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DISCUSSION
GROUP
What's on your mind?
Packaging Horizons
Do You Need a Business/Professional Coach?
People think nothing of hiring a coach to improve a tennis serve or golf swing. But a coach to guide you through the intricacies of the business world? You bet.
People think nothing of hiring a coach to improve a tennis serve or golf swing. But a coach to guide you through the intricacies of the business world? You bet. Watching the polished performance of top-level executives, one might wonder how they get to be so focused, so knowledgeable, so confident. Few would guess that an executive coach figured somewhere in the executive's success. But who would know? Most executives don't talk about having a coach.
Well, men and women climbing the corporate ladders of America are catching on that coaches can have a lot to do with how far and fast they'll move. Or, as Virginia "Ginny" O'Brien, author, executive coach and founder of The Columbia Consultancy in Marblehead, Massachusetts, describes them, "Coaches are champions and challengers who work in partnership with clients to help them create visions and achieve goals." Someone who is headed toward a leadership role needs honest, non-judgmental feedback and encouragement to change old patterns in order to operate at the highest potential.
Executive coach Robin Hensley at Personal Construction LLC in Atlanta, Georgia, sums up what coaches do in four words: help, ask, focus and provide. Coaches help people set better goals. They ask their clients to do more than they would have done on their own. They focus their clients to produce results. They provide the tools, support and structure to accomplish more.
"A good coach hears what isn't being said," emphasizes author and executive coach Fawn Germer. "The easiest part of this job is that my clients already know the answers to the big questions in life, but they haven't asked the right questions that help them realize it." That's where Germer comes in. She keeps on asking the right questions until the light of inspiration turns on in her clients. "It's amazing to watch," recalls Germer, "because the client literally takes off. Suddenly, uncertainty is filled with possibility."
It could be assumed that only executives need this kind of service. However, that is not the case. According to Germer, women especially need a safe place to connect, brainstorm, and focus goals and opportunities. An executive coach provides this and gives a healthy dose of validation, inspiration and, most of all, direction. "I help my clients break seemingly impossible challenges into smaller steps and work out a time table that will work to make it happen," says Germer.
As for choosing the right coach, Hensley suggests that you start by asking questions about yourself. What do you want to achieve with a coach? What are your values so that you and your coach are on the same page? Does the chemistry feel right? You must have a deep sense of trust in the person who is advising you. Intuition plays a big part in whom you choose. "Most coaches offer a free introductory session," says Hensley.
Germer warns that you must do your research. Ads are everywhere and there are plenty of coaches on the Internet. But she says that you "find" your coach by interviewing that person and evaluating the rapport and connection between you and that coach. "This is a growth experience. Don't cheat yourself out of its full potential by signing up with someone who sounds good on paper but doesn't 'get' who you are," she counsels. Some might question what's the difference between having a mentor and a coach. Mentors don't cost anything while executive coaches can command hefty consulting fees in the $400 to $700 an hour range and higher for top executives. Germer points out that while mentoring is extremely valuable, mentors rarely make their mentees their top priority. On the other hand, a coach's client is the center of the universe with every bit of attention focused on his or her success. Objectivity is another characteristic that separates mentors from coaches. According to Hensley, coaches don't tell you what you want to hear.
Even with the perspective of an outsider, coaches are trained to help you develop on a deeper personal level than a mentor would. Says O'Brien, "They can help you change or enhance your actions so that you can achieve your goals and be a better leader."
Fawn Germer is the author of the book "Hard Won Wisdom" to be published by Perigee Books in October 2001, and includes mentoring wisdom from women presidents, Nobel Peace Prize winners, Academy Award winners and athletes. She can be reached at (813) 948-1088 or web site www.womanswords.com. When ordering books, please use the code WMPKG.
Robin Hensley can be reached at Personal Construction LLC via e-mail rhensley@personalconstruction.com, phone (770) 522-0326 or web site www.personalconstruction.com. Virginia "Ginny" O'Brien is author of the book "Success On Our Own Terms: Tales of Extraordinary Ordinary Business Women." She can be reached at The Columbia Consultancy by phone (781) 631-9765, web site www.columbiaconsult.com or e-mail coach@columbiaconsult.com. When ordering books, please use the code WMPKG. Lori A. Lyons Owner Source One Packaging Marietta, Georgia
I am a business owner, wife, mother of a "soon to be four year old," and I also hope to have a life as well. Carrying all these roles, I discovered I could not "do it all." Like many of my peers I have a difficult time being "Superwoman." Instead of doing all things perfectly and failing to achieve perfection, I am working on doing some things very well. The first step, I found, is to admit you don't have all the answers and to ask for help. I have just begun using a coach. Immediately, through testing and in-depth questioning, I started learning a great deal about myself and how and why I respond to situations the way I do. This "testing" was not the typical personality test - I have had my share of those. These were pointed detailed questions about the way I organize thoughts, my personal and professional life, the way I react to change, my flexibility, how I communicate, etc. The analysis I received in this initial stage of our coaching relationship is a thread that we refer to constantly.
As a business owner, I have found my coach to be one of my company's greatest assets. I do not have the luxury of someone telling me I do a good job, reinforcing my ideas, keeping me on track or, occasionally scolding me when I need it. My coach does this for me. Lisa Westerfield Executive Vice President SRE, Inc. Nutley, New Jersey
I am halfway through a 12-week sales course. While I've been through other sales programs, they have all been one- to five-day classes that involve a brain dump but no follow-up. What caught my attention with this program was the emphasis on repetitive learning (reading and listening to materials), goal setting, activities and one-on-one attention to discuss problems that are specific to my situation.
I did not know much about what coaches did, but coaching came across as touchy feely with more of an emphasis on life balance and less emphasis on bottom line. I found my coach at a sales association meeting where she was the keynote speaker. Her background is very strong in financial and strategic planning. This, combined with sales and life balance, was appealing to me.
Working with a coach is very different from having a mentor who guides you through an organization without the benefit of knowing your underlying personality or skills. Because of the work relationship, there is a distance that is maintained that is not there when you pick your coach. The fact that a coach is not part of an organization makes the relationship more open. Kimberly Pickett Professional Speaker and Coach Broad Knowledge Los Angeles, California
The first time I used a coach was when I decided to write my first book. With no prior experience, I suspected I might try to give up on the project, or at the very least lose my momentum. So, I got a coach and communicated my commitment - to complete the book in eight months. We set up weekly coaching calls whereby she would ask me what progress I'd made that week and what I was committed to producing in the week ahead. She worked with me on making sure my goals were the right size - making sure I was not biting off more than I could chew and also ensuring I was reaching out far enough. Her job was not to validate my reasoning for occasionally feeling stuck in the snow. Her job was to tie a chain around the bumper and get me moving again. There is no shame in needing a tow, especially when you are intentionally playing a big game.
Lori A. Lyons can be reached via e-mail at lori@srceone.com, phone (770) 977-7515 or the web site www.srceone.com.
Kimberly Pickett is an executive coach and professional speaker and can be reached at Broad Knowledge on e-mail kim@broadknowledge.net or by phone (888) 247-4228.
Lisa Westerfield can be reached by e-mail at lisawesterfield@mindspring.com or phone (609) 520-1020.
Where to Find Coaches -The International Coach Federation (www.coachfederation.org) is a good place to start looking and getting information. Local and regional chapters of the ICF have referral systems in place. The Coaches Training Institute and CoachU are other sources.
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