Career Coaching Services

Executive Career Coaching

Executive career coaching provides an ideal opportunity for executives and senior managers to have important conversations in confidence about the direction and quality of their work. You may be familiar with the expression "It's lonely at the top" in which case you will begin to understand how valuable it is for people in senior positions to be able to open up to someone they can respect and trust. This is consistently mentioned by our executive clients as one of the key benefits that they obtain from a coaching programme.

Have you ever wondered what direction your career is going in?

You are not alone. It seems to be a recurring question that arises regardless of age and seniority in an organisation. Employers often assume that an annual appraisal or performance review is enough to keep people on track. The problem with this approach is that the review takes place between an employee and their line manager and the scope of the conversation is usually based on the work that the employee is doing at that point in time. It is often difficult for the employee to have a frank and wide ranging conversation about their overall career aspirations or the areas of their work where they feel vulnerable.

People generally like to feel a sense of direction or purpose in their work. By exploring concepts such as passions, values and strengths, clients can get a deeper understanding of their motivations and begin to engage more fully and more consistently with them. Also the sessions will reveal how people may sometimes hold themselves back from trying out new roles for fear of jeopardising an existing position which may be quite secure. A good coach will ask deep searching questions which help to bring clarity into the executive's thinking instead of them ambling along in the same comfort zone for a long time. Jack Mansfield, financial director at Companies House has said "My coach deployed an illuminating skill set which gave me the strength to lift some long standing barriers that I had put in my own way. These were conversations I wish I had been able to have a long time ago"

How does it work?

Usually a suitable coach will be assigned to the executive who has requested coaching. Sometimes a group of Inspiring Potential coaches will work with a team of managers and executives as part of a leadership development programme. Typically the coach and the executive will meet once or twice a month for a period of 3-6 months. The employer will sponsor the programme and may or may not wish to brief the coach before the programme begins about the desired outcomes for the sessions. In any event the actual discussions held within the sessions will remain confidential.

If you would like to know more about Inspiring Potential's executive career coaching, please contact us for a chat.

Career Coaching Services - Case Study

One of our clients, Mike, found himself stuck on a plateau in his organisation. He valued the security that the company gave him but being in his mid-fifties he didn't want to rock the boat by expressing his frustration. He feared that he might draw unnecessary attention towards himself and ultimately he feared that he may lose his job. This is a fairly common trait that we see in executives around that age.

Mike had availed of the offer of coaching that his organisation was offering to the senior management team, of which he was a part. We used the sessions to look at the types of things that gave him meaning and purpose in his career. We therefore looked at his values, passions and strengths over a number of sessions. We were then able to put together a 'life purpose statement' which resonated very strongly with him and captured the core essence of what he was all about. It was clear that he was quite entreprenurial at heart and loved exploring new initiatives. We then looked at new areas of business that his organisation had not been exploring. One of these areas excited him so much that he went to the CEO to propose setting it up as a new business area with Mike in charge of it. The CEO agreed to sponsor the initiative and Mike proceeded to start up the new area and build a team around him. He found himself having a renewed sense of youthful vigour and passion for working in the organisation in a way that he hadn't previously thought of. The organisation were also pleased that he was able to unlock his potential in a new revenue generating area for them.

Career Coaching Services - Please contact us for more information.