Executive Coaching - A Guide For The HR Professional.pdf

Executive Breakaway Section 197
.................................
• Problem solving. Coaches generally are good at asking
clients questions to stimulate their thinking to arrive
at creative solutions. The idea is that eventually you
may learn to do creative problem solving on your own.
• Role clarification. Understanding everyone’s role in a
given business/social situation can help you to act
appropriately and pick up important social cues. A
coach can help you foster role clarity for yourself
within your organization.
• Creating an action plan. An action plan consists of several
components. It can be used to establish a goal,
define the measures that will be used to determine
whether the goal has been reached, explain the actions
to be taken to reach the goal, the resources needed, significant
milestones, and completion dates. This type of
action plan can be used by you and your coach in
tracking development goals.
• Gathering support and getting feedback from colleagues.
The chances of a successful coaching outcome are
enhanced when you can be open with your colleagues
about the desired changes. Enlisting their commitment
increases the likelihood that you will receive accurate
feedback as new behaviors are explored and practiced.
• Devising a long-term development plan. This may be
optional for you and focuses on personal goals over a
longer timeframe. Sometimes you can use it for career
management and to advance professionally. A longterm
development plan can serve as preparation
for future roles and contributions. It can also help
you avoid backsliding once the coaching assignment
is over.
Executive Coaching. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Reproduced by
permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com