Professional/Executive Life Coaching

Professional/executive coaching can take two forms; i) where an individual comes to a coach for advice on work-related issues, and ii) where a company employs a professional to coach its employees in-house. In both cases, the range of issues that a coach might address would be similar, for example:

identifying core competencies and interests
improving motivation
developing better leadership/management skills
managing relationships with subordinates/superiors/peers
reviewing career path options
addressing work/life balance
improving interpersonal communication
developing better presentation skills
managing stress
developing conflict resolution skills

As I see it, regardless of the setting, the coach is still working with a particular individual, so the approach to coaching doesn’t really change. The emphasis is likely to be focused on work-related issues, but even so, the individual's personality, experiences and approach to life will play a big role in how they are performing at work and how they feel about their work life. Obviously, when a company is paying for executive coaching, the contract will have to explicitly address expectations about client/coach confidentiality, the form and level of feedback to senior management and the limits of coach accountability for outcomes.

Effective executive coaching ideally should facilitate improvements for the individuals involved and, where relevant, the companies that employ them. Through thoughtful, provocative coaching, people can learn a lot about themselves which can help them become happier and more confident about their lives. This can then translate into positive change that benefits the individual in their personal and work life.