Goals And Objectives of Executive Coaching

Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others - Jack Welch.

Executive coaching has grown in leaps and bounds in the past two decades. It's now worth an estimated $14 billion in the United States alone. Executive coaching is used as a management tool by organizations looking to leverage their executives' existing strengths and improve their leadership capabilities in addressing business challenges.

A coaching session can occur through personal meetings or virtual coaching engagements. The latter grew in prominence during the Covid-19 epidemic, and proponents argue this could be the model moving forward.

Executive leadership coaching sessions are not cheap but are well worth the investment. According to one study, the return on investment(ROI) is 788%. It is no wonder that top executives in Fortune 500 Companies work with executive coaches to realize specific outcomes.

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Who Is an Executive Coach?

An executive coach is a specialized individual usually trained to optimize organizational leadership performance. They are accomplished individuals in their own right, with a proven record of performance in specific industries or past coaching experiences.

An executive coach usually forms a coaching relationship with a client for six to eighteen months to realize significant, specific, and measurable behavioral changes to leverage strengths, rather than correct deficiencies.

The characteristics of a great executive coach include the following:

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• A life-long learner keen on improving their coaching engagements
• Goal-setting skills that lead to the client achieving goals
• The ability to maintain confidentiality
• The ability to give direct and honest feedback
• Having built a reputation with a positive track record
• Having relevant life or industrial practice experience
• The ability to nurture strong relationships with coaching clients
• A high degree of self-awareness

A leadership coach may be sought within or outside an organization. A coach with an outside perspective is preferable because:

• An insider naturally has a biased view of the organization and may have difficulty objectively seeing the situation of the leader and the team.
• An insider may not feel that they can be candid in advising an executive out of the possible fear of victimization.

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What Are Executive Coaching Goals and Objectives?

Executive coaching goals vary depending on individual or organization objectives for sourcing a coaching relationship. John Mattone, in his book The Executive Coach's Handbook: Inside Secrets from the World's Top Executive Coach, says:

The people at the C-level set the strategy, make important decisions, and ensure operations align with strategic goals and values. Leaders at the C-level have different leadership expectations than other company leaders. Therefore their coaching needs are not the same as those of other company leaders.

What Are the Three Key Goals of Coaching?

According to literature from different sources, the predominate goals of executive coaching are:

• Developing self-awareness
• Overcoming behaviors that limit personal or organizational success
• Building skills, especially for high-potential employees, to support an organization's dynamic needs

The goals of executive coaching can be viewed from the perspective of individuals or organizations.

When Do Individuals Use Executive coaching?

Individuals hire a leadership coach in the following situations:

• To improve leadership skills. Leadership is a continuous learning process that executive coaches can refine. Areas that can be improved include managing uncertainty, developing goals & clear vision, and self-management.
• To fine-tune a skill set. This is because a leader can be gifted in a given skill set but still fail in implementation. An executive coach can assist in overcoming this mental barrier, for example, by exploring how to find the right people to recruit or discussing how to implement actionable plans.
• To further develop inner skills. Solidifying inner skills can go a long way in building confidence in leadership ability. A coach can refine skills such as emotional intelligence, self-regulation, empathy, flexible thinking, etc.
• To enhance self-reflection. Self-reflection is about gaining clarity on where you are as an individual and your role in an organization. In this process, you get to examine your assumptions. This clearly defines where you want to move next and what to focus on.
• To enhance social skills. Great social skills are the cornerstone of relationship building. They help in leadership and reduce the possibility of social awkwardness. A coach will assist with the best strategies for reducing anxiety, shyness, or fear.