Executive Coaching - Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Executive Coaching? 
Executive coaching is a three way partnership between an executive, a coach and the executive’s organization.  What differentiates executive coaching from other forms such as career counselling or life coaching is that the focus is on the needs and goals of both the executive and the sponsoring organization. All three are key stakeholders and must agree on specific measurable goals and the parameters for engaging the coach.

What is the Focus of an Executive Coach?
The focus is on an individualized leader development process that builds a leader’s capability to achieve short and long-term organizational goals.  It is conducted through one-on-one interactions, driven by data from multiple perspectives, and based on mutual trust and respect.  The organization, the executive, and the executive coach work in partnership to achieve maximum impact.  Executive coaching focuses on developing the executives ability to influence, motivate and lead others.

What is the Executive Coaching Process? 
The development of a leader is accomplished primarily by practical, on the job approaches rather than classroom or more abstract methods.  The goals and specific activities are tailored to the unique aspects of the executive and their organization.  In order for the executive and the principal stakeholders to understand, clarify, and commit to appropriate coaching goals, various data collection methods are used to identify key factors and skills required. The appropriate use of interviews and standardized instruments assures accuracy and validity of data gathered from people representing a range of perspectives within the organization. The primary coaching activities take place between the individual executive and the coach.

Why Would You Want an Executive Coach? 
The challenge for individuals, especially new leaders, is stepping up from being an exceptional ‘A’ player to an outstanding executive (nee coach).  It’s not natural for most people.  The tendency is to fall back on the skills which allowed an individual to become successful rather than ‘lead’ or develop the skill set of other’s. Typically this is the comfort zone for new leader’s or leaders in new roles.   As individuals advance taking on more leadership responsibility, feedback becomes more important and unfortunately for many less frequent, giving rise to the ‘Peter Principle’ whereby executives plateau.  The demands in the workplace for immediate results and better performance often do not allow sufficient time for the executive to learn on the job, creating unnecessary stress and disruption with the team and other stakeholders. This often leads to performance issues, burn out, frustration, loss of confidence, disillusionment and a negative ripple effect in the immediate organization.

What Are the Benefits of Executive Coaching?
Scores of major companies have made coaching a core part of executive development.  In fact, in a survey by Right Management Consultants, 86 percent of companies said they used coaching to sharpen the skills of individuals who have been identified as future organizational leaders.  So what are the benefits of Executive coaching? Most Executive coaches have ‘walked the talk’ and tend to work across management and executive ranks.  Their experience, skill set and unique view provides insight that is not typically available to the executive.  Executive coaches are effective at building capability…..new ways of thinking, feeling, acting, learning, leading and relating to other’s to build a leader’s individual and organizational effectiveness.  Their work is in the field, on the job, with real time feedback, and as an ‘outsider’, unbiased. Executive coaches are your ‘thinking and accountability partner’, helping bring clarity to issues and asking thought provoking questions allowing the executive to develop their skill set and ignite their hidden potential.  This provides a forum for the leader to develop confidence, discover their own path, and accelerate their effectiveness increasing their impact on the bottom line.  Other benefits include:
  • Tactical problem solving
  • Developing leadership capabilities and new ways of thinking and acting that generalize to other situations and roles
  • “Learning how to learn”: developing skills and habits of self-reflection that ensure that learning will continue after coaching ends.



Is Executive Coaching for Everyone?
In a word, no…….. Leaders must be open to the following:
  • Recognize that they need help, 
  • Open to feedback 
  • Committed to making change
  • Be an ‘active’ part of the process
  • Willing to put into practice to sharpen their skills.

The challenge for high potential individuals identified as future organizational leaders, new, emerging leaders and executives taking on new roles, is to ‘balance’ confidence, ego and past successes with organizational needs, the need to sharpen skills or develop new ones and the daily demands of managing people to their capabilities, while delivering on the requirements of the new role.

In today's demanding and competitive world, like most professionals, successful executives and organizations understand the need for and employ executive coaches to help them ignite their full potential and rise to the top.

What’s our bottom line? At Prince Leadership Group your success is our success.