What should I expect from an executive coach?
It’s not unusual for me to want to give advice.
Let’s Talk Business
I am not sure what the Lord put in me where I feel like I want to share something. Maybe it’s the “helper” or the “problem solver” in me that is always up to uncovering the issues in someone’s business and helping them talk through the options and possible solutions.
I unashamedly admit that I would rather talk “business” than just about any other topic.
Give me an opportunity to learn about your business and I get giddy asking questions.
Case and point: Recently, my husband and I had the opportunity to travel to Europe. We visited London and Paris – both of us for the first time. We then joined a group of business professionals, who serve along with my husband on a board of higher education, in Germany.
Honestly, this was the carrot that my husband dangled in front of me to get me excited about the trip….the people, the business owners, those, like me, who have ridden the roller coaster of business ownership and survived. Visiting historical sites or museums was not my “why” in elevating my excitement – but tell me that we will spend 5 days in Germany after London and Paris with other board members – I couldn’t say yes fast enough.
Those poor, unsuspecting board members (I’m kidding, of course). They didn’t know what hit them.
Embracing Networking Opportunities (Everywhere I Go)
I strategically positioned myself on the bus, at dinners, in the hotel lounge and on walking tours so I could get to know them, and their businesses. I honestly could have spent another few days delving deeper into each of their stories.
Why did they start their business?
Where had they had success?
What did they love about their business?
What did they dislike about their business?
What were they on the Ennegram? (google it)
What are their strengths in leadership?
What were their weaknesses?
Would they do it again?
Were they preparing for an exit?
Had they already sold their business?
What was their succession plan?
All. These. Questions.
I’m getting excited as I type because it brings back the memories of getting to know new friends and learning from their experience(s).
Shared Experiences of Business Struggles
As these conversations occurred, I realized that we all deal with many of the same issues/challenges/concerns in our businesses and many of us don’t have an outlet for strategically solving them.
This was me for the first several years in business.
I had zero strategy when it came to solving issues.
Sometimes – I would choose to ignore the biggest issues, hoping that they would magically resolve themselves.
As a leader, I intrinsically knew that by not addressing the hard things, I was handicapping myself in the future – but some of the issues were just too big, in my opinion at that time, to figure out on my own.
It was easier to solve the quick day to day things that came up on my plate than to tackle some of the larger issues. It took more brain power than I was willing to give at the time, so the resolution never came.
I look back and am disappointed at my lack of initiative in some areas.
I’m not sure if you have ever found yourself there…with the sinking feeling of “I’m not enough” or “my people deserve better”.
I sure have. What a miserable feeling.
Turning Point
Well…I knew that I did not like what I was feeling.
In that moment, I knew that I needed to elevate my leadership.
I also knew that I couldn’t do it on my own, I needed help.
We were at an inflection point, and I had to do something- sooner rather than later.
Over the course of the next year – I worked with a professional who helped me set up an Advisory Board for my company. How I set this up is a story for another day. It probably warrants its own blog post or two as this ONE decision was a game changer.
Gratefully, one of my Advisory Board members offered to spend more than just the quarterly meeting time with me to help walk me through some of the larger issues going on in my business.
I checked my budget and made a great decision to hire him.
He became my coach.
He became my accountability.
He helped me focus.
He helped me problem solve the tough, and often confidential, business issues.
He helped me work through those business issues that kept me up at night.
He helped me elevate my leadership skills.
Hiring a Coach = Business Growth
And…my company grew in gross revenues.
My company grew in profitability.
My franchisees’ top line sales grew.
My franchisees’ profitability grew.
My executive team grew.
My confidence grew.
As I think back to the decision, to hire a coach, to be vulnerable – I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without the built in accountability and problem solving that came with that decision.
Yes, I had to budget for it.
Yes, I had to find the time.
The decision came with immediate sacrifices of money and time – but the benefits, honestly are immeasurable and propelled my company, Just Between Friends, forward with great momentum!
Is A Coach Right for Me/My Business?
If you’ve taken the time to read this far, you may be asking yourself what you could expect by doing what I did - working with an executive coach.
It’s important for anyone working with a coach, of any kind, to have clarity around what success looks like – the outcome of the relationship. I’ve put together a list of some of the things that you might expect if you choose to work with an executive coach.
When working with an executive coach, you can expect a personalized and professional approach to support your growth and development as a leader. While each executive coach may have their own style and methodology, here are some common expectations you can have from executive coaching:
Clarifying goals and objectives: An executive coach will help you identify your goals and objectives as a leader. They will work with you to gain clarity on what you want to achieve and define specific outcomes for your coaching engagement. After all, a goal is just a dream without a plan and a deadline!
Assessing strengths and areas for improvement: A coach will help you assess your strengths and weaknesses as a leader. They may use various assessment tools, interviews, or feedback processes to gain insights into your leadership style, skills, and behaviors.
Creating a development plan: Based on the assessment of your strengths and areas for improvement, an executive coach will work with you to create a personalized development plan. This plan will outline specific actions and strategies to enhance your leadership abilities and achieve your goals.
Providing guidance and support: Your coach will provide guidance, support, and constructive feedback throughout the coaching process. They will help you explore different perspectives, challenge assumptions, and encourage self-reflection to facilitate your growth as a leader.
Developing new skills and behaviors: An executive coach will assist you in developing new skills, behaviors, and strategies to enhance your leadership effectiveness. They may provide resources, tools, or exercises tailored to your specific needs and objectives.
Accountability and progress tracking: A coach will hold you accountable for the commitments you make towards your development goals. They will help you track your progress, celebrate successes, and overcome obstacles that may arise along the way.
Confidentiality and trust: Executive coaching typically operates under strict confidentiality. You can expect a safe and non-judgmental environment where you can openly discuss challenges, concerns, and sensitive issues related to your leadership role.
Time-bound engagement: Executive coaching engagements are usually time-bound, with a defined duration or number of sessions. The length of the coaching relationship may vary depending on your goals, needs, and the complexity of the issues you want to address.
Engage and Grow!
It's important to note that executive coaching is a collaborative process, and the success of the engagement depends on your active participation and willingness to engage in self-reflection and personal growth. And sometimes this is hard – but it’s worth it!
As you think about these possible outcomes –it’s important to realize that whomever you choose to coach you – can easily become a significant factor in the success of whatever endeavor needs attention.
I’m so thankful that the Lord led me to my coach!
I’m thankful that the Lord is guiding me in my own executive coaching business.
It feels fun to be able to help other business owners, both for-profit businesses and nonprofit businesses, franchisors and franchisees, corporate executives, and founders/owners/operators in their quest for growth.
If this is something that piqued your interest – I’m happy to visit – and answer any questions you might have!
Shine Lesson Learned: Vulnerability with an executive coach can lead to huge growth opportunities, both personally and professionally.
Blessings upon blessings, Shannon
