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So what’s “executive coaching, anyhow?”
We’ve all heard the term “born leaders.” However, when you look at history, many of the greatest leaders of all time didn’t start out as leaders.
Abraham Lincoln was a gawky kid who failed the Bar Exam three times before becoming an attorney. His wife coached and encouraged him to run for elected office.
Martha Stewart started a small catering business in her home. Her husband coached her about bringing her recipes to print in the best-selling book, Entertaining. The book was the beginning of a billion-dollar business.
Albert Einstein did not speak until he was four years old and was even seen as retarded by teachers. A family friend and two uncles encouraged and guided Einstein’s mathematics education.
With all of these leaders, coaching provided the specific action steps, concrete ideas and encouragement that launched astonishing careers.
Executive Coaching
While the talented executives we all know may not be Abraham Lincolns, they often have untapped potential and creativity. These people benefit the most from coaching.
Bosses used to serve as coaches for their managers – they advised, motive and trained the next level of executives.
But today bosses have very little time to devote to coaching their subordinates. The hectic pace of the business world, the endless stream of meetings and running lean demand too much of the boss’ attention to allow for guiding the careers of the next levels down.
As you’re probably aware, today it’s the executive coach – not the boss- who provides counsel, sets standards, expects accountability and sees the whole picture.
Executive coaching yields a high ROI for the company so the company usually pays the tab. This investment can result in retention of talented managers, improving unproductive behavior and better bottom line results.
My Coaching Work
I’m a career-enhancement and life coach.
My clients are high potential individuals on the fast track and those whose productivity is below their potential. Often my clients need help in managing change or communicating with others.
They are usually stuck in some aspect of their lives. This “stuckness” and the resulting high level of stress undermine job performance, morale and professional development.
My clients are not happy, and when the next levels down are unhappy, their bosses are unhappy. If the boss isn’t happy, no one is happy. And when no one is happy, the business really suffers.
I coach clients about a wide range of issues, such as:
- Workplace relationship challenges
- Balancing professional and personal responsibilities
- Managing difficult personnel
- Team building
- Stress & anger management
- Effective delegation
- Navigating organizational politics
- Career and transition planning
- Repairing damaged relationships
The coaching process helps professionals take a close look at what is interfering with expected productivity. Once those issues are identified, the coach-client team set concrete goals, develop and implement a targeted action plan. The client focuses on implementing action steps and is accountable for making change. The coach provides objective input, honest feedback and maintains high expectations. Both are results oriented in the coaching process.
Heads of organizations report that coached executives drain less of the boss’ time, are better able to focus on the matter at hand, approach workplace challenges with more creativity, independence and confidence. Of course, having more effective professionals has a direct impact on the bottom line.
A Coaching Story:
Peter S. (a composite case) works as station manager in a mid-size market.
Peter has made major contributions to the success of the station. Advertising had increased by 20% and listenership 35% in the previous year. His performance and interpersonal relationships at work had always been excellent. Clearly, he’s a valuable radio executive.
Recently, however, he seemed less focused at work, more irritable and “not really himself.” He wasn’t being as productive at work as he had been, yet his value to the company was too great to simply allow him to leave. He and his immediate superior had a heart-to-heart talk about what was going on. Peter talked about his worries at home and how stressed he felt at the station. He even said he was thinking of leaving broadcasting.
NOTE: Should we refer to his boss, the station owner, superior?
The owner knew Peter didn’t need retool his professional style. He did need help in figuring out how to handle both his personal and professional responsibilities.
To keep this valuable resource at the station, the owner referred Peter to me.
Here’s Peter’s story:
He’s been married for 18 years to a wife who works part-time doing public relations. They have two teenage children. His elderly and frail parents live in their own home about twenty minutes away from Peter’s house. More and more, his parents depend on Peter and his wife to keep things going. But, Peter was working long hours and was not very available to his wife, children or parents.
He felt responsible "for everyone and everything" and stressed all the time. “At work, I feel guilty because I’m not spending enough time taking care of my parents and being with my family. At home, I worry about what I’m not getting done at work. I feel like I’m letting people down all the time.” He felt trapped in his own life.
His wife had begun talking more and more about her day-by-day responsibilities for his parents, her work and the kids. She, too, felt stressed and stuck. She was very willing to be helpful, but not completely responsible for everything.
Peter identified family as what he valued most. He agreed that his schedule and availability did not reflect the importance he placed on those relationships.
We began by reviewing his never-ending “must do” list. I challenged his assumption that everything was of highest priority. Then, we identified tasks that were absolutely required, those that could be postponed or delegated and those that could be tabled entirely.
He set up a TO DO list with three columns: Column 1. “Must Do“ Column 2. “Would Be Nice to Do,” and Column 3. “Oh, well, never mind.” When he examined the “Must Do” column, he began asking himself, “Is this something I need to do myself? Does it need to be done at all?” Very often, the answer was a resounding no. As he looked closely at his priorities, he was increasingly able to move many to-dos from Column 1 to Columns 2 and 3. That activity alone reduced his stress level a great deal.
He began maintaining appropriate limits at work through delegating more tasks and investing in staff development. Gradually, he stopped automatically taking on additional responsibilities himself. As his scheduled was freed up, he had time to think like a station manager – more creatively and broadly, with greater focus on working with his staff and on organizational issues and direction.
He soon talked more frankly with his parents about their need for additional help so they could remain in their home. Together, he, his wife and parents talked to a geriatric social worker to develop a plan of action. The social worker helped them identify what his folks needed - Meals on Wheels, cleaning help, a nearby senior center and a car service for doctors' appointments for starters. He began stopping once or twice a week to visit his parents, giving his parents more of the time and attention they so much wanted.
Next, we talked about how he could take better care of himself - through exercise, eating in healthy ways, doing things for fun. We also practiced relaxation techniques to reduce his chronic tension headaches. He resumed a regular tennis game with his wife and another couple.
He delegated more at the office, saw his parents doing well and was able to spend more time with his wife and kids. His life was in better balance and he began enjoying himself again at home and work.
Through the coaching process, Peter was able to clarify what was important and break long-standing patterns. He successfully practiced new approaches to the challenges he met at home and at work. Most important, he was able to set appropriate limits for himself. He made room in his life for what was important to him and reduced his level of stress. He was happier, his superiors, the station ownership and his employees were, too.
As an executive coach, I question my clients’ unhealthy assumptions, and help them try out different ways of doing things. They quickly recognize that they have more options than they thought. My focus is on the process of making choices, not on my clients' specific decisions or performance. The companies that care about their long-term success, and understand the values of employees, are those that hire my services.
Next issue: When to call in the coach.
After that: Teaching bosses to be coaches.
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