Executive Coaching, how does It Work and what are the Benefits?

Executive Coaching is currently a flourishing discipline globally and you may wonder what exactly it means and where is it coming from. In today’s understanding, coaching is a form of development where a person named ‘’coach’’ guides and helps another person named often ‘’coachee’’ to achieve certain goals, at professional / executive or personal levels.

A bit of history

The term has first appeared around year 1800, referring to a tutor’s activity to help a student pass an exam; as such, coaching described a person’s transportation process, from where they are to where they want to be. The word has then found usage in sports and nowadays has multiple application, aiming to help people improve. It applies in personal areas such as belief system, communication, life goals and well-being, health or financial domain. But equally, it applies for business growth via executive, corporate leadership, career or group coaching.

How executive coaching works?

Effective coaching works on identified and measurable goals, building the coachees capabilities and competencies, and supporting them find solutions that they can further sustain on their own. It addresses the person and not the problem and makes usage of tools such as questioning, paraphrasing or listening. A good coach will act from a place of curiosity, intuitiveness and partnership and will refrain from giving advice or sharing his or her experience. Instead, they will use generic examples to illustrate concepts and help build better versions of yourself in terms of behaviors and competencies.

Coaching is different than consulting, managing, mentoring or therapy

• Consulting aims to analyze and provide answers
• Managing business and people focuses on requests, deliverables and resources
• Mentoring acts from a place of expertise for those who are less experienced
• Therapy looks at the past and tries to fix broken perceptions

Coaching works based on mutual trust and on the belief that coachees have all the answers they need. The coach will support and help build capabilities, streamline goals, design action plans and follow-up implementation. The way to further progress and the way coaching functions is by observing the thoughts. Observation reveals those beliefs where thoughts originated from in the first place and then works towards removing what doesn’t serve anymore. It generates better understanding of ones actions, new perceptions about past and new positive thoughts and emotions for present and future

Coaching came to me as a practice following years of working on myself and reaching increased level of presence and self-awareness. It also came from the desire to share with others the miracles of life, my journey and my knowledge. As I saw stuckness around me, I felt I want to do as much difference as I can by expanding others’ awareness and capacity of observation

During a coaching program you will:

• Have a chance to freely talk about anything bothering you
• Be listened, heard, supported and empowered
• Be understood and understand yourself better, know what you want and don’t want
• Increase awareness and gain abilities to make decisions or take corrective actions
• Build long term competencies so you can deal on your own with difficult situations
• Improve quality of life and moving forward whilst understanding the past
• Build long term competencies so you can deal on your own with difficult situations
• Not receive advice, not be judged or preached, and you will be empowered to find your own solutions and take only actions that you are comfortable with, you are your own master!

7 common benefits

1. Enables change and growth! Change and growth cannot be forced, they come when there is will and desire for personal development and change. If you have the will but don’t know where to start, coaching may be the tool you are looking for.
2. Personal development at your own pace! Coaching is not schooling and it’s not mentoring. The pace is not established by a teacher or by a boss or mentor; it is established by you as a client, not forced and not controlled. It is painful and frustrating to be stuck and coaching promotes and supports you to move forward in life at your own pace, discover joy, fulfillment and new horizons at the speed that you are able to manage.
3. Totally confidential, safe, gentle and non-judgmental environment established by the coach. Your coach will propose you to sign a confidentiality agreement and explain you the terms in which the sessions will take place. You will find in your coach a confident, guide and mirror during the process of self-discovery.
4. Focused on your objectives! The coach steps back from his own agenda and meets the client where he or she is. We establish together the purpose of the sessions and you will be in the driving seat with regards to the desired outcomes. The coach brings tools, theories, models, as relevant for the topic discussed and competency built and guides you to find your best solutions and most suitable options.
5. Greeted with positivity and healthy behaviors! I welcome you with compassion, kindness, lots of patience and gentle teaching methods. We built our relationship based on mutual trust and respect and I will treat you with empathy, acceptance and understanding
6. Methods to know yourself better! Through coaching you will learn how to have a closer look at yourself, your needs and your natural desires. By opening up and being true to yourself and the coach you have chances of unlocking patterns or blockages which have been following you for long. Some of the immediate benefits are related to knowledge about: self-reflection, identification of emotions and feelings, power of forgiveness, being grateful or staying positive, how to make time for yourself and what passions/ hobbies/ activities bring you joy, assertive communication and many other relevant topics.
7. Opens up your curiosity and allows you to be yourself regardless of the subject. The natural instinct for an adult is to first show resistance to change and to struggle before seeking support. Coaching is a gentle way of progressing, not when others want but when you find it’s the right time and place for you to further develop. It creates the space for change on your own terms and find new opportunities with no pressure and not for the sake of someone else

Coaching produces long term effects when commitment exists from the coachee; a coaching program brings results in 4-6 months and progress is visible at all levels, rational, somatic and emotional. I encourage you to embark in this journey no matter weather you are the coach or the coachee, ultimately it brings life time changes!