Executive coaching is growing in popularity, with organisations across the world taking advantage of the benefits it provides not only for individuals but across the board.
Though benefits include increased self-confidence, improved work performance, enhanced communication skills, return on investment, employee productivity, and improved team performance, it’s common to have a range of questions surrounding executive coaching before investing.
Whether you're an individual who has been encouraged to pursue coaching, or a leader seeking information to endorse executive coaching within your team or organisation, we answer some of our most frequently asked executive coaching questions here.
Frequently Asked Executive Coaching Questions Surrounding How Coaching Can Support Development
From supporting leaders experiencing imposter syndrome to enhancing communication and interpersonal skills, working with an executive coach supports personal and professional development.
But how? Find out below.
1. My main issue is confidence and self-belief, how can coaching help me?
Executive coaching is well-suited to address confidence issues. Confidence issues and imposter syndrome are common obstacles for leaders and managers to overcome and they have a direct effect on performance.
Through targeted sessions, an executive coach can help you identify underlying factors, set realistic goals, identify limiting beliefs, and provide strategies to build your confidence and self-belief.
2. I struggle with letting go and delegating, how can coaching help me?
Coaching can assist in developing effective delegation skills. Through tailored sessions, a coach can identify barriers, provide guidance on trust-building, and help you identify strategies to empower you to delegate responsibilities confidently.
Executive coaching can also look at the underlying issues of not letting go and equip you to hold people to account using a coaching approach.
3. My problem is patience, I like to move at pace and get frustrated with others, how can coaching help me?
Coaching can help you to develop greater levels of emotional intelligence through self-awareness, social awareness, and self-management. This will allow you to work at pace whilst bringing out the best performance from others and take advantage of the strengths other people have that you don’t possess.
4. I’m unique, some call it ‘different,’ how can coaching help me in my work life?
Coaching celebrates individuality and difference. By understanding your unique strengths and challenges, an executive coach can help you leverage your distinct qualities for professional success.
Working in an organisation where you need to mask your differences to fit in can be exhausting. Executive coaching provides a safe space to explore what you need to say and do to positivity express yourself authentically at work.
5. I lead a diverse group of people, and I’m not sure I’m doing it as well as I could. Can coaching help me?
Absolutely. Coaching can enhance your leadership skills in managing diverse teams. Working with people who are vastly different to ourselves and each other presents challenges that an executive coach can help you navigate.
6. I’m great at what I do, but I struggle to identify weaknesses and areas for improvement. How can a coach help me?
Coaching excels in highlighting blind spots and areas for improvement. A skilled executive coach can help you raise self-awareness and improve your emotional intelligence.
A coach will provide objective feedback and insights, self-assessment tools, and strategies to help you recognise and address areas that can contribute to your continuous growth. Working in a psychologically safe coaching space creates a vulnerability that allows for candour and transformational change.
7. What benefits are there from working with an executive coach?
Working with an executive coach yields numerous benefits, including enhanced leadership skills, improved decision-making, increased self-awareness, increased confidence, and greater overall professional success.
The personalised nature of coaching ensures that the benefits align with your specific goals and challenges. Coaching leads to sustainable transformational change and is the best investment you can make to your personal development.
Frequently Asked Executive Coaching Questions Surrounding the Coaching Experience
If you’ve decided that coaching is right for you or your people, learning more about the coaching experience can help you prepare for the process.
It’s important to remember that executive coaching is a highly personal experience; it’s different for everyone. However, we answer some of our most frequently asked questions surrounding the coaching experience below.
1. How much time do I need to commit to coaching?
The time commitment varies based on individual needs; our coaching is designed for long-term sustainable development.
It is important that you prioritise time to build your own capacity and capability to ensure future success, and coaching is an excellent priority to achieve that. Typically, a coach and leader will meet for one hour per month, with set objectives to progress in your context between sessions.
2. What should I look for in a coach?
Looking for a coach can be a minefield, with many calling themselves ‘executive coaches’ without the relevant qualifications, experience, or commitment to the practice of coaching.
However, if you’re with The Leadership Coaches, you can rest at ease as you’ll find our coaches have undergone professional background checks, relevant qualifications, a commitment to their ongoing practice as a coach via one-to-one executive coaching supervision and a pride of being accountable as a professional executive coach…oh and of course, they’ve come highly recommended by clients just like you!
