So, you decided to work with an executive coach to help you develop as a leader. Congratulations! This is likely to be one of the most rewarding experiences in your career development.
The next question is…how can you receive the most benefit from your leadership coaching journey?
Here are a few tips we share with our local Denver and Colorado coaching clients.
- Understand the logistics and expectations – An experienced coach will ensure you have clear agreements, both at the beginning of your coaching engagement and throughout the coaching process. Ensure you have clarity about expectations around confidentiality, progress reporting, scheduling and rescheduling, and other key areas.
- Create clear goals – Often times we involve our coachee’s manager in this process to ensure there is alignment between where the coachee wants to go and where his/her manager wants to see development.
- Prepare for each coaching session – A good executive coach will give you a framework for preparation prior to each session. Usually it involves reflecting on your individual goals and challenges, and identifying focus areas you’d like to address during the session.
- Be open – The coaching process is designed to help you reflect on and create a path for the future. That often means challenging the assumptions and beliefs that you have about yourself.
What ideas do you have for getting the most from your coaching experience?