Executive Coaching - A Guide For The HR Professional.pdf

136 EXECUTIVE COACHING
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I think that she did this in two ways. First, there was the tangible
way. I made a list. I went over it with her many times and every couple
of months I presented this list to my bosses. But the more important
part was less tangible. We talked about the creation and maintenance
of the list. By talking and discussing how things get on the list,
off the list, and move around the list, she helped provide me with
some practical ways to organize my thoughts about what was most
important to the company. There is no magic trick to this. It is simply
a matter of reorienting my perspective. Frankly, it has been not only
fun, but also a relief. It is a heavy burden to carry a list with thirty to
forty projects, each in some state of “unfinished.”
Finally, I think that she has given me a very realistic and positive
outlook about both my company and my career. Her business
experience certainly allows her to have business opinions about these
large endeavors that I am involved in at my company. And, since we
work with very large, well-known clients, she can bring real-world
business opinions about them to our discussions as well. Her
professional experience also allows her to teach me about the kind
of company I work for and what that means to me. I feel much more
able to have an objective view about both these areas as a result of
my meetings with my coach.
Certainly my relationship with her changed over time. I do think
of her as somewhat of a confidant now. There isn’t anything that I
wouldn’t say to her about how I am feeling about work issues. Likewise,
I think that her relationship with me has changed as well. Certainly,
professionally, she knows that I am ready for direct talk on any
subject. This makes it easier to cover pretty much anything.
Am I done with executive coaching? I hope not and, luckily for
me, my bosses are so happy with the “new” me that they are happy
to pay. I feel that, with additional time, the type of focus and discernment
that I exercise with my coach’s help can become second nature
to me.