Coaching is a powerful tool for increasing personal effectiveness, achieving results and maximizing performance. But to really reap the benefits of 1 to 1 executive coaching, you need the following:
- Open-mindedness
Being ready to look at things from a different perspective. Answering thought-provoking questions around your own mindset and behavioural patterns and why you think, feel and act in certain ways. Preparedness to try on a different point of view. Accepting that there are different perspectives on everything.
- Able to work in partnership
Having a coach is like having your own cheerleader, confidante and challenger rolled into one. Working collaboratively as a business partnership is fundamental to achieving successful outcomes. You need to feel confident and comfortable to speak openly about the challenges and issues you face, in a safe space, supported by your coach.
- Pro-active approach
Being prepared to make changes is crucial. However, coaching may not necessarily result in an immediate call to action – it could be that the change required is for you to gather information, seek feedback, think more deeply on something, go away and listen to others. Whatever pro-active steps you identify through coaching, the important thing is for you to be ready to move in the right direction.
- Reflectiveness
Stopping to think doesn’t necessarily come naturally to everyone. In fact, sometimes we’re so busy ‘doing’ that we rarely take time to stop and think.
But good coaching should make you stop, think and question things. So if you’re not ready to take that time out to challenge yourself and think more deeply, then perhaps you’re not ready for coaching.
- Time
Allocating time in your busy diary to get off the hamster wheel is not necessarily going to be easy. Of course you’ll come up against sudden time management issues, work changes, people challenges, personal problems that may throw your diary into disarray. Committing yourself to coaching is about committing yourself to self-development – no-one can do it for you, you need to be ready to dedicate the time and effort to it yourself.
If you’re not ready to commit – you’re not ready for coaching.