By Katherine Vanderberg, Coaching Practice Lead
As the pandemic and its impact lingers, the interest in coaching has increased at a remarkable rate. With over 10 years of coaching and leadership development experience, we’ve noticed an uptick in the number of leaders reaching out wanting to know more about coaching and what they can expect. Leaders at various levels and across different sectors are telling us they want to better navigate the “big reshuffle.” They know they need to do things differently yet aren’t sure where to begin. Motivated by a desire to elevate their leadership capabilities, they want to know if coaching will make a difference.
If you too have thought about working with a coach, consider these four factors to ensure you get the most out of your coaching experience and make it count.
Find Fit
Find a coach you deem trustworthy and has experience and skills that are right for you. Take the time to interview more than one coach and ask questions to determine how they will support, motivate, and challenge you. A coach in business is often compared to a coach in sports. Research claims that the most crucial factor in winning an Olympic medal or producing a personal best performance is a strong coach-athlete relationship. First and foremost, ensure the fit factor is there.
Specific Goals
At the onset of the coaching engagement, your coach will work with you to create clear goals. These goals become a guidepost for all subsequent coaching sessions and prevent sidetracking. A skilled coach will ensure your goals are specific and evidence-based with action steps to measure your progress. Goal setting with your coach as your thinking partner combined with accountability is powerful and creates changes that are tough to achieve on your own. When we followed up with leaders months after their coaching engagements were finished and asked what helped them sustain change, their responses were unanimous: the more specific the goal, the greater the success.
Explore and Experiment
Coaching creates time and space for self-reflection. With undivided attention, you have time to explore new ways of doing things. Your coach provides strategies, approaches, and resources from their tool kit for you to draw on.
Exploring possibilities involves collaborative problem-solving. When something doesn’t seem to be working, talk about it with your coach. A skilled coach will help you find the best solution when they understand what does and doesn’t work for you. Once you’ve identified what you want to focus on, your commitment is to practice these new ways of doing things. It helps to adopt an experimental mindset with a willingness to try new approaches knowing it may feel unnatural at first. “One step forward two steps back” is common at the outset, yet with time it evens out and you will find your stride and gain confidence.
Be Patient
The patience required to see results is one of the most challenging aspects of coaching. The desire to see results quickly is put to the test and the need to exercise patience and perseverance is very important. Acknowledge and celebrate small wins along the way. Remain committed to your coaching, be honest, and listen. Remember why you selected your coach and trust them to guide you.
One final note is it’s important to prioritize your coaching and commit to meeting with your coach on a regular basis, ideally every two to three weeks. Protect this time as best you can as this continuity creates momentum which is a contributing factor to success. While each coaching experience is unique keeping these four factors top of mind will ensure you get the most out of your coaching and help you achieve your career goals.