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By: Ed Stern, Coach, Trainer, and Facilitator
Wondering if you are a leader who could benefit from hiring an executive coach? Below are a few questions and answers that may help you determine if the investment is worthwhile.
Q: Who should consider working with an executive coach?
A: Coaching is for anyone who wants to feel more fulfilled personally and professionally. It can get us from where we are to where we want to be. It is helpful to those who are contemplating a change, feeling stuck, or wants to accomplish something but cannot seem to find a way to start. The most senior executives of corporations often have access to executive coaches as a perk. For them and for all of us, coaching is an opportunity to stretch, learn, develop, and even test ourselves.
Q: What outcomes are typical or can be expected, if I choose to work with an executive coach?
A: The outcomes are as varied as the people being coached. You may begin the process with a particular destination in mind and get there. Or you may find you land in a place that is completely different from what your first imagined. In other words, be open to surprise; that is the beauty. Coaching is an organic, in-the-moment process. You will likely emerge from your coaching experience with increased clarity.
Q: How do executive coaches typically help clients grow, both personally and professionally?
A: Executive coaches provide support, hold our clients accountable, help them uncover never-before-considered options, and challenge them to see their own power. Our primary tools are questions. We are trained to ask powerful questions that, in turn, light a fire for our clients. The fire can smolder and grow slowly, or it can ignite quickly. The best coaches do not have an agenda or even a point of view. We believe our clients’ own answers are better than any we would have for them. One of those powerful questions is, “What do you want, personally and professionally?” That’s where it all starts.