How to get the most out of Executive Coaching

Organisational Development, Personal Development - Comments Off - Published on April 12 2016

If you are considering Executive Coaching, or if you have just signed up to a programme of business coaching you are potentially embarking on a life-changing experience. But the success of your coaching programme depends on some basic but essential actions on your part. Take these five steps and you will get more out of your coaching, enjoy the experience and reap the benefits of this important investment.

STEP ONE

Choose a coach who has relevant experience in business (not just in coaching!) and make sure you feel comfortable with this person. A pre-meeting with them before committing to coaching is essential – have some questions for them about their approach and their other clients. Can they give you testimonials? Can you speak to one of their clients?

STEP TWO

Be clear about what you want to change. The more specific you can be about your coaching ‘goal’ the more effective your coaching will be. It can be anything from “I want to be able to deliver powerful presentations with confidence” to “I want to implement a new strategy with the team within 6 months”. A good coach will help you refine your goal and assess your starting posision so that you can monitor and review progress on a regular basis.

STEP THREE

Prepare for each session by reviewing what has happened since you last met your coach. What has gone well? What has not worked well? Has a specific issue arisen that you would like to discuss with your coach (ideally this will be related to your overall coaching goal but not necessarily)?

STEP FOUR

Make sure that each session ends with a summary of what has been discussed and what actions you are going to take. A good coach will do this. Agreed actions allow you to put into practice some of the good ideas or options you have discussed at the session. The knowledge that you will meet your coach again in a month or so is a powerful incentive to getting those actions done!

STEP FIVE

Be prepared to challenge yourself and your ways of working. Be open to new ideas and to trying new things. Coaching provides you with a safe environment in which to be honest and open about what is happening at work and what needs to change. If you are not completely open you will not realise the full benefit of coaching – it will be a missed opportunity.

Coaching is challenging and can be exhausting. But the benefits of sitting down on a regular basis with a trusted professional to analyse what is going on for you at work cannot be underestimated. Follow these steps for a better coaching experience. If you do you will be more likely to achieve noticeable, positive and long-lasting change.

For more information about JPA’s Executive Coaching Programmes contact: Jeanette@jeanettepurcell.com.

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