Executive Coaching

These are questions I am often asked during the course of coaching engagements.

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The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as “partnering with Clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.” Coaching is a collaborative process in which the Coach is a facilitator rather than an advisor. By helping you gain insights and explore your own list of potential solutions, you retain ownership of your choices and changes. An ethical coach will always respect and support your autonomy.

The information you share with me as a client is treated as private and held in complete confidentiality. The information received in the process of the coaching engagement is not divulged without your permission.

The information shared with the Sponsor Team relates to where we are in the process. It does not include specific details shared in the course of the coaching conversations.

The only exception may be in instances or cases of illegal activity, pursuant to valid court order or subpoena; imminent or likely risk of danger to self or to others.

Two key areas that are often addressed during coaching engagements are strategic communication and executive presence. When you understand how you are perceived by others, you can address potential issues with your communication style.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) includes the ability to understand and manage your emotions, as well as recognize and influence the emotions of those around you. The four core competencies of EQ are: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management. As a leader, you set the tone of your organization. A lack of EQ in leaders can result in lower employee engagement and higher turnover rates.

The commitment of an ethical executive coach is to facilitate change, not to advise. That said, our process together will help you gain insights and tools. We will create an action plan together and develop strategies to overcome obstacles.

Feedback is useful to understand how others are experiencing you, how and when it works, and where you can improve. It is also a way for you to help others on this path. Understanding how to ask for, give and receive feedback is something the most effective leaders embrace.

Feedback focuses on evaluating past performance. Feed Forward looks ahead with insights into areas for ongoing improvements. Because it is future-focused, Feed Forward can be more empowering in your journey toward meaningful change.

Yes, this is a developmental capacity and skill that can be learned through practice. The starting point is to have the humility to create space for others to speak and feel they are being heard; the benefits are many, including learning more viewpoints and being challenged on your own views.

Yes, being able to say you do not know the answer models the commitment to learning and not sitting in a place of all-knowing. However, it’s important to be selective and situation-appropriate. Leaders cannot be vulnerable with all people all the time; rather, it is most valuable with trusted stakeholders.

When a coaching engagement is sponsored by an organization, there is often a Sponsor Team assigned to help establish the coaching goals and clarify the coaching outcomes. They are typically involved at the launch of the engagement, at the mid-point to discuss the coaching plan, and at the end to check for progress and close out the engagement.