While mentors and bosses can help, they're not always as objective as you need them to be and you may not be comfortable opening up to them. Also they are not usually able to dedicate a significant amount of time to your situation.
Whatever your reason for considering a coach, they can add value in a number of ways.
Raise Your Game - Whether you want to position yourself for promotion, increase your industry knowledge or be more effective in your job, an executive coach can help you get there. Increasing your competitive edge is key to long-term career success. Whomever you hire should be able to teach you best practices in the areas that are most important to you (e.g., negotiations, leadership, execution, etc.).
Putting Out a Fire - When you have a flat tire you need to fix it right away not 20 miles down the road. If you're on a performance plan with a short time frame, a coach can be a tremendous asset. The coach should develop an action plan to aggressively address each of the areas you need to improve. Measurement is critical, so make sure you hire a coach who will hold you accountable.
Transitioning To Something New - Perhaps you've reach that point in your career when you know you need to do something different but are not sure what. A good executive coach can help identify those things which you enjoy and are good at. S/he can then help you leverage those into a new, more fulfilling career. Once you have identified what it is you want to do, you and your coach should create a career plan with specific actions to move you in that direction.
Increase Job Satisfaction - We can all be happier in our current jobs. An executive coach can help you identify those components of your job which you enjoy most and help you focus more on those areas. Similarly, you can take the areas you don't like and work with your coach to reframe them.
Improve Your Relationships - Most people work in an environment where they are dependant on others to get their jobs done. Given this, having good working relationships can make you more productive. An executive coach can help you strengthen those important relationships, identifying opportunities for you to bond with co-workers in genuine and productive ways.
Hiring an executive coach is a smart thing to do. Not only will they help you raise your performance level, they can give you invaluable perspective on your situation. Executive coaches counsel hundreds of people in a myriad of industries and that perspective can yield significant benefits.
Fred & Gladys
Whelan Stone
Executive Search and Coaching
Authors of GOAL! Your 30 Day Career Plan for Business & Career Success
Hiring an executive coach is a smart thing to do. Not only will they help you raise your performance level, they can give you invaluable perspective on your situation.
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