Masterminding Meeting?
Masterminding is about a group of like-minded, achievement-oriented individuals who come together to combine the power of several minds to tackle problems, seek advice and perspectives in achieving their goals.Before the meeting proper begins, get into your group of like-minded individuals and before any masterminding can happen, read out loud together the 9 rules so as to instill the proper atmosphere needed for creativity.
Some Business Coaches are in Error
Many business coaches deny the power of suggestion while using it. For instance a corporate inner circle will be told that they have inner conflicts with ethical practice due to the stockholders coming first, the customers coming second and employees coming third.