I am sure you will agree that being an executive in a business can be stressful. It can be stressful under normal circumstances, but add in a pandemic and the closing of the office doors, the move to the virtual office where it can be harder to remain accessible to everyone, and the stress levels begin to climb. There is a lot of responsibility attached to the role of the executive. Accepting or acknowledging the need for a little bit of help is not a weakness but shows your desire to reach your full potential and highlight your strengths. Because of the stressful nature of the job, many are turning to executive coaches to give them some support in their roles.
This does not mean that you are hiring an assistant who will take some of your responsibilities away from you; rather, you are hiring someone to whom you can delegate some aspects of your job role. No, they will not be doing your job for you. Rather, they will be helping you to deliver your very best. They will help you to complete your tasks and objectives, while also teaching you the best techniques for overcoming any challenges that you may face. But what about the executive coach themselves?
An executive coach is fulfilling an important role and helping the executive to keep the business running smoothly and achieving its very best. While they are in a supportive role, they too may also need support and some little reminders to help them be the best coach and support they can be. So, below are some tips that may help any executive coaches out there.
Show an Interest but Don’t Judge
Your aim as an executive coach is to help a business achieve its full potential or to reach the desired goal. So be sure to show an interest in the company and its values. Find out all there is to know. This requires good communication and honesty. Ask questions and really listen to the answers. As different individuals, you will likely have different ideas on certain points so be sure to listen to all that they have to say.
The final decisions rest with them so they need to feel comfortable and on board with what is happening. They will be more likely to listen to you if they feel that you have listened to them and considered their views and ideas. There needs to be trust between you or this will never work. And you have to be careful not to judge or give the impression that you are judging. They may feel very strongly about some points and if they feel judged for it, it will affect your ability to coach them.
Don’t Do Their Job for Them
Again, your aim is to help them to reach their full potential. They will never do this if every time a problem arises, you step in with the solution. Help them to problem solve and think differently, looking at things from a new perspective. Help them to set new goals, maybe more outside their comfort zone. When they achieve those goals, their confidence will receive a boost and give them added incentive to set more goals, maybe even further out of their comfort zone.
Know When and How to Use Your Experience
You have no doubt acquired many skills and much experience in your own business ventures before turning your attention to becoming an executive coach. This is what will make you so valuable in your role. But the executive you are coaching does not need to know everything you have learned all at once, otherwise, they will just feel bombarded with too much information, and it is unlikely to be any help whatsoever.
So, in each situation, think first. What knowledge and experience do you have that could enhance a particular experience for an executive, or that will help them to reach a specific set goal? You want everything you say to them, every piece of advice, to be relevant and beneficial. Of course, this requires being a good listener.
When you know exactly what you are trying to achieve, you will know the best advice or support to give in any situation. So listen, and then think before you respond, and it will make your response something that will make a difference and they will be more likely to heed your advice if they know you have thought about it first, instead of just saying the first thing that pops into your head.
You want what you say to have an impact and leave an impression, the right kind of impression, so I’ll say it again, listen carefully to what they are telling you. They don’t need to hear you talk about things they already know. Remember, you are trying to get them to think in new ways, to explore new avenues. They will quickly lose confidence in you if you are not helping them to achieve this. Rather, help them to find the best solutions to their problems, usually in ways they would never have thought of themselves.
Know Your Limits
While they may be looking to you to have the solutions to all their problems, you don’t know everything, and if you fail to recognize this, you are heading for failure. Again, going back to the open communication and honesty we talked about, you need to be honest when something comes up that is outside your area of expertise. Rather than this being viewed negatively, they will likely appreciate your honesty. And if you help them to find a relevant professional who can help, they will see you are a team player and genuinely interested in helping their business to be at its best.
Summary
There are many things as a coach that you can help an executive with. If you get it right and follow these simple executive coaching tips, they will value the support and assistance you deliver and you will enjoy an open, trusting relationship that helps the business to thrive. You will give them the confidence to work through any challenges and achieve their full potential.
