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In this issue:
Pat's Ponderings - Eight Keys to Picking the Right Coach by Patrick Williams, Ed.D., MCC, BCC (honorary)In times of recession, companies must do more with less. Providing executive coaches to high-potential performers is one way to get the most out of untapped talent. "There's no question that future leaders will need constant coaching," notes Ram Charan, author of Leadership in the Era of Economic Uncertainty (McGraw-Hill, 2008). "As the business environment becomes more complex, they will increasingly turn to coaches for help in understanding how to act." Willingness to be coached and a good fit are two of the key ingredients for a successful coaching relationship. This was reinforced in a January 2009 Harvard Business Review survey, in which researchers queried 140 top coaches about what companies should look for when hiring a coach. According to the HBR article, there are two basic hiring rules:
Unfortunately, many executives select a coach based on referrals from colleagues, without adequately considering personal needs. The person sponsoring the engagement usually sends a few coaches for interviews and asks the executive to select one based on "fit." But what does a good fit actually mean, and how do you avoid hiring a coach who feels right but may not challenge you to grow? Without a greater understanding of what happens in a coaching relationship, it's difficult to make a fair assessment and pick a good match. As the client, you should do the choosing, but you need some criteria to make the best selection. In Your Executive Coaching Solution (Davies-Black, 2007), Joan Kofodimos says a coach should achieve most of the following:
Pick for support and ability to challenge Executives are hired for their strengths. We don't expect them to show uncertainty, express fear or naturally ask for help. Executives who wish to grow, however, must do these very things. But coaches must be more than cheerleaders. They need to provide challenges that motivate you to perform beyond your habitual behaviors and perceptions; confront you directly, yet nonjudgmentally, with the impact of your actions; and courageously probe the motives and assumptions underlying your behaviors. Coaches who lack the capacity or courage to push you out of your comfort zone aren't doing their jobs. Some learning is achieved only through discomfort. Good coaches will use their personal experience with you to teach you about yourself. How you treat your coach reflects how you treat others. The way you select your coach is significant. Do you see the coach as a subordinate? A vendor or outside consultant? An authority figure whose primary relationship is with your boss? How do gender, race or other personal characteristics influence the way you interact with your coach? Effective coaches will detect and decipher the subtleties within their clients' interactions. They will provide feedback on how one's behavior impacts other relationships and goals. Pick a coach who can raise issues impartially and show you how your behaviors affect others. Pick for feedback loops A coach must serve as the conduit for colleagues' feedback. Your peers will rarely share authentic feedback with you, and a skilled coach can solicit important information in a way that satisfies confidentiality requirements. Clear agreements, established boundaries and skilled diplomacy are critical. Your coach should help you develop the skills needed to create relationships in which you can ask for honest feedback on an ongoing basis. Instead of encouraging dependence, your coach should teach you how to manage your development in the future. After an initial assessment, a good coach shows you how to form links with colleagues and teaches them how to frame useful, specific feedback instead of vague judgments. Your coach will teach you to ask for feedback and manage the conversation without being defensive. This includes learning how to determine which feedback is relevant and valid, prioritize the issues you need to address and figure out how to handle them. Pick for clarifying values and purpose How clearly do you articulate your core purpose, values and interests? Skilled coaches help you clarify your developmental, career and life goals. They should also teach you how to sort out your needs, wants, concerns and boundaries in any particular situation, which allows you to become more comfortable and act more consistently when completing goals, even in complex circumstances. Pick for structuring the development process Your coach must help you manage each step of the coaching project:
Many people tend to let coaching sessions slide when urgent work matters arise or they experience an inherent resistance to change. Together, you and your coach will develop a roadmap that defines goals and keeps the process moving over time. Pick for broadening perspectives Your coach should broaden your perspective by helping you understand and break free of any limiting beliefs and assumptions. A perspective shift may be the most significant factor in changing behavior and results. A perspective shift can occur when your coach:
A perspective shift will change your assumptions, expand the information you find useful, alter how you perform key skills and enhance your ability to create organizational value. Pick for teaching new concepts and skills You may be so engrossed in your work environment that you've never developed a clear understanding of your role. A good coach will help you step back and get a clearer picture of what is—and isn't—part of your role. Good coaches present a mental model of what leadership means, what it takes to be effective and the key skills required. They should teach skills relevant to one's particular situation and assist with implementation in daily interactions. For example, which of these key leadership skills do you need to learn?
