• Recent Posts

  • Top Posts

  • Because ‘toast lands on the buttered side!’

    Parkinson's Law is the adage that "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion." - The Peter Principle is the principle that "In a Hierarchy Every Employee Tends to Rise to His Level of Incompetence." - Baruch's Observation is "if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." - Lubarsky's Law of Cybernetic Entomology, “there is always one more bug.” - Ducharme's Axiom, "If you view your problem closely enough you will recognise yourself as part of the problem." - Executivecoachingguru says, "people will believe anything if you lean in intently and whisper it"

  • Brand You – Top Tips

    1. Accessorise so the top boys see you as one of them, don't over reach, just go for the next level. I know it sounds superficial (and it is), but you have to look like you belong in the club. But always remember 'subtle classic elegance' always beats 'trendy, flash and loadsa money'. Your accessories are reflecting your reliability and common sense and for heavens sake there is no point having a £500/$900 suit if you have a £50/$90 watch. 2. Have an elevator pitch of the benefits of what you are doing, not just the activities you are doing. Rehearse it, with eye contact and emotional content. 3. Understand who your boss is sucking up to and do it better. 4. Only put yourself forward for things that will succeed. 5. If you're responsible for it, then you should be in charge of it. 6. Seek 'face to face' feedback, tell them what you are going to do, do it, ask for feedback. Continue forever. 7. Have integrity. Stand for something. You don't have to be right, but you do have to have an opinion. 8. Be seen, press the flesh, have a tangible presence, take the long way everywhere, so people know you're around. 9. Practice your reactions and behaviours untill what isn't natural becomes natural, the first time to find out what you sound and look like when challenging someone, shouldn't actually BE the first time! 10. Don't gossip! Ever! I mean it! It'll kill your career faster than a bullet!

  • Life is a one shot deal, leadership is only truly authentic when you lead as a whole person

    "If I had my life to live over again, I'd dare to make more mistakes next time. I'd relax, I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I'd have fewer imaginary ones. You see, I'm one of those people who live sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I've had my moments. And if I had it to do over again, I'd have more of them. In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I've been one of those people who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat and a parachute. If I had to do it again, I would travel lighter than I have. If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies." - Attributed to Nadine Stair (85 years young)

  • Control Panel

  • “I have come to the frightening conclusion…

    That I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration, I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming.” - J.W.Goethe

Executive Coaching Qualifications- Qualified or Qualification?

Posted on May 7, 2008 by executivecoachingguru

Qualifications are a bone of contention to those that possess them, don’t have them or are looking to utilise an executive coach. How do you choose a good executive coach?

  1. Word of mouth from a trusted source will always be the predominant factor.
  2. References that you HAVE spoken to, that have been coached by the individual in the last 24 months, should run hand in hand with the above.

In business you soon notice that people see themselves as great coaches or believe that this could definitely be a good thing to do to escape the rat race. I’ll become a coach! The reality is like just about any other profession or skill, just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should do it and come to think about it, just because you have been on a course doesn’t mean you are qualified to do it.

Case in point: Ever had a bad experience with a doctor, lawyer or estate agent? All have qualifications.
Another point to ponder:Ever had bad meal in a restaurant? I bet the chef has a cooking qualification on the wall!

Being qualified doesn’t in itself mean anything, but by the same token having no qualifications can be a really bad idea. Because I don’t care how bad the doctor is I’m still going to choose one with a big certificate on the wall versus my mate over the road, who says “he’ll have a crack at it!”

And of course this is the bind there are many executive coaches out there without a single qualification (these are normally the older, more seasoned coaching veterans) or perhaps they where senior players in business, sold up, paid off the mortgage and thought what next. Sir John Harvey Jones (The original troubleshooter), doesn’t have a executive coaching qualification, but you’d remortgage to have him as your coach.

There’s another factor in play, anyone with multiple qualifications in coaching all topped off with a Coaching Msc, has surely made the effort to get good at their chosen field? And yes they have, just as the MD who turns to coaching has experience coming out of their pores.

But I hear you ask,  ”Guy, what happens in your experience when you interview executive coaches to partner to senior leaders?” Ah! Well strange you should ask! Guess what it always comes down to whether or not the person is ‘qualified’ to be a coach, which means:

- Attitude
- Experience
- Commercial Acumen
- Personal Credibility
- Relationship Awareness
- Courage
- Political Savvy
- Common Sense
- Coaching capability

Qualifications? Well to be honest (and I have qualifications to) qualifications don’t really mean anything in isolation, they do of course point to the attitude of the individual in regards to their own professionalism and they demonstrate that the individual has knowledge on the topic.

What’s my point?

Well most importantly if you are thinking of working with or hiring in an executive coach:

  1. Points 2 at the beginning of this blog is a must
  2. Use your own judgement
  3. Allow your instinct to tell you if the person in front of you feels like a good fit
  4. Continually question if the relationship is adding value
  5. Don’t presume they know YOU, better than you know YOU!
  6. Are you reaching the milestones you both agreed on
  7. Is the coach really contributing, by sharing their knowledge and emotion

An executive coach can add enormous value to you and/or the organisation, but a bad one can be equally damaging: Choose well & trust your own judgement!


Filed under: executive coaching | Tagged: , , , ,

»

Leave a Reply