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Timeliness is Important

Thanks for continuing the journey of “Why a Coach” with me.  Today we will touch on the next 3 in my list:

  1. Safe and confidential
  2. Applicable across all areas of life
  3. Resources and recommendations to the literature on demand
There is never one “good” time to engage an executive coach.  It’s not like starting a new year’s resolution on January 1.  The only requirement is a willingness to enter into some tough conversations!  Brutal honesty is a bit scary and uncomfortable, but its impact on development is immense.  A critical element of the executive coaching relationship is its commitment to confidentiality and safety.  Like in Vegas, what is said in the coaching relationship, stays in the coaching relationship.

I make a commitment to my clients that NO ONE will know they are my client, current or former.  The only way anyone will know the relationship is if THEY tell them.  I often encourage my clients to carefully consider if they want to tell others they have a coach.  It’s personal and a considered decision.

The safety and confidentiality of the executive coaching relationship allows for individuals to ask the tough questions.  If you’ve ever attended a conference session or a professional development class, have you held that burning question just because “people would know” a tough secret just by your speaking up.  The safety of the coaching sessions means you can be direct, bold, and vulnerable.

Executive coaching is focused on the professional career development for individuals.  However, every coaching client with whom I have worked expresses the impact of the leadership development learning on his/her personal life.  The concepts of leadership, communication, problem solving, conflict management, relationship building, vulnerability, and transparency all spill over into relationships outside the workplace as well. 

Coaching also acts to be a client’s own personal library of resources. As a finance executive client of mine put it:
“I am lucky to have a coach who is a master of the literature!  My coaching experience with Margaret allowed me to greatly expand my command of the world of leadership.  With so many new books and articles coming on the market, she was able to help me distill from those sources to find my own leadership philosophy.  Being able to read, study, and discuss the latest literature provided through her recommendations, she brought to life for me the things that best apply to my unique leadership challenges.”

As an executive coach, I spend at leader 15 hours each week reading and studying the current literature on leadership and management.  As my office library will attest, I DO love books.  The exciting thing for my coaching clients is that I can send them to a passage, a chapter, a visual, or a concept quickly to help them advance their work. 

Most executive coaches I know have the heart of a teacher, the temperament of a trusted friend, the skills of a therapist, and, at their core, find joy in seeing a person grow to the point they can take on any issue with confidence framed in humility and a sense of personal power.

Next week, we will come full circle on the how and why of coaching as a work, career, and life investment.
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Leading in the Moment is produced by Margaret Sumption of Sumption & Wyland. Margaret has over thirty-five years of experience assisting hospitals, nonprofits, and other organizations move their business forward. She is a popular, dynamic, and effective speaker for nonprofit professionals, associations, and policy makers. Margaret is frequently sought after as an executive coach, serving leaders in hospitals and nonprofit organizations.
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