How to Hire an Executive Coach
Executive coaching has exploded in recent years. That’s because more people are seeing the value in having professional support in their corner. They accept that Executive Coaching is not therapy and that coaches like me are in it to set their client up for success. I do this, for example, by helping leaders support their teams in creative problem-solving and develop a culture of innovation.
What should I look for in an executive coach?
Like any professional service or vendor, you should take the time to research and get to know potential coaches. I suggest talking in depth to the top three on your shortlist. Certifications and fees aside, here are some things that would be useful to know before making a decision about which coach to use:
· The logistics – Their time zone, office hours, if/how can you contact them in between sessions.
· Their coaching style – They should be able to describe a typical coaching session and how they’d interact with you; do they typically use any tools (e.g. learning frameworks, personality assessments, etc).
· Their offerings – Do they have any specialties? (Y’all know that mine are creative problem-solving and innovation, right?!)
· Their ‘je ne sais quois’ (secret sauce) – This one’s a gut reaction: How do you feel after interacting with this person? Like you’re understood? Like you could comfortably work together? That you could count on being challenged?
· Their values – Why are they doing this work? They should not charge for a brief get-to-know-you call.
If I’m on your list…
I offer a free, no-obligation 20-minute exploratory phone call. Do you want to talk about what creative problem-solving and innovation coaching might look like for you? Email me at Ellia@ThePotentialCenter.com to arrange a time.
I’m hired by visionary leaders to bring serious fun and creative problem-solving to the workplace. Using Light Bulb Thinking™, we disrupt “business as usual” and create a culture of innovation.
Would you like to see what tapping into creative potential could look like for your team or organization? Arrange an exploratory call - email me at Ellia@ThePotentialCenter.com.
With the right support, any organization, team, and individual can learn creative ways to solve problems. The mission of The Potential Center™ is to simplify the creative problem-solving and innovation process to address urgent, pervasive and expensive problems. All while building stronger teams.
The Light Bulb Thinking™ framework demystifies and simplifies the creative problem-solving and innovation processes that open the door to fresh ideas and creative strategic solutions.
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…And forward this post to colleagues and friends that would also appreciate a creative perspective on solving problems. :)