Hired an Executive Coach? Here’s What to Expect

Executive coaches can help your team with conflict resolution, decision-making, leadership development, and building an effective culture founded on leadership values. Armed with the ability to actively listen, ask the critical questions, and help you find what’s essential when shaping your business, coaches play an integral part in team dynamics and flow. 

Most coaches have formal training that helps them establish firm boundaries, adhere to ethical guidelines, and assist you in finding answers to challenging questions through thoughtful inquiries and guidance. When you bring a coach into the fold, you can expect them to hone in on accountability and goals while upholding ethics and boundaries.

Curious if coaching is right for your organization? Let’s talk. Our team at Reboot is here to answer your questions—no pressure, just honest conversation about what you and your team need to thrive.

Boundary Setting

Executive coaches are there to guide you and your team with the goal of meeting objectives. However, a coach is not a decision-maker and cannot make leadership decisions on your behalf. Instead, a good coach will help you reach the correct conclusion for you and your organization by asking intentional questions, listening with an open ear, and allowing you to do the self-introspection work that is essential to becoming and being an excellent leader. 

Just as a coach cannot make choices, a coach is also not a therapist. Therapists work with specific models and frameworks to help people suffering from mental health issues. A coach may help you through a burnout (or assist with ways to prevent one from happening), and can be an excellent guide when you need a trusted ear or advisor, but a coach cannot provide you with mental health help. That said, a coach may work with a therapist if there are areas of leadership that overlap. 

The Skills of an Executive Coach

Executive coaches adhere to a high standard of conduct that enables them to guide leadership while remaining objective. Coaches should be able to stand on the sidelines, view an organization objectively, and work with all team members to find solutions to problems and work towards goals. If a coach were to take sides, the neutrality required to view issues from every angle would disappear, which is why neutrality is to be expected. 

Coaches are also highly trained at actively listening. There’s a good chance you brought a coach into your organization to help solve problems that may be getting in the way of specific goals. One of the keys to problem-solving is actively listening, a skill that coaches spend a considerable amount of time perfecting. Through active listening, a coach can then present a range of issues that a team needs to address and work through. Listening also gives your coach a way to ask additional questions and find the root cause of a problem. 

The Importance of Ethics in Executive Coaching

While some coaches do not have formal training, those who are accredited spend a considerable amount of time learning and adhering to a code of ethics. The International Coaching Federation (ICF) has a strict code of conduct that most coaches follow. This ensures that no boundaries are crossed, ethics remain at the center of all coaching endeavours, and that coaches prioritize their clients’ interests and needs. 

The ICF’s code of conduct outlines honesty, confidentiality, no conflicts of interest, respect, competence, and integrity. Coaches who have not received formal training may not adhere to this code, but they often bring a set of values to the table. A coach should not have a stake in an organization or be biased in any way, and they must keep all conversations with clients confidential–two fundamental aspects of the ICF code of conduct.

Coaching as Leadership Partnership

You can view your coach as a leadership partner who provides a non-biased and neutral perspective on both your leadership style and your organization as a whole. Bringing someone in who has business knowledge and can help you achieve your goals while also allowing you to become a better person and leader can be priceless. 

While coaches have different styles, the person who is the best match for you is the one who actively listens, poses interesting and challenging questions, and provides honest feedback. Executive teams can utilize a coach to enhance their leadership capacity, improve collaboration, and drive organizational success. In many instances, the difference between a company with a strong culture and leadership is the presence of the right executive coach. 

The right coach can be transformational. If you’re ready to invest in yourself and your team’s growth, we’d be honored to explore this journey with you. Connect with Reboot today to learn more about our executive coaching approach.