Executive Coaching is phrase that many expect to hear in association to C-suite executives, and high-level management at fortune-500 companies. Before I began my program, it had a ring of exclusivity. After my program, I knew I was committed to expanding access to it, as well as providing the public with a bit more transparency and clarity about what to expect in a coaching engagement. According to a Forbes article, citing data from a Metrix Global study, “Research shows that executive coaching offers a 788% return on investment (ROI), which includes factors like enhanced productivity and improved employee retention”.
What is Executive Coaching then and how can it provide such an outsized benefit? It’s a 1:1 partnership between a coach and a client, dedicated to helping the client in some form of growth, typically professional growth. My specialization is in Leadership and Performance growth. The specific topic is the client’s choice. Some example topics of discussion are listed below:
Improvement in performance at work.
Expansion of leadership skills.
Building better or different work-life balance.
Managing a career transition (new job, promotion, job loss, life change e.g child or elder care, retirement).
Financial Planning (increase in salary, upskilling, career planning with financial need in mind, retirement).
Improving Executive Function skills in a workplace setting (ADHD support).
Building relationship skills and managing difficult professional relationships.
The coach and client will spend 30 minutes to an hour on an every-other-week basis working towards a client’s desired growth path. A typical coaching relationship spans about six months to one year. The coach will direct the conversation with the client, focusing on developing clear and tangible goals, discussing the values and perceptions that contribute to the client’s perspective and position in a situation, and works with the client to develop action steps to achieve their desired outcome.
If you’re looking to up your tennis game, you’d probably get a tennis coach. So if you want to up your professional game, what’s to stop you from getting a professional coach? Executive coaching helps you focus on and develop your inner game. Many people opt to update their outer game – getting certifications, extra schooling, learning a new skill – but many don’t think about how they relate to something, or take the time to understand and reflect on why they are doing something. An executive coach provides clients with a space dedicated to that reflection, with specific training to root out and bring to light preconceived notions, values, goals, and a place to step back and look at the big picture with an impartial 3rd party.
According to an article titled The ROI of Executive Coaching published by American University, getting help for behavior changes is necessary for career growth and change. "Left to your own devices, you are 80% likely to fail" because "our brains are built that way." Executive coaches are trained to help individuals gain perspective on personal values and to gain self-awareness, which as the article outlines, are two strategies to help people with lasting behavioral change.
If you came to The Career Headquarters looking to better understand what Executive Coaching is, chances are you are looking to make a change or grow in some way shape or form. Please send any questions you may have or reach out to schedule a consultation to see if coaching is right for you.
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