Why is it that some performance enhancement coaching interventions succeed within hours whilst others, after months of effort and much expenditure, go down the tubes amidst recriminations and bad feeling? When it goes horribly wrong, the reputation for executive coaching doesn’t benefit either – but that’s another story.

 

(Read the rest on screen or simply click here to download the pdf).

 

There are never fewer than two people involved in the business coaching* relationship and whilst most executive or business coaches have undergone some form of training to be able to responsibly offer this particular form of leadership development, clients haven’t typically undergone any training to receive it.

There is a lot to be said for investing a few hours in preparing myself to make life-altering changes to my thinking and behaviour before embarking upon a serious piece of leadership development such as coaching.

 

Time for another

Here are six things that a person needs to do to be the perfect client for executive coaching and therefore maximise their chances of getting much more than just value for money – genuine and life-altering change (new tie not included).

 

  1. Turn up for meetings with your business coach. It is very difficult to get value from a relationship if you don’t share time with the other person. There will always be issues screaming for your attention; there will never be a ‘good time’ to be away from work. If you are serious about achieving genuine success from working on yourself then you need to be brave about putting your sessions with your business coach right up there with pleasing your boss and those other mission-critical people in your working life. Extra note: If you are finding it easy to give your coaching session a miss, ask yourself (or your P.A.) why this is the case and call your coach immediately to discuss your thoughts!
  2. Use coaching calls - it is possible to develop even things like emotional intelligence over the ‘phone. Replace the session you are missing a.s.a.p. with even a brief call to your executive coach (20 min can work wonders – what the heck – have a coffee at the same time and maximise your productivity).
  3. Do your homework straight after your coaching session – the thinking that you covered with your executive coach will be fresh as will your motivation to give it a go. Delays give room for the fabrication of new (often recycled) reasons for avoiding the new behaviour or action. Like verdant jungle, life encroaches upon new thinking if you give it the slightest opportunity. Avoiding change is much easier than trying it out.
  4. Keep a diary - this type of reflection is not just for love-sick teenagers. Business coaching is largely about examining the detail about the way you feel, think and act in high-value situations. Unless you are fortunate enough to possess a truly phenomenal memory for minute details of interactions, events, your feelings and unspoken reactions, much of what you could usefully focus on is going to never make it to your next coaching session. Buy a small notebook (no larger than 120mm x 70mm) and get into the habit of scribbling what happens: snippets of conversations that went wrong, insights, successes, problems, puzzles, scenarios and the rest.
  5. Notice resistance and use it. If you notice that you are quickly and strongly rejecting an idea put to you by your business coach (just like you used to resist your mother’s imprecations for you to put on your slippers to save your socks) ask yourself these questions: why am I resisting this material? Is it her/him? Is it me? Is it the thing being suggested? What am I feeling?
  6. Do it now! Once you have committed to your executive coach (or to yourself) to experimenting with something new avoid the temptation to wait for ‘the ideal moment’. It will never, ever come. Do it now, now, now! (and several times).

 

* I have used the terms business coach and executive coach interchangeably. It could be argued that executive coaching applies to clients who are more advanced in their careers. Different clients of ours call it different things: performance enhancement coaching, business coaching, executive coaching. All roads lead to Rome. For me, it’s about changing the bits you’re no longer satisfied with - whatever your rank.

© Dr Paul Furey PEC 2009