When talking to a potential coach, you should look for a feeling of trust, openness, challenge, and support and come out of the conversation feeling like they understand you, your goals and challenges and have a sense that they can professionally guide you through your coaching experience.
3. What happens in a coaching session?
Coaching sessions are dynamic and interactive. They involve reflective discussions, goal setting, and action planning.
Coaches provide guidance, support, and valuable insights to help you overcome challenges and maximise your potential. Coaching at its heart is a unique type of conversation that creates space for transformational change.
4. Is executive coaching in person or online?
Most of our executive coaching is online video conferencing, though we also offer in-person where location allows. Whilst coaching requires commitment and mutual respect to succeed, our aim is to make coaching accessible and convenient for our clients.
5. What does a typical one-to-one coaching plan look like?
A one-to-one executive coaching plan involves a series of personalised sessions focused on your specific goals. Each session includes reflective discussions, goal setting, and action planning to ensure targeted progress and measurable outcomes.
6. What does a typical executive coaching process look like?
An executive coaching process typically includes an initial reflection that may involve a combination of need identification, objective setting, 360 discovery calls, sponsor insights, and a clear description of what the end-point success looks like.
This is followed by a series of sessions addressing specific leadership challenges. The process aligns with the executive's career objectives and the organisation's strategic goals.
7. Is coaching confidential?
Yes, coaching is strictly confidential within legal requirements. We adhere to ethical standards that prioritise client confidentiality. What is discussed in coaching sessions remains private, providing a safe space for open and honest exploration of challenges and goals.
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Executive Coaching Process
At The Leadership Coaches, we’re dedicated to ensuring that each individual who progresses through coaching with us has a seamless experience.
As a one-stop coaching provider, we do everything from coach matching to end-point quality reviews.
Below, we answer several questions to help you understand what you can expect from us.
1. Will you match me with a coach?
Here at The Leadership Coaches, we are known for our expertise in coach matching. In a complimentary discovery call with one of our coaching experts, we will find out more about you, your aspirations, and any concerns you might have about coaching or the right coach.
We’ll be keen to hear about people who bring out the best in you and any background that you might wish to find in a coach/coach-mentor, and we’ll suggest a couple of coaches who might meet your needs.
As we know how important the coach/coachee connection is, we offer complimentary chemistry calls with as many of our coaches as required to ensure you find the right match for you.
2. Do you coach private individuals, e.g. I’m paying for my own coaching, rather than my company paying for it?
No. Currently, we focus on corporate coaching, ensuring our expertise is tailored to the specific needs of executives and leaders within organisations.
Although this can be with one or two individuals, we often work with large organisations and support them from one to many with their executive coaching needs.
3. What does a typical set of executive coaching look like?
A typical coaching engagement involves a series of sessions, each tailored to address specific goals. The process begins with a contracting session, in which the coach and coachee gain clarity on their roles and expectations of one another, as well as creating some initial measures of success.
In the following sessions, stronger objectives become clear and the coachee starts to realise their capabilities to resolve their own development needs with the input of an experienced executive coach.
4. How long does a coaching partnership last?
The duration of a coaching partnership varies based on individual goals and progress. On average, a coaching engagement may last several months, ensuring sustained growth and development.
5. What questions should I ask a prospective coach in a chemistry session?
Use the chemistry session to gauge the coach's approach, communication style, and how well they understand your needs. Ask about their coaching philosophy, experience, and past successes to ensure a strong fit.
To get the most out of it, be open and transparent about your needs, as this will ensure the coach can respond to whether they do or don’t meet your specific requirements.
6. What is a chemistry session?
A chemistry session is an initial meeting between the coach and coachee to assess compatibility and determine if there is a mutual understanding of goals and expectations. It's a crucial step in establishing a productive coaching partnership.
7. How many sessions will I need?
Most coaching journeys with The Leadership Coaches comprise of six coaching sessions, three meetings with your coach and sponsor, and one contracting expectation-setting meeting with your coach.
The coaching journey takes about 10 months to complete, which is about the time needed for transformational sustainable change. Additional sessions are often agreed as required.
Contact Us Today
At The Leadership Coaches, we welcome you to contact us directly today to discuss your executive coaching needs.
Our Senior Leadership Team can provide you with a wealth of information as well as a more personalised set of answers to share how executive coaching could benefit your people.
When you’re ready, call us on 03450 950 480 or email info@theleadershipcoaches.co.uk and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
