WHY EXECUTIVE COACHING IS IMPORTANT

Executive Coaching is one of the most vital methods for improving the knowledge and skill of leaders, managers, and executives – regardless of where they may be in their career. The world of work is constantly evolving, and business environments never stay the same. What may have worked three years ago, may not work now, and it’s important to be able to adapt, keep the pace, and stay current.

Many in executive level positions were once an employee, managed themselves by someone senior. They might not have all the skills to assume a new level of responsibility, or they may think they have, but they’re not quite there yet. There are increased expectations and often, particularly in uncertain times, what feels like the weight of the world on their shoulders. It can be an overwhelming position to be in, and one which can thus benefit from the help of an executive coach – someone to be there as a sounding board, a mentor, or even a friend.

Self-awareness

Self-awareness is an absolutely crucial leadership skill that all effective executives need. Being able to understand your own wants, needs, strengths, weaknesses, and habits, will make you better at adapting to life and work changes, and ultimately function more positively as a leader. An executive coach can help you to understand your perceptions, and how these perceptions impact others. This will also enable you to know how to interact with stakeholders, team members, and clients. The more self-awareness we develop, the less we will get in our own way – and the more likely we are to achieve success for ourselves, and others.

Improved Communication

Effective communication and effective leadership are closely related. Most often, if there is an issue within the workplace, whether, with external stakeholders or team members, it’s likely to have come from ineffective or a total lack of communication. For those working in remote environments, strong communication is even more key. People respect authenticity so showing who you are and what you value through your communication is imperative. Where possible, showing up in person, scheduling regular one-to-ones and team meetings, and letting others feel connected to the work you want them to do. Really listening to different perspectives, asking questions, and allowing direct feedback is something that can be easily developed with the help of an executive coach. Learning to better articulate your ideas and encouraging openness will also hugely benefit how the organisation operates as whole.

Better decision making

Decision making in complex situations is never easy and when time is of the essence, it’s important to be able to think quickly and decisively. Good leaders don’t spend too much time agonising over all of the possibilities of each decision, because they know that one cannot predict exactly which will work best. Instead, they do a small bit of analysis based on the information to hand, plus their own intuition, to make a quick decision. Some leaders are often hesitant to decide as they are afraid of the consequences. Executive coaching can therefore be a great source of support, by helping the executive to understand the landscape and find their own strength.

Effective teamwork

One of the biggest challenges’ organisations face is building teams that work well together and motivate people to achieve success together. Quite often, leaders forget the importance of motivating a team efficiently when it should be a top priority. A leader is only as strong as the team they lead. Team members should feel valued and have a sense of belonging, but equally should participate fully, and support the goals and efforts of the team as a whole. Executive coaching can also involve team coaching to develop individual and group behaviours that will align to the organisation’s collective purpose, and ultimately to cultivate long-term excellence and success.

Distinctions Executive Coaching

Of course, the impact of executive coaching depends on the quality and personality of the coach themselves. As a coach, Joanna’s core motivation is to help clients identify real meaning and purpose in their roles. Indeed, her experience in international business and banking structures as a Senior VP has proved an indispensable platform for relating to, and the understanding, the variety of challenges faced by her clients.

For more information, reach out to Joanna at joanna@distinctionscoaching.com to get started on your executive coaching journey.