The tremendous demand for constant innovation guides leaders to hire executive coaches. While an executive’s experience and skills helped him or her climb to their position, each needs to keep growing to inspire further company success. Coaches provide confidential, objective feedback and direction to facilitate personal and professional growth.
An impartial, external coach can offer candid observations of behaviors, attitudes, and thoughts the executive hopes to improve (or eliminate) and provides a safe environment to discuss these ideas. The coach counsels, challenges, and coaches the executive with information subordinates or peers are unable to provide.
Even though you may be at the top of your organization, there is always room to improve. But the key question to ask yourself is, “Am I willing to make the effort?” If you have the right attitude and belief you can change, partnering with an executive coach can be a highly rewarding and career expanding experience.
Recently, I was contacted by the president of a multi-million-dollar company who wanted to make improvements in his communication skills in advance of a major public event where he was to speak. Over the course of four weeks, we worked through his public speaking issues, he completed the homework assignments, and then practiced his presentation skills until he was firmly confident in his ability to deliver his presentation. It was incredibly rewarding to get this text from him the evening of his event, “I crushed it! Thanks, Reen!”
This company leader was absolutely committed to the process of improving his ability to present to a large audience and earnestly invested his time and energy in the work required. He transformed his communications skills and dramatically increased his overall confidence.
Another added benefit is that he can now mentor his own leadership team with the information he learned. Former Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll summarized what this top leader discovered, “The only way to keep getting better is to keep pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone.”
Here are the six secrets to succeeding with your coach:
Set clear goals. You can’t succeed with a coach unless you know what your problems are and can define what success would look like for you. What areas do you want to change, overcome, improve upon, or learn?
Be willing to work. If you want to grow, be prepared to work. Commit yourself to pursuing excellence. Meet with your coach weekly and practice consistently. The level of commitment you put into your growth will be reflected in your progress.
Be honest. Like working with your doctor, working with a coach requires you to be open, honest, and candid. Be transparent about your challenges, weaknesses, strengths, and goals. Coaching is only as effective as the input you share.
A successful coaching experience requires a two-way trust relationship where you are assured confidentiality and your coach is assured that you will be completely open.
Be coachable. Successful coaching requires a coachable, teachable subject. Be willing to do the exercises your coach gives you, even if you don’t understand the value of the assignment. Your coach knows how unexpected assignments may be the key to your successful future.
Be committed. Transformation and change take time. So, prioritize the time commitment necessary to complete the homework assigned and practice. The results you achieve are dependent upon your work and dedication to the process.
Embrace feedback. Working with a coach is no place to be thin-skinned. I love what iconic coach Tom Landry said, “A coach is someone who tells you what you don’t want to hear, who has you see what you don’t want to see, so you can be who you have always known you could be.”
No matter where you are in your career, you can always grow. And working with an executive coach is an investment that will reap countless rewards.
Reen Waterman is a business coach, national speaker, writer and communications professional. Certified by the Charleston School of Protocol, he trains businesses and corporations in effective marketing and communications strategies. He can be found here.