A potential client recently asked me how he would benefit from working with an Executive Coach. By asking me this question, he made me reflect on the positive outcomes of Executive Coaching. I realised that other people might well want to ask the same question.
SUCCESS 1: SEE YOURSELF CLEARLY – Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom (Aristotle)
One of my colleagues used to have a mirror in her office. She said that the mirror was her reminder to take a look at herself. Examples of questions you might be asked in a coaching session:
- What’s your definition of success?
- What stresses you out?
- What makes you unique?
- What would you like to see yourself as?
- What can you see that can be developed in you?
- What type of worker are you?
- What makes you tired?
SUCCESS 2: SEE OTHERS CLEARLY Always seeing something, never seeing nothing, being photographer (Walter De Mulder)
When you are a leader and very busy, it is easy not to see what is around you or to make inaccurate assessment of people around you. Listen with your eyes and open the future. Examples of questions you might be asked in a coaching session:
- What do you see in others?
- What sort of conversations do you have with others?
- How can they help you?
- What would you like to borrow from others?
- How do you get the best from people?
SUCCESS 3: SHIFT YOUR MINDSET and LEARN NEW WAYS TO RESPOND
What matters is how you see things and the perspectives that you have. It is about distance and proximity. When you find it difficult to distance yourself from a situation, your Executive Coach may use the metaphor Choose the right pair of glasses as you are what you see. Examples of questions you might be asked in a coaching session:
- What other tools do you have in your ‘leadership toolkit’?
- How will you ensure you and your teams are all working in sync toward the highest-priority goals.
- What are the things that you see that can be made better?
- Can you see what might be better for you now?
- How do you see the world differently now?
- What do you feel when you like what you see?
SUCCESS 4: BUILD ON YOUR EXISTING STRENGTHS – It’s never too late to be who you might have been (George Eliot)
It all starts with your DNA and you are unique. Shine bright like a diamond. Examples of questions you might be asked in a coaching session:
- What are your unique strengths?
- What strengths could you make even stronger? How?
- How can you use your strengths more effectively for the benefit of your team and your organisation?
- What new strengths would you like to have?
SUCCESS 5: NURTURE RELATIONSHIPS Almost everything in leadership comes back to relationships (Mike Krzyzewski)
People are everything in an organisation. It does not cost anything to say Thank you and it can mean the world to another person. Examples of questions you might be asked in a coaching session:
- How do you build relationships with your colleagues?
- What assumptions are you making about your colleagues?
- What sorts of conversations do you have with your colleagues?
- How do you make your colleagues feel good about themselves?
- How do you manage a difficult colleague?
SUCCESS 6: ACHIEVE WHAT YOU WANT If today was your last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to today (Steve Jobs)
You can be unstoppable and only you can decide. It’s up to you! Examples of questions you might be asked in a coaching session:
- What are your dreams?
- How can you achieve your goals?
- Who can help you?
- What barriers do you need to remove to achieve your dreams?
- How do you celebrate your successes?