Enlightened leaders want to get better. Research supports one-on-one coaching to be the most successful method for developing high performing leaders.
Executive coaching clients chooses behaviorally-defined goals that will help them grow professionally, and help the company, law firm or accountancy firm meet their strategic objectives.
How do you convince leaders to change? How can you optimize their talents and potential?
Executive coaching offers a tremendous opportunity to leverage leadership talent and resources, both of which can steer an organization towards success by involving key stakeholders.
Are you working with a coach and developing your full leadership capability?
Eight Steps in the Behavioral Coaching Process
Marshall Goldsmith has been called America’s foremost executive coach by several leading magazines and newspapers (Fast Company, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review). His model for behavioral coaching outlines a reliable process to help leaders achieve positive, measurable changes in themselves, their staff and their teams. The model includes eight basic steps.
Research indicates that if leaders fail to complete these basic steps, they probably will not improve. Conversely, if they successfully accomplish these steps, growth is assured.
1. Allow leaders to be involved in determining desired behaviors. Leaders cannot be expected to change their behavior if they lack a clear understanding of the company’s goals.
2. Let leaders assist in identifying key stakeholders. There are two major reasons why leaders deny the validity of feedback: wrong items or wrong raters. When leaders and their managers agree in advance on desired behaviors and key stakeholders, they buy into the coaching process.
3. Collect feedback. The coach can accomplish this by interviewing key stakeholders and using 360-degree rating systems.
4. Determine key behaviors for change. Select only one or two key behaviors that will have the most positive impact on effective leadership.
5. Have the leader respond to key stakeholders. The leader being coached should talk with each key stakeholder to collect additional “feedforward” suggestions on how to improve in the targeted areas. The leader should keep the conversation positive, simple and focused. When mistakes have been made in the past, it is generally a good idea to apologize and ask for help in changing the future. Leaders are advised to listen to stakeholder suggestions without judging them.
6. Review what has been learned, and help the leader develop an action plan. After listening to suggestions, the leader must return with a plan describing what he or she wants to accomplish. The coach then provides encouragement that helps the leader live up to each commitment.
7. Develop an ongoing follow-up process. Follow-up should be very efficient and focused on the future, incorporating questions like, “Based upon my behavior last month, what ideas do you have for me for next month?” Within six months, conduct a two- to six-item mini-survey with key stakeholders, asking whether the leader has become more or less effective in each targeted area for improvement.
8. Review results and start again. If the leader has taken the process seriously, stakeholders invariably report improvement. Build on this success by repeating the process for the next 12 to 18 months. This type of follow-up will assure continued progress on initial goals and uncover additional areas for improvement.
This coaching model has a proven track record with leaders from some of the world’s foremost organizations. When leaders practice these guidelines and work with competent executive coaches, they focus their behavior on what works best for them, their team and the company.
The coach must keep the focus on the specific behaviors selected with the leader, facilitate information collection from key stakeholders and act as a catalyst for “feedforward,” emphasizing positive, measurable progress as noticed by team members and stakeholders.
Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become a more collaborative and enlightened leader. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become happily engaged with the strategy and vision of the company.
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