How Executive Coaches Help Managers

Executive work with managers to help them improve their work performance. This could be with managing their personal tasks but more often it is to help them manage or lead their people. Often Managers are promoted due to thier technical abilities and achievements. They may however now be ready to manage or lead people. It is common that tecnically cometent people are not competent in interpersonal interaction. Let alone Leading other people. This is where Executive Coaching can play a major part.

Executive coaching typically focuses on the Manager as ‘client’ who needs assistance in either overcoming his performance gaps or enhancing his already good performance to take him/her to the next level. Typically the common mindset is coaching is only for non-performing managers who have problem challenges that impedes thier team’s performance. One must not forget that even performinmg managers can benefit from Executive coaching as they help them acquire the skills and knowledge to get them ready for their succession planning roles and responsibilites.

In helping Managers improve their performance, coaches typically do ‘audit’ to deternmine the strengths and weakness of the coaching candidate and customise a strategy and plan to suit that individual. Coaching is always highly customised and one size does not fit all in this case.

Stress management is another way Executive Coaches can help their candidate. Teaching candidates techniques time management, breathing techniques, dlegationand empowerment are typical stuff Executive Coaches do to help the candidate. Temperamental and hot-headed leaders who tend to create a toxic envirnment too can avail themselves to Coaching. In this case Emotional Intelligence comes to mind to help them better manage their tempers and stress even. Basically Coaching helps the candidate to be a better person in the organisation as well as a better Leader to thier team members. Employee Engagement scores too is another typical area an Exedcutive Coach can help the Manager and the organisatin. With minimum ability to inspire and engage thier team, attrition and apathy is often a problem in teams. A Leader can be coached to improve his people skills and leadership skills to ensure high levels of Employee Engagement among his team members

The Executive Coach often observes the Candidate or Team in Action to give feedback and corrective measures

Executive Coaching can also be done for a Team. Often Coaching is needed for a Team if they are involved in a project and team Coaching is desired. In this case everything is still customized but the Coach undertakes Coaching for the team as a collective unit as well as often meeting and Coaching Individuals. Otherwise all principles of Coaching are still applied. Client Organizations could consider Team Coaching for better performance and more alignment within the Organization.