Is an Executive Coach for you?

Executive coaching is a process by which a coach and executive leader form a relationship to achieve specific goals related to personal or professional development or related to business objectives and performance.  The field of executive coaching has developed rapidly over the past decade considering how much pressure executive leaders are under to produce short-term results under the microscope of shareholders and analysts.  At the same time, they are expected to be inspirational, transformational leaders who possess a high level of interpersonal skills.

Executive coaching offers a number of benefits:

• unbiased feedback
• increased self-esteem
• improved interpersonal communcation
• more effective leadership
• better business results

Problems do exist for coaching though, such as an absence of standards for qualifying coaches and the ability to measure results. The burden is on the client to identify appropriately trained coaches that match their organizational needs.  The executive should also not over rely on the coach for assistance on business decisions.  Executive coaching is also not a subsitution for a psychologist -- when there are underlying psychological problems.

If you think you'd benefit from a coaching relationship:

Find the right coach -- outline criteria such as required degrees or credentials and interview multiple candidates for the right fit

Measure progress- companies should evaluate coaching at the individual, team and/or organizational level

Make sure you get coachee and management buy-in.  Educate the organization on coaching's value and align the executive's development with the organization's strategic goals. 

Create accountability for the behaviors learned through coaching.

Coaching can be especially helpful in periods of transition or preparation when an executive is taking on a new role.  It can expedite readiness for a high-potential leader to diversify or deal with derailers or maybe just get out of a rut.  For executive teams, coaching can build trust and accountability, deepen relationships and allow learning from each other.