The Client-Coach “Winning” Journey by Aubrey Rebello
For clients who have had the opportunity to experience executive coaching, these dedicated one-on-one programs are now considered to be one of the most important developmental inputs for CEOs, Business Heads and Senior Executives in South East Asia. From my practice, I share a few examples of where I have seen Coaching be a powerful change agent:
Leaders facing new and unforeseen business challenges
High performing Executives who need to refine their skills for further Business Growth
Organisation Building
Diversification
Succession management
Through a process of one-on-one dialogue, the Coach helps the Client to identify their key improvement goals and set measurable outcomes. It is normally recommended that a Client works on 3 major improvement Goals that can be completed during the Coaching period. It keeps the Client focused especially as each goal set will be a stretch for them. This is when coaching becomes most effective: when the goal outcomes are measurable it gives the Client clear goal posts; success and completion are therefore certain and not vague; and with good effort and support from the coach, the goals become doable. Making each of their goals measurable becomes a co-designing journey because it needs to both fit and align with their working patterns and lifestyle, which eventually leads to a winning journey.
Setting clear outcomes can sometimes be a challenge.
One of my Clients, a President of a large corporation set one of his goals to be “Stress Reduction”. How does one measure Stress? After some dialogue, we arrived at the following measurement: “Sound Sleep – 7 nights out of 7 in the week and Blood Pressure back to normal.” Both the Client and I were delighted when this outcome was achieved.
After the initial dialogue, a Plan of Action to achieve the improvement goals was then made. These actions were reviewed and modified at each session, and the goals were achieved in about 8-10 sessions in a total period of about 8 months.
As a Coach I handhold the Client and am available on phone or email for any advice in-between sessions during the entire coaching period of 8 months.
During the Coaching Journey, the Client not only achieves his Goals but also undergoes an emotional Journey making him a changed and improved person. All Kudos to the Client as the major effort is his! As Coach, I am only the “catalyst”.
My reflections on ‘winning journeys’
For Coaching to be successful, the Client must be open to change, able to reflect and acknowledge areas for improvement, focus on future rather than on past, and have a sense of personal mission and passion. This is what I believe is an integral part of the ‘process’ of checking for in one-on-one dialogue.
A dialogue between Client and Coach is Confidential, and how I bring myself to each session and being available, increases trust and breaks through mental barriers.
Some of the other benefits I’ve noticed that the Client derives from Coaching are:
a) The Client gets insights which they may have otherwise struggled to envision;
b) Dialogue with an experienced and mature Outsider produces fresh thoughts and new ways to look at problem scenarios;
c) Some of their assumptions and blind spots are questioned.
As a Coach, I enjoy my work as I can relate to talented Individuals from different Fields. It keeps me alert and on my toes as no Senior Executive will sit for 60 to 75 minutes unless I am bringing value to the table. I get to see the change I am bringing and feedback is instantaneous.
I also learn from the interaction and make a Friend in the process.
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