Executive coaching is …
A specific type of personal development which takes the form of a series of 1‐2‐1 conversations, between a skilled facilitator (coach) and a senior leader (coachee), to support the later to achieve a defined goal and/or desired outcomes. The coach aims to facilitate a conversation that will stimulate the coachee to harness their own internal resources, explore ideas and potential solutions and use them a confidential “sounding board” – a non‐biased, independent resource.
Executive coaching is …
Ø undertaken by a skilled (usually accredited) facilitator;
Ø focused on the agenda of the coachee (as defined and agreed with the coachee and their organisation;
Ø delivered within the parameters of a defined relationship with specific boundaries;
Ø structured within a framework of sessions, over a specified period of time;
Ø a two‐way series of confidential conversations which rely on mutual trust, respect and openness
Executive coaching is not …
X training – executive coaches do not (as a general rule) share their own experience or give direction;
X psychotherapy or counseling – whilst coaching does promote self‐awareness via feedback and sometimes
psychometric profiling, coaching does not stray into the clinical areas of these disciplines;
X consultancy – the role of the coach is not to give advice or direction;
X open‐ended – coaching is a relatively short‐term programme of sessions over a specified period;
X a way of someone else solving problems for you ‐ an executive coach will not tell you to go and do something
specific, or go and do it for you … responsibility for action lies with the Coachee.
