Executive coaching is an invaluable tool for any team leader looking to maximize their team's performance. It can provide a new perspective, help understand personal motivations and behavioral trends, and even help to make better hiring decisions. To ensure that your team is getting the most out of their executive coaching sessions, there are several steps you can take. Before attending the coaching session, it is important to make a list of your personal goals. This will help you and your coach to better understand how you behave and why.
Additionally, it is useful to obtain some objective data to provide a new perspective. There are several psychometric techniques available to help with this, such as DISC, Insights, Hogan, and Myers Briggs. Leadership training programs are often grouped into packages of 4 to 8 sessions of a couple of hours each. However, it's important to keep in mind that attending these meetings is only a small part of the commitment you'll have to make if you want to experience the kind of transformation we just talked about. When considering a coach, it is best to talk to a handful of candidates and ask questions about their background, their training methodology, and how they interact with their customers. From there, even if it's not conventional, ask your two or four favorite options if they're willing to do one or two training sessions on a trial basis.
Be transparent about your process and offer to pay your full fees for your time. A big part of coaching also has to do with how you interact with each member of your team. If you can be honest with people, understand the problems they may face in their position, and be sensitive to possible opposing perspectives, you'll be much better prepared to help your employees overcome barriers and work together as a team. To get the most out of your coaching session, it is important to have time and space to focus on the conversation and reflect on the discussion. If it's a face-to-face coaching session, make sure you have a private room for the meeting and that you won't be interrupted. If it's a counseling session over the phone, be sure to take the call in a place where you won't be distracted.
Move away from your computer and turn off email and mobile device notifications. Taking notes or recording the training session can be a powerful memory aid and serve as a useful tool for further reflection after the training session. Additionally, if the training comes from within the company itself, these benefits can increase because coaches understand the corporate culture, performance objectives, structure and vision of the organization. Finally, here are some good tips for better participating in the coaching session:
- Prepare and think about what you want to achieve with this coaching session.
- Be open-minded.
- Be honest.
- Listen actively.
- Take notes or record the session.
Secondly, obtain some objective data through psychometric techniques such as DISC or Myers Briggs. Thirdly, talk to several coaches before making a decision and ask them questions about their background and methodology. Fourthly, be honest with each member of your team and listen actively during the sessions. Finally, take notes or record the session so that you can reflect on it later. Executive coaching is an invaluable tool for any team leader looking to maximize their team's performance.
With proper preparation and commitment from both parties involved in the process, executive coaching can help teams reach their goals faster and more efficiently.
