An executive coach helps managers and executives reach their full potential by helping them see and seize opportunities, see and overcome obstacles and see and avoid risks that they might otherwise not be aware of or if aware, tend to minimize.
Executive coaches are called upon to provide the following (or a combination of them):
- Corrective Coaching - focusing on what the coaching client shouldn't do sometimes to avoid a potential hostile workplace or harrassment law suit. This occurs when a manager's or executive's high performance is matched or exceeded by interpersonal problems that they cause either inside or outside the organization that have reached a critical juncture. Not infrequently an employment lawyer and/or senior HR manager has repeatedly warned the CEO or COO about this person (unless of course this person is the CEO or the COO). Often there has been a prolonged pattern of conflict avoidance by the CEO in confronting the person because of their high performance and/or technical competence that is believed (accurately or erroneously) to be critical and irreplaceable to the success of the enterprise. This continues until a particularly egregious event has happened that causes the employment lawyer or HR manager to say to the CEO or COO, "We've got a situation here!" and for the CEO or COO to finally say, "We need to fix this now!" When an executive coach is called in, critical to the process succeeding is that the person to be coached needs to be told in no uncertain terms that if they don't change for the better they will be terminated, otherwise they will be smug and disregard the warning because they view themselves as necessary to the organization and as having it over a barrel.
- Developmental Coaching - focusing on what the client should do to maximize their results and performance. This occurs when a very smart and highly technically skilled manager or executive is seen as not fulfilling their potential because of either: a) not communicating clearly such that people view them to be quite smart, but are confused about specific actions and deadlines they need to meet; b) being conflict avoidant and not effectively delegating and especially holding people accountable; c) not fully understanding or appreciating the need to satisfy the people above them and fulfill those people's performance expectations. These people are often liked by peers and subordinates, but not seen by their superiors as tough enough with those people.
- Transformational Coaching - focusing on what the client could do and could be to exponentially increase the results, reputation and regard both inside and outside for first the company and secondarily the leader. This occurs when a CEO is called upon (by the Board of Directors within the company, or if they have delayed too long from a Private Equity company assembled board that is now calling the shots). Many Founders or CEO realize early success through having a compelling, convincing and clearly visible and articulatable vision, but then lose their "envisioning" abilities as a company grows and they are being pulled at by the many divisions of that company, shareholders or other groups outside. An executive coach focusing on this area is someone that can facilitate the Founder and/or CEO thinking and seeing into disruptive possibilities and then options.
In an upcoming blog on executive coaching, we will explore how executive coaching very much parallels the executive function of the client's brain and where the coach helps that client be able to withstand enormous pressure and stress and obstacles without their brain's amygdala hijacking their ability to tap into their reason.
In essence, an executive coach functions as a "prefrontal cortex" graft until the client can fully tap into their own during highly stressful situations.