Pick for confidentiality Trust is essential in the coaching relationship. Your coach must effectively navigate risky waters filled with sensitive, confidential information. Because a coach may be engaged with several members of the same organization or team, it's vital to respect boundaries and maintain confidentiality. This is not an easy job, and it's one of the most important skills a good coach acquires with experience. When interviewing prospective coaches, find out how such situations are handled. How have they dealt with similar challenges in the past? Pick for influencing others' views of you Behavioral change is not the sole coaching goal. Coaches also help colleagues notice the changes you make, invite them to become involved in your development and possibly change their behavior in relation to you. A qualified, experienced coach can influence others' views by:
If your coach doesn't raise these points in your initial conversations, make sure they're included in the coaching process. Roles a coach should not play Coaching methodologies vary widely. Some begin with 360° assessments; others use in-depth interviews. Regardless, your coach should clearly define the process' start, developmental plan and conclusion. A good coach will consciously avoid roles that hinder your ability to take independent action:
Two loaded and complex issues often arise during coach selection: good fit and credentials. Beware of deciding upon the look and feel of a good fit. Effective coaches are adept at personal relationships, and each has a unique style and manner. Be sure to balance feeling comfortable with the person against your need to be challenged as you grow. You must believe a coach can help you change. As for credentials and training, the executive-coaching field is not associated with traditional career paths or specific educational backgrounds. Most coaches enter the practice after a gradual evolution from roles in related areas. Coaches may come from internal HR departments and specialize in leadership development or organizational effectiveness. Others have external consulting experience and specialize in organizational change. Some come from the counseling and psychology fields. Many have years of business experience in executive offices, while others are retired CEOs. What really matters is the coach's ability to understand and work with individual and organizational dynamics. Make your selection only after you have a solid understanding of the coaching relationship and process. Patrick Williams Ed.D., MCC, BCC (honorary) Monthly CallsCoaching Forum CallJoin Pat Williams as he explores the differences between therapists and coaches. Upcoming CallDon't miss March's Coaching Forum call on March 21. March's call will be an open forum for you to ask Pat your questions regarding coaching and setting up your practice. Open registration will be available February 16th. Please submit your questions at the time of registration. Resources for Success in Your Practice and Professional DevelopmentThe Institute for Life Coach Training's publishing partner, WorkLife Media, has developed a new product line designed with you, the Helping Professional, in mind. Whether it's products designed to continue your professional development, assist in developing your practice, or tools you can provide your clients to help meet their needs, WorkLife Media has what you need. New products are continuously developed so if you don't see what you're looking for, just ask! Featured ProductsWellDirections Newsletter "Getting Smart About..." Fact Sheets Coming Soon: About the Publisher For further information, please contact jane.adams@worklifemedia.net NewsInvitation for Tomorrow's Life Coach newsletter submissionsHave an article or a book recommendation you'd like to share? We'd like to invite all ILCT faculty and students to submit their articles and recommendations to Tomorrow's Life Coach. Please keep in mind that all contributions that are under consideration to be published will be edited to meet our specifications. We welcome your submissions and will include proper attribution. Please send submissions to jane.adams@lifeoptions.com. Special Offer: Online Services for Life Coach ProfessionalsILCT has partnered with CoachingWebsites to provide a special offer for websites and online marketing services made for life coach professionals. Need a great looking website? We recognize that many of our ILCT graduates are looking for a trusted provider of website design and so we have chosen to partner with the best! CoachingWebsites quickly and effectively deploys websites designed to give coaches a professional-looking web presence. Now you can concentrate on what you do best and leave the rest to CoachingWebsites. To find out more and receive your free 30-day trial, click on this link: CoachingWebsites Visit Us at the American Counseling Association ConferenceILCT will be exhibiting at the American Counseling Association Conference in San Francisco, March 22 – 25. If you'll be attending the conference, stop by our booth and say hello! TILT MagazineInterested in the use of technology in coaching? Lyle Labardee, BCC of Life Options is featured in a monthly column addressing the relevant issues in TILT Magazine, which you can read at onlinecoachmagazine.com FeatureThe 8 Traps of High Achievers by Patrick Williams, EdD, MCC, BCC (honorary)
Leaders are high achievers who continually grow as professionals. But in many organizations, there are high achievers who are floundering. They're smart, ambitious professionals who aren't as productive or satisfied as they could be. Many ascend to leadership positions and reach a plateau in their professional growth. Throughout their careers, they've been told they're high potentials. They should be flourishing, but they often let anxiety about their performance compromise their ability to learn and grow. Fear of revealing their limitations may cause high achievers to undermine their careers and hamper their leadership abilities. Many know they can and should be doing better, but they fail to ask for help. If you're a high achiever, then you're used to winning and accustomed to turning out remarkable performance. But what happens when you're in over your head or on an accelerating treadmill that's going nowhere fast? For example, when challenged by new technologies or strategic game changes, you're probably unwilling to admit it and often refuse to ask for help. The very strengths that led you to the fast track can steer you toward poor performance. High performers exhibit eight typical behaviors, write Thomas J. and Sara DeLong in "The Paradox of Excellence" (Harvard Business Review, June 2011):
You may recognize yourself as a high achiever. Or, perhaps you started out that way but have let yourself fade into the background. You play it safe, maybe even telling yourself that your average performance is above the norm - so why risk more? When you're used to having things come easily to you, it's only natural to shy away from assignments that test you and require you to learn new skills. When you have a successful self-image to protect, you find yourself avoiding risk. Instead, many high achievers like yourself hunker down and lock themselves into routines at the expense of professional growth. It's possible to break this cycle and get back on track for career success. In fact, it's not only possible - it's essential if you want to flourish in top leadership roles. Upcoming Classes at ILCTExpand Your Business and Deepen Your Coaching Skills - Register for Upcoming Classes at ILCTVIEW OUR CURRENT LIST OF CLASSES Flexible payment plans are available. Call 800-961-3424 for details. Book RecommendationsInspired and Prosperous: 11 World-renowned Coaches Reveal Their Success and Sustainability Secrets by Duanna Pang-DoklandIf you are...
...Inspired and Prosperous: 11 World-renowned Coaches Reveal Their Success and Sustainability Secrets was written for you. In this book, 11 coaches (including ILCT Founder and faculty member Patrick Williams) who have been in the business from 10 to 32 years reveal to you the priceless secrets and real-world experiences of how they crafted their success in a business that is commonly perceived as one of the toughest to market. Buy the book from www.inspiredandprosperousbook.com during International Coaching Week from Feb 6 to 12, and 30% of all Kindle and paperback proceeds will go to Coaching the Global Village, a non-profit that teaches coaching and leadership skills to grassroots leaders in under-developed communities around the globe, in order that these leaders might ignite significant and lasting possibilities in their communities. You will also receive a mind map of the book's key takeaways – free. | ||||
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