What is Executive Coaching?
Executive coaching is gaining widespread popularity in the business community as a core strategy for the development of successful managers and leaders. Both companies and individuals see executive coaching as a tool to help promising leaders to become even better. Dr. Carmichael has extensive experience coaching executives from a wide range of companies.
More About Executive Coaching
Executive coaching involves working in a thought provoking and creative process that challenges and inspires. It helps clients achieve their personal and professional potential. At a more basic level, executive coaching entails providing the support and guidance to allow a client to address tough challenges and decisions they may face within their organization, helping them to become a better leader. Executive coaching is not about telling the client what to think or do in a particular situation–instead it is about teaching relevant skills and practicing new habits in order to achieve professional goals.
Who Can Benefit From Executive Coaching?
Executive coaching is beneficial for individuals who would like to improve their ability in areas such as interpersonal effectiveness, goal setting, time management, professional identity development, or other areas that are essential to success. Some clients know intuitively which areas they want to target, and some bring feedback from a performance review or 360-degree human resources review in order to identify areas for growth. Whether you are an administrator, an early-career professional, or a business leader, coaching can help you clarify and achieve your professional goals. Coaching is not only for executives, as the moniker “executive” implies-it is for professionals who are motivated to evaluate performance and make improvements. Clients seek coaching in order to focus on a goal, others seek it upon receiving a promotion or a new job that will require personal and professional growth. The transition to a management position or a new job that requires an expanded skill set. New skills may be needed in order for you set performance goals, motivate your team, evaluate their performance, deal with conflict, delegate tasks and responsibility, and conduct difficult conversations. With the new responsibilities you may encounter unfamiliar problems for which your existing skill set and thought processes need to be fine tuned in order to advance. Coaching is an invaluable support that will help you identify goals and track your progress in an organized, efficient and enjoyable manner.
How Does Executive Coaching Work?
Executive coaching entails delving into your current management style and your career, in order to determine your strengths and weaknesses as a manager. It is often challenging for individuals to evaluate themselves. An executive coach helps you gain perspective and see yourself from a new perspective. Once your areas for growth have been identified, whether they are communication, leadership, interpersonal, or political skills, we focus on those areas in order to make you into a well-rounded and more effective leader.
Step one: Setting the goals
Many clients arrive with a list of what they would like to improve. If you are already aware of your goals, Dr. Carmichael will help you to attain them. If you would like clarification in determining your goals, Dr. Carmichael will be happy to explore them with you. Many people find that in a therapeutic setting it is easy to identify and discuss areas they would like to improve, such as need for increased communication skills, time management or organizational skills, or other common areas for improvement. However, if you feel you need industry-specific feedback before setting your coaching goals, Dr. Carmichael may also arrange for you to consult with a business executive who will have a more precise understanding of your particular field. This person would then provide feedback to both you and Dr. Carmichael regarding your strengths and weaknesses. Such a consultation can be helpful in creating the best possible list of goals for you to work on during coaching. Most coaching clients are able to identify their goals simply through working with Dr. Carmichael, but help is available if you need industry-specific guidance.
Step two: Working towards the goals
After the goals are set, you will work with Dr. Carmichael to attain them. Depending on the goal, this may involve creating plans or schedules designed to improve organization, review and discussion of interpersonal interactions to improve communication, or exercises to build your network and work towards broader career goals.
This process often involves frequent refinement of the goals or discussion of how to overcome obstacles as they arise. Coaching helps you to stay focused and keep setbacks in perspective, while celebrating victories in order to maintain motivation and reinforce positive new habits.
This phase can be accomplished during in-person office visits, on the phone, over skype, or some combination of all these methods. Dr. Carmichael recognizes that professionals have full and busy lives, and she is able to work with your schedule. Dr. Carmichael is available for quick phone calls between sessions when clients just need a quick boost or want a sounding board as they implement new strategies that arise from their coaching sessions.
Step three: Rest and re-evaluation
Many clients find it helpful to take a period of rest after 2-3 months of coaching. Dr. Carmichael encourages this as a way to keep the work feeling fresh and dynamic. After making gains through coaching, it is often helpful to take a month or so and enjoy the benefits of the work you have done. Periods of rest also allow you to gain perspective and begin to think about the next steps you would like to take. When you are ready to return, Dr. Carmichael will be there to help again.
Contact Dr. Carmichael
To learn more about coaching with Dr. Carmichael, call or schedule a consultation.