8 Guidelines for Executives

It seems that coaches are everywhere these days.
Senior Executives are hiring coaches in increasing numbers, and for a wider variety of reasons.
In the past, coaching was viewed primarily as a remedial tool for executives whose careers were skidding. Today more and more leaders use coaches on a consultative basis, for everything from accelerating leadership transitions to facilitating board, shareholder and employee relations.
Today's leaders proactively seek coaching to build on strengths, accelerate initiatives and identify potential derailing obstacles before they cause serious damage
While locating a coach may be as simple as asking a colleague or entering a few words in a search engine, finding the right one for your specific needs can be a bit more difficult.
So how do you locate a coach with the right skills and expertise that match your needs? And once you get started how can you work with your coach to benefit the most from the experience?
Over many years of working with senior executives, we have formulated 9 practical suggestions. To gain the most from your coaching experience, follow these guidelines:
1. Define your goals
What are your most immediate goals? What long-term results are you seeking? By considering your objectives in advance, you'll more rapidly identify the best person to work with.
Some common reasons why Executives seek coaching:

• accelerate career advancement
• increase leadership effectiveness
• improve presentation and communication skills
• improve negotiation skills
• reduce stress
• enhance career transitions
• provide insight for more objective decisions
• improve interpersonal and team relationships
• assist with crisis or change leadership
• help lead culture change
• enhance executive hiring decisions
• improve delegation and reduce time constraints
• plan retirement or the next career

2. Establish Rapport You want a coach who listens. The best coaches are objective and unbiased. They save insights and recommendations until they have listened, assessed and fully understood your situation.
There's no formula for assessing rapport in advance. And no credentials or testimonials will allow you to figure this out. You'll get a "gut feeling" in your initial conversation or two whether this is the right collaborative relationship. If the feeling isn't there, don't make the assumption that things will get better over time -- keep looking.
3. Be Yourself
The right coach will help bring out your best, not try to change you into someone else. One sure way to recognize a poorly trained coach is if he or she recommends a categorical change based on a textbook standard. Experienced coaches can pinpoint specific areas where a small change can lead to a significant result.
There's no point in trying to become someone you're not. You'll squander precious energy and become less effective. The right coach won't try to change you just for the sake of change. Find a coach who'll help you be your best self.
4. Look for a positive focus
A coach is there to help you improve your game, not to ferret out and fix every flaw. The best results are achieved by focusing on strengths, not weaknesses.
Of course the right coach will help you identify and correct major stumbling blocks to progress. However, the primary focus should be maximizing your strengths, so that your weaknesses become irrelevant.
5. Confidentiality Is Key
A sense of trust and safety is critical to a productive coaching experience. Coaching isn't therapy, but you should feel comfortable revealing any relevant information to your coach.
It's not uncommon for personal issues to arise that are not entirely business-related, but affect outcomes for better or worse. Make sure your coach has a confidentiality policy with which you're comfortable.
6. Look for Psychological Savvy
While advanced degrees aren't any guarantee of effectiveness, a psychologically informed coach can help you use interpersonal dynamics to finesse conflicts and reduce any negative impact on company performance.
A good coach will be multifaceted - able to combine one-on-one coaching with effective team intervention as needed. Knowledge of both interpersonal and group dynamics is important to successful outcomes.
7. Value Honesty
The best coach isn't afraid to tell you the things you need to hear
Remember, the higher up you are in the company, the harder it is to get honest information. People around you have a vested interest in keeping you happy. Many of them may also fear a "kill the messenger" response.
It's easy for coaches with minimal training to fall into a trap of giving feel-good answers. After all they risk being fired if they give advice the client doesn't like.
Dr. Steven Berglas, former Harvard psychiatrist and instructor at UCLA's Anderson school, explained in an interview with Chief Executive Magazine, "A lot of times consultants and coaches are deemed great because they're adding syrup to a sundae. They just go along; they're 'gaysayers' and proponents." The CEO may feel good, but little progress is made. In fact, according to Berglas, an "alarming number" of coaches who lack psychological training hurt their clients more than they help them.
Instead of looking for consensus, weigh your coach's input before you make your own decision. After all, that's what you're paying for.
8. Give your coach access.
Make it easy for your consultant to do his or her job. Allow ample rein to inquire, research, survey, whatever it takes to thoroughly understand the issues and, most importantly, get you the information you need.
Locating the right coach for your needs can be tricky but these guidelines can increase your chances for success. They will help you launch an ongoing, beneficial partnership with your coach and keep it that way. With the right collaboration, you'll find that you can significantly compress the time you need to achieve your most important goals.
© 2007 Dr. Robert Karlsberg & Dr. Jane Adler

Dr. Jane Adler and Dr. Robert Karlsberg are leading experts in leadership development and the psychology of business. They are founders of TheRoadtoCEO.com, and authors of The Road to CEO: Psychological Strategies for Getting to the Top.

