The Truth About Understanding Executive Coaching
Hi Guys,
Sorry, I haven’t been around for a while, there has been a lot going on at Executive Coaching 365. I was just checking Social Media last night and there was gentleman that was saying that he does not believe in the benefits of executive coaching. I hope to have changed his mind by challenging his belief with an offer of a free ninety minute breakthrough session to assess whether coaching would be of use to him personally and professionally. Yes, that is right, the first session before any work should be to see whether the Coach is able to offer the help the coachee needs to progress with their professional life. I personally believe that coaching can help everybody, if they allow it to. Furthermore, I would say that one should be careful in choosing the correct coach. If a coach is unable to help you with your problems, then they will not help you to proceed and could even damage your self-belief and confidence. Which is why I would always suggest using a qualified coach, if the person offering you help is not qualified, they are merely offering to mentor you. A coach will have learned strategies to help you build both your confidence and guide you through decision making and not making decisions for you but giving you the tools and knowledge to make informed and thought-out choices for yourself.
I am concerned that there are so many individuals calling themselves coaches without having the correct qualifications these days or even the correct insurances to practise as a coach. I have heard stories of coaches charging as low as £15 per hour and for me this is an illustration that these “coaches” are showing a low valuation of what is a highly developed academic discipline. Most executive coaches will have studied other related fields that augment their coaching abilities and qualifications, such as psychology and leadership. As you can imagine, this level of study would naturally lead one to value ones’ time when setting fees for your work and for me this hourly rate would lead me to question the persons credentials and ability to be of true service to the coachee. There is also a lot of behind the scenes work that should be done in coaching, which could require an hours work before to prepare for a session and an hour after the session to assess and disseminate progress and possible paths to further enhance the coachees progression to their goal. So that said, when one books a one-hour session, the coach is really giving as much as three hours or more for the fee charged. Most coaches I know only take two clients or at most three per day for this reason. This is why a qualified coach will often come at a premium cost, but it will usually come with first-class results and outcomes for the coachee. Any coach worth their salt will also find a place of comfort and peace in which to conduct their coaching. It is important that this be done as the coachee needs to feel the promise of confidentiality and the pleasure of comfortable and secure surrounding in which to divulge what can be deep and personal exploratory discussions.
If you are a true accredited executive coach you should sign up to a code of ethics and every coach within Executive Coaching 365 is signed up to the Global code of Ethics, which can be found on this link https://www.associationforcoaching.com/page/AboutCodeEthics . Please go and look them up, they will give you a much clearer idea of the aims of qualified coaches and our endeavours to serve our coachees an experience that will enrich their lives and leave them capable to continue with the lessons learned from the experience, eventually without the need for the coach. All coaches endeavour to make themselves redundant when their coachees have reached their state of independence. There is a culture that is alarming which encourages people to keep paying for coaching interventions. This is unethical and should be unnecessary if the coach has successfully explained and provided their coachee with the correct tools and self-questioning and self-motivational skills as prescribed by our ethics. This does not mean that the coachee cannot approach the coach for further help, but it is not encouraged to re-hash the original problem, but to ask for help with a new problem. Also, a coach should always install into the coaching relationship a firm coaching contract that clearly states what is expected of the coach and the payment terms and agreement between parties of the length and frequency of the coaching sessions, it is also suggested that the length of time for the coaching relationship be finite and not exceed the agreed period of coaching unless extreme circumstances apply and both parties can see true value in continuing for a further agreed period of coaching. A part of this contract between coach and coachee is that both parties should be committed to attend coaching sessions as planned and to adhere to all tasks and processes which are discussed and agreed on during coaching sessions and should be able to show their actions to achieve the goals agreed at the next meeting to ensure the relationship remains productive.
So, in closing I will list the main features of a good coaching experience for you below
1 A clearly worded contract, stating the goals, purpose and objective of the coachee and a finite timescale for the coaching to be completed and frequency and length of coaching sessions and price per session.
2 There should also be a clear complaints procedure with a clear escalation path to someone other than the coach and contact details for the organisation whose code of ethics govern the coach.
3 Clear time-oriented goals, set by the coachee and monitored by the coach to ensure engagement and productivity of the agreement.
4 A commitment from both coach and coachee to attend all sessions and to provide evidence of work towards the goals agreed by the coachee.
5 If you request proof of qualification from any coach, they should be able to provide it for you. If they cannot, you would be well within your rights to postpone coaching until the proof is provided to your satisfaction.
So, it only remains for you to begin your search for the right coach for you and I wish you all luck in achieving your dreams and professional goals. If you would like any further advice on this subject, please feel welcome to contact me on the following email
damian@executivecoaching365.co.uk
