Your ROI for Executive Coaching

Nov 17, 2019

When it comes to working with an executive coach, just how vital is your part in the endeavor?

You have important work responsibilities when engaging an executive coach. Your best work and potential for realizing your desired outcomes is a balance of what feels comfortable and what pushes you outside of your comfort zone. Your best results are dependent on you, your mindset and your effort.

When I meet potential clients, I like to ask what their experience with a coach has been. There are two responses: either they loved their coaching experience, or they did not see the value or outcomes of the coaching. When the latter group describes their mediocre coaching experience, the language used often places the results with the coach’s work.

This is the conversation point where I set their expectations of working with me. Here’s where I describe the outcomes that can be realized. If they are good with a goals centric performance enhancing coaching experience where they work hard, they will hire me. I work to change their experience and perception of the potential and possibilities of working with an executive coach.

My advice on making your coaching experience more productive?

Start here:

• Embrace your Growth Mindset (Is Your Mind Set or Do You Have Mindset)
• Be disciplined in the focus on your goals and vision
• Trust your coach and the approach they are working you through
• Ensure your coaching sessions are a priority in your schedule
• Show up to each session prepared with what you want to discuss
• Make a commitment to yourself to complete each action plan by experimenting with new approaches and behaviours
• Focus on the long-term success rather than the quick wins.

Meaningful change takes time.

As in all great relationships, success depends on a solid foundation for working together. Your mindset and actions will support relationship building with your coach and your success in hiring a coach. Most coaches will have agreed to work with you as they see you as coachable; now it’s time to turn to your work responsibilities and how you show up to work with your coach.

How to maximize your ROI of executive coaching

You hired a coach for the right reason(s):

• You have something important to realize and haven’t been able to accomplish it
• You are being asked to be part of organizational change and will need to make personal change to support team and company success
• You have more leadership potential to give your team
• You need to assess options and develop a plan
• Your performance has plateaued and you want more
• You see value in an accountability partner
• You see value in a thought partner
• Your long-term goals aren’t defined or feel overwhelming
• The coach is the right coach for you. You’ll know this at the first meeting!

You have trust

You will build a coaching relationship anchored in trust and are open to discuss all aspects of yourself and your work. If there are boundaries or topics you are not comfortable discussing, your coach knows what they are. You never question confidentiality or that your coach has anything other than your best self as their priority.

You’re excited by the potential and possibility

You feel energized by the possibility of realizing a new outcome, result or goal. You feel ownership in realizing your outcomes. You look forward to every meeting.

You know what you want

You have co-developed an outline and plan for the goals you want to work on with your coach. For clients I work with, we set goals and track progress.

You set the agenda

You bring to each coaching session a topic to discuss that is important to you and what you are working on. You are in full control of the topic, focus, outcome and how you spend your time.

You show up fully engaged

Your goals for each coaching conversation are to: (1) realize self-discovery, (2) establish achievable goals, (3) determine a course of action, and (4) be empowered to achieve your goals. Mindset, openness and change are three attributes to embrace and own.

You give feedback

This is a big lever to your ROI yet never a comfortable conversation. If you don’t like an approach or direction, talk it through with your coach. If something was high impact or high value, tell your coach! This is a safe place to give feedback and practice giving feedback.

Follow through and follow-up

Each meeting with your coach generates an action plan that you make a priority to complete. Do what you say you want to do. Do it! Execution can be where goals fall short.

Track your progress and success

You keep notes and review them regularly. You are working towards a quantifiable goal. Share your progress. Celebrate your success. It’s important to see where you’ve come from and what you’ve accomplished.

“Executive coaches are in the profession because we care about people and want to help businesses and people be successful. We see helping people be successful as very important work.”