Defining the Qualities of a Professional

In today's business climate we are experiencing more interest in professionalism. The past five years provided many successes; however, most have been overshadowed by the non-ethical behavior of a few. Some people lost most of their retirement savings, and the US population is demanding a stronger US economy and a peaceful world.
We've seen quality job opportunities decreasing and the need for profits has many projects being partially or wholly completed overseas. Many employees are traveling to other offices in the US because of the lack of projects locally. If they choose not to travel, they are being asked to take vacation or risk being laid off.
In tough times, I look to fundamentals to help right the path. One fundamental factor more prevalent in daily dialogue and business consists of defining the qualities of a professional. Some define a professional as a person who is being paid for a service. True, we require money to trade. However, some get paid by doing illegal activities.
To simplify, you can be or recognize a professional when three qualities are present. The first quality is trustworthiness. When you meet a person for the first time you immediately associate a level of trust with the person and their service. If the person happens to come via a recommendation, then usually the trust is greater. Regardless, just as relationships develop so does the level of trust. People that associate with each other on a high trust level know how to talk to one another and provide reasons the service they are representing can be beneficial. Knowing how to talk to one another is more than mannerisms. It is the ability to motivate one another to create positive results. Additionally, your involvement and input in your company, associations, volunteerism, charity work, and political ideas and opinions help develop trust. Not necessarily because two people agree on an issue but because somewhere on this path a common trust level evolves and continues to evolve as you share experiences. When trust is present, people will buy from you or recommend your service.
Secondly, one should be helpful. By being helpful, you are essentially putting the other person in a better position. Negotiating is a great tool to show your willingness to help. An individual likes being dealt with as an individual. We as people and our services are too robust and diverse for "one size fits all". However, be sure you negotiate fairly. Don't provide an offer and service to someone unless they can provide valid reasons to do so. Putting together value metric points (goals) for your client is a great way to validate the value of your service. Be patient, ask questions to understand, have service options, and close win-win deals. Knowing how to make deals is essential to the success of a professional.
And lastly, a professional must care. Caring shows a desire to gain a better understanding of an individual's current scenario and doing something that benefits them. It is the quality that says we may be individuals competing or not but when a certain scenario or circumstance exists we are united. When all three qualities of a professional are present, expect to see not only a professional but one that gets paid well and has a well balanced life.

Understanding the Power of Your Power Network

It is said that "it's not what you know, but who you know that counts". I believe that "it is what you know that will give your head start, who you know that will get you going, who knows you (and your products or services) that will help you succeed, but what you do with your knowledge and relationships that will make you succeed."

So, stop thinking that you can do it all. You can't. There are not enough hours in the day for you to do everything. Stop thinking that you are irreplaceable or that no one can do nearly as good a job as you. After all, we are all mortal. As an over-achieving, overly energetic, obsessive-compulsive, competitive, I gotta-do-it-all, supermom-sister-wife-daughter-cousin-friend-colleague...I learned the hard way that it's time to stop the madness.

Just like women do, I used to think that I have to do everything that has my name on it because it's a reflection of me. Even in the process of being everyone's "go-to-woman" I knew I was abusing my body, mind, heart, soul and family, but I still did not slow down. I set such high goals for myself, that while others admired my above-average status, I still fought for the outstanding, superb, nearly perfect grade. The odd thing is that I was never disappointed if I was in 2nd place or got a "B" because I always knew it was my best. Yet, I never took the opportunity to relish in my good work, fortune, or success, because I'd be on the next 1, 2, 3 or even 4 other projects that already started.

Finally, I got a very harsh lesson in life. I got into a car accident; I was forced to stay home away from work. I couldn't use the computer, watch TV, listen to a radio, or even lift my babies. Basically, I was helpless. I was forced to slow down and see my life flash in front of me. I immediately became humbled by the many blessings God gave me, particularly my roles as wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend. I quickly learned that life outside of God and family kept moving along without me, and nothing stopped for me, or because of me.

Praise to God, I had this life-changing lesson. As women, we need to slow down and appreciate our blessings. At EmpowerWomenNow.com I continuously praise and empower women to put themselves first and accept the here and now.

I also learned that good things come to those who work smart, and wisely, but most of all are cordial and kind. My selfless gift of giving was paying off. Power people (in my personal, professional, and social life) allowed me the break I needed. These power people allowed me to appreciate all the hard work and efforts I put into everything I do...or did. Since I always treated my relationships with the utmost trust, honor, and respect; this was given back to me 10 times over. I gained true loyalty from clients, and my family and friends helped me and my family through my helplessness and much, much more.

These power people make up my power network, and they allowed me to see myself in a beautiful light. By fostering good will in others, I was rewarded more than what I thought I gave. Yet, in reality, I gave so much of myself through the power of networking (strictly being myself) that they gave me back exactly what I needed: patience, understanding, loyalty and love. In turn, they all told me that "I deserve it". The pains of my body are almost minuscule to the fortune I gained--which is my life, and the true power of a power network.