It’s lonely at the top…and sometimes, even in the middle.

Executives and middle managers often face important business decisions without the benefit of a trusted associate to act as a sounding board. Sometimes, they find themselves at career crossroads and in need of outside perspective - with nowhere to turn for advice.

Some recognize the need for skill enhancements in order to reach the next level or to execute the next challenge. Still others want a better balance between their personal and professional lives but aren’t sure how to strike one.

For many leaders, and for various reasons, hiring a coach can be the right decision.

Coaches aren't industry experts

Coaching is a useful tool for personal development and to help executives navigate through career or life transitions. Leaders who aspire to higher performance levels or aim for greater personal satisfaction can also benefit from one-on-one coaching.

Coaches are not necessarily experts in the client’s industry. They don’t come up with solutions to executives’ problems, but instead act as facilitators to aid in the exploration of options. They also help leaders refine their interpersonal skills and sharpen their decision-making abilities.

Although they often assist with personal as well as professional goals, executive coaches are not psychotherapists, trainers, or mentors. Theirs is a professional partnership, relying on awareness-based techniques to help clients expand learning, improve performance, and enhance the quality of their lives.

Conversations with the coach

A typical coaching partnership lasts three months to a year. Coaching is generally a limited-term process, lasting only until the objectives are realized.

Throughout the coaching period, executive coaches engage clients in ongoing conversations. They strive to share fresh perspectives and encourage the achievement of goals. They also offer honest feedback, often delivering the hard messages executives won’t hear from their employees, colleagues or peers. 

The coaching process often includes personal interviews, active listening, and introspective assessments. Coaches assign exercises that promote action, clarify situations, and increase self-awareness, using techniques that combine business management principles with behavioral science methods.

The effort and the reward

While coaches rely on an assortment of exercises to help clients, it’s the clients who must perform the work and apply the lessons. Such activities are intended to focus efforts, develop proficiencies, and achieve outcomes.

Before hiring an executive coach, individuals must commit to the process and be willing to devote the time and energy needed for real change. Facing the hard questions and truths about one’s abilities isn’t always easy, and challenging existing habits or attitudes in order to develop new ones can be an uncomfortable process. However, reaching a stretch goal or seizing a new opportunity often demands these disciplines and more.

Given the challenges involved, it’s important to choose the right coaching partner. Experience, training, and trust are important considerations, as is the coach’s leadership philosophy. Compatible styles and an up-front understanding of how questions or problems will be addressed can help ensure a successful coaching engagement.

Coaching won’t work unless the individual is prepared to participate in open and honest communication. It’s the key to creating true change, improving growth potential, and ensuring success.