I firmly believe that in many cases, executive coaches who lack proper psychological training can do more harm than good. Over the past 15 years, it has become increasingly popular to hire coaches for promising executives. While some of these trainers come from the world of psychology, most of them are former athletes, lawyers, business academics and consultants. There is no doubt that these people can help executives improve their performance in many areas.
However, I want to tell a different story. Due to their background and biases, they often overlook or ignore deep-seated psychological issues that they do not understand. Even more concerning is that when an executive's problems stem from undetected or ignored psychological difficulties, coaching can actually worsen the situation. In my opinion, the solution usually lies in addressing unconscious conflicts when the symptoms that afflict an executive are persistent or serious.
Executive coaching is not a corrective service for people with low or subpar performance; quite the opposite. It is specifically designed for high performers and those who maintain high standards of success and want to reach their full potential. While there is no one-size-fits-all training that is best suited for this type of work, there is an ideal temperament. Take advantage of peer-to-peer counseling, group counseling, individual executive training, industry networks, exclusive events and more.
An executive coach challenges in a “care-oriented” way and guides the leader through difficult decisions and situations. For example, one executive was so convinced that the leadership style he had developed belonged to his coach, not to him, that he was afraid he would be exposed as a fraud. A coach who trains executives to improve their strategic planning skills does not need to be a psychiatrist. Both executive coaches and executive advisors add institutional and leadership value when it comes to achieving results, but they take different approaches and use different processes to get people there. As a personal and executive trainer, I help people get to a place where they are fully aligned with their purpose so that their work and life are effortless and success becomes inevitable.
Additionally, many questions come from current executives and management consultants who want to develop training skills in order to better perform as supervisors or managers. Garvin was able to stay in control during this difficult time by skipping the usual steps and seeking out the services of an executive coach on his own. You don't want to do all the work to get clients and then disappoint them because you're doing coaching work with them but they expected someone to quickly give them answers, develop solutions and maybe even direct the project's work. Unfortunately, inadequate training ignores or even creates deep-seated psychological issues that often can only be solved through psychotherapy. The people you train will expect you to provide them with a safe space to learn and grow while also holding them accountable for achieving their goals. Even if you sometimes tend to replace the word consulting with advice, you would be wrong to do the same with coaching. The Coaching Institute provides good guidance on how to start pricing your training services and describes five different types of pricing models. If you decide that you want to add coaching as a side job or even develop a successful career as an executive coach, you'll need to define a pricing model for your company.
The executive coaching process is designed to help clients achieve results by changing behavior and developing the skills, thinking and competencies necessary for success. In the field of executive coaching, you can expect to work primarily with senior executives, directors and managers from various public and private entities.
