Coaches wear multiple hats – trainer, therapist, manager, facilitator and mentors!
Although each of these roles demands specific skills, knowledge and experience, executive coaches are expected to value add in the following areas:
Enhancing self-awareness: Irrespective of the objectives of the coaching journey, personal, business, sports and relationship, almost all coaching journeys should have enhancing “self-awareness” at its core. Self-awareness essentially relates to one’s knowledge of own strengths, limitations, scholastic aptitude, goals and aspirations. Coach must himself seek to know how much self-knowledge the subject already has, how easily they are able to enhance the level of self-knowledge and how much self-knowledge is really required given the coaching objectives. Many times, coaching involves reframing the existing situation a coachee finds herself in. And it is essentially that the genesis of the change happens in the level of self-awareness.
Modelling the outcome: Coaches must be able to demonstrate clear thinking, a strong internal locus of control, effective communication skills and high trust behaviours to enable the coachee to find motivation in the journey. As a role model, coaches must demonstrate a high value system, a professional demeanour and sincerity and openness to assist the coachee to demonstrate the same.
Address the root of the problem: It’s not an easy task to quickly arrive at the core of an issue effectively. Experienced coaches get to the core of the issue swiftly and can broach upon sensitive issues with easy and in an environment of high trust and openness. Because coaching is a partnership, and should not typically, create a performance pressure for the coach, the coach must invoke a coachee’ s assistance in arriving at the core issue. The method of questioning and appreciate enquiry can quickly lead the partners in the conversation to the core issue.
Sharing expertise / information: While theoretically, coaching is not about sharing experiences, some situations demand that coachee share their own experience. Experienced coaches do that with simplicity and without creating an emotional obligation on the coachee to follow suite.
Giving feedback: Most of us do not like receiving negative or constructive feedback! And therefore, it is upon the coach to find a way to give m=both positive and negative feedback that can enhance self-awareness and set us on a path of development. Coaches must learn to give feedback in a safe and constructive manner no matter how sensitive the issue. This is a core skill for coaches.
Building accountability: Keeping the coachee on track, with a sense of self accountability is pertinent part of a coaches’ job role! Whether the coaching conversation is about the vision, goals, strategic planning, creating action or exchanging perspectives, coaches drive a sense of self accountability in the coachee. Coaches need to learn to be persuasive and when the coachee hits a roadblock, coaches know that while some of these blocks could be genuine, it is essential not to leave the coachee off the hook easily.
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