Leadership and Executive Coaching can be a significant investment in both time and money and it also has the potential, if not carried out in a professional and considered way, to damage the business or individual being coached. Although some 30 – 40 years old, the executive coaching industry is still unregulated which means that anyone can set themselves up as a coach without having any specific training and accreditation from one of the numerous professional bodies in the industry.

I wanted to write this practical and pragmatic piece to share knowledge and insight into how to ensure that busy leaders like yourselves can achieve maximum benefit from coaching whether you choose to partner with me or other available coaches.

The list isn’t exhaustive but highlights the main points that if followed will help to ensure that you get the maximum benefit from any current or future coaching engagement.

1. Choose the right coach – A quick Google search for ‘Executive Coach’ or ‘Leadership Coach’ will provide a plethora of coaches who are currently marketing themselves for hire, and this is being added to daily as more people take up the profession. So where do you start? Above all else, it’s about finding a coach with whom you have good chemistry, which you can only find out following an initial contact – whether by email, message or phone/video call, to discuss how coaching can help you. Many coaches are accredited, although some aren’t, so you need to consider carefully whether the absence of a formal accreditation will give you the peace of mind that you require. Accrediting bodies include the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), Association of Coaching (AC) and the International Coach Federation (ICF). Keep in mind that coaching is different to mentoring. In that through the methodology of coaching it is the role of the coach to guide the conversation but not to advise. As a client, if you are looking for specific insights and advice then it would be well worth taking the time to understand the coach’s background to see if they have relevant industry experience. Finally it is essential to establish that the coach subscribes to an industry standard code of ethics such as the one from the Association of Coaching, to which I subscribe. Taking all these things into consideration, if you feel confident that your chosen coach will be able to help you get to where you want to be then go for it!
2. Get specific on your goals – To get the most out of any coaching engagement it is crucial that you have a clear set of goals in mind and that these are SMART meaning they are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-based. It’s ok if you’re not clear on these at the outset, as a good coach will be able to help you to map these out, either in an initial discovery call or in the first few sessions. Coaching engagements tend to last around 3 – 6 months in duration, depending on how fast you want to move, so it’s worth bearing this in mind when you are goal setting. Coaching engagements can of course be extended but the purpose is to meet short- and long-term goals so putting a firm deadline in place will help you to focus on what needs to be done to achieve this and avoid timeline creep. Having a clear set of goals helps to keep the coaching sessions focused and not wasting time on areas that don’t affect the successful completion of the goals.
3. Choose the right venue – The majority of coaching sessions pre-COVID were delivered face to face but now over 90% of coaching is conducted over the phone or via video conferencing using tools like Zoom or Microsoft Teams (other tools are available!). This gives time savings and has provided more flexibility in choice of coaching venue. For many of us now, this is in the home setting. Wherever you choose to be during your sessions you will need to ensure that you’ll be free from distractions, (people or technology) as these could negatively affect your ability to concentrate during the session. Another option is outdoor coaching, an increasingly popular option for its ability to help coachees think more expansively in a fresh and naturally stimulating environment. One thing to note with outdoor coaching is that it’s trickier to take notes during the session – many coachees benefit from this, as new insights and thoughts arise, so think about how you might do this.
4. Always be honest – This is about really wanting to dig deep into your current context as a leader and yourself as a change agent within it. I appreciate that it can take some time for coachees to trust a coach but until there is honest reflection and engagement throughout the process then the coaching can only take place at a superficial level. Every coaching session should be held confidentially between the coach and the coachee, unless other arrangements have been clearly contracted at the outset, so there should be no reason not to be open. This again emphasises why it’s important that you select a coach who subscribes and adheres to an ethical code of conduct.
5. Remain accountable throughout the process – This is important for coaching ultimately to be successful, it requires the client to action the plan that they set for themselves as part of the coaching process. This is about taking personal responsibility for being able to effect the changes that you would like to see in your professional life. Progress can only be made through action and although the coach is able to provide you with tips and support in terms of how you might action your plan, it’s incumbent on you to make it happen. Ultimately this is about getting out of your comfort zone. Much of what you will have tried previously has worked for one reason or another. Behavioural change will be required for any new way of working to be effective. Hiring an executive coach is a great way to hold yourself accountable to a new way of approaching your challenges and to see them through to fruition.
6. Be motivated to change – Before entering into a coaching engagement, I’d ask yourself on a scale of 1 – 10 how motivated you are to make a positive change to your current situation and towards your intended goal. If it’s less than 7, I would suggest that coaching maybe isn’t the right next step to take. It’s important to be fully engaged in the process and have the will to achieve your goals. Sometimes there are occasions where coaching can help you to explore an issue that you are facing and that through the process and looking at the possible options motivation increases. In my experience clients who come to the process motivated to make a difference ultimately get far more out of the process.
7. Consistent notetaking – This is more of a practical tip. It’s important that the client owns the process and any eventual plans which derive from the coaching engagement. Part of this ownership is to take notes during all sessions, to pick up and record any identified goals, insights and subsequent actions that you plan to carry out as a result of your sessions. Whilst a coach will take notes for their own reference, it is far more powerful for clients to own this process as well, so they can refer back to them at a later date if required.

I hope that you found this article useful!? I’d welcome any comments you might have in response to it.

Looking for a coach? Contact us now for a no-commitment discovery call to find out how we can work together and how coaching can help you.

07802 629 906 | simon@threehats.co.uk