Executive coaching involves a mutual relationship between a professional coach and a crucial contributor to an organization who is generally an executive at the director level. The process is one-on-one facilitation aimed at goal setting, outcome generation, and bringing personal change for the benefit of the organization.

What makes executive training effective?
Executive training essentially helps in:

• Expanding business horizons
• Development of leadership skills
• Creating a challenging and engaging business environment
• Creating lasting value

What are the focal points of executive coaching?
Executive coaching is aimed at developing one or more of the following areas:

• Leadership skills
• Team interaction and development
• Planning skills
• Performance levels
• Ability to handle challenges
• Career development
• Improving interpersonal relationships
• Knowledge enhancement
• Improving communication
• Goal setting and action plan

What are the qualities of a good executive coach?
Look for the following qualities when picking an executive coach:

• Competent listening skills and capability of improving the self-awareness skills of client
• Ability to assist the client in understanding himself or herself from the perspective of the organization
• Willingness to help the client and partner with them in building trust and responsibility
• Knowledge to support client learning with models and examples
• Comforting persona to soothe the client when they face challenges
• Willingness to sharing their perspective to help the client grow
• Ability to provide feedback in a non-judgemental way
• Understanding of the fundamental operations at the executive and organizational levels
• Positive thinking abilities along with optimism
• Appropriate assertiveness and ability to maintain boundaries
• Willingness to address conflicts and issues
• Open-minded to change and appreciative of different perspectives
• Personal integrity and ethics

In what ways can executive training programs help an organization?
Executive training programs can support the organization in the following ways:

• Raising the perceptions and learning curve of the employees and guiding them to appropriate action
• Handling mental and organizational blocks to achieve results
• Assistance in identifying patterns and generating an understanding of the work environment
• Understanding and removing system issues to meet organizational goals
• Managing change
• Working on resistance from the organization
• Providing support in conflict resolution and management
• Extending support with communication and decision-making skills
• Providing support in larger initiatives

How can an executive coach help employees?
Executive coaching can provide effective support to improve employee performance which will also benefit the organization. Here are some ways in which an executive coach helps employees:

• Expressing confidence in the abilities of the employee and his or her willingness to resolve issues
• Determining the issues that are hindering employee growth and interpersonal relations
• Helping the employee focus on problem areas to smoothen issues
• Finding ways to remove mental and organizational barriers
• Discussing potential solutions for taking action and improvement
• Soliciting ideas and feedback
• Identifying the core goals to create an actionable plan
• Determining the need for critical feedback or offering positive encouragement
• Giving benefits when executive training is not sufficient to achieve desired results
• Helping the employee understand their responsibility in bringing change

When should you go for executive coaching?
It is a myth that executive training and coaching are for poor performers. An executive coach can help in the development of good performers and groom them as leaders. Here are some instances for which you can opt for an executive coach:

• To enhance clarity and focus as they are thinking partners
• To increase accountability and keep up with commitments
• To raise confidence levels and eliminate self-talk
• To improve decision-making skills by removing prejudices and preconceived notions
• To reach one’s maximum potential
• To bring change in self-awareness and perceptions

One can think of executive training and coaching as a journey to a better employee and organizational performance.