What do you do if you're a mid-career professional seeking the benefits of executive coaching?

As a mid-career professional the first thing to assess is whether it’s coaching you need or mentoring, training on some specific topics, or broad based up-skilling. Each of these learning modalities target a different aspect of your professional growth and it is easy to get mixed up. Speak to a senior or someone who has experienced coaching and also speak to a few coaches, telling them what you need to learn. It is a general practice in coaching profession to offer a no obligation no cost discovery session where the coach will tell you if coaching will take you to your goal or not.

In my experience, finding an executive coach who specializes in the areas you wish to develop is not as important as finding a coach who knows how to ask the right questions. Particularly in an era when we have multiple generations in the workforce, your situation may be very different from that of your coach. Ask prospective coaches what questions they’ve used in their own decision-making. Ask them to describe the best and worst experiences they‘ve had being coached by someone else and whether those experiences have influenced their coaching style.

Define your goals: Clearly define what you want to achieve through executive coaching. Do you want to improve your leadership skills, develop a better work-life balance, advance your career, or something else? Having specific goals in mind will help you find the right coach and get the most out of the coaching process. Research potential coaches: Look for executive coaches with experience working with professionals in your industry or at your career stage. Check their credentials, background, and coaching approach to find a good match for your needs and personality. Seek recommendations: Be open and committed: Executive coaching requires you to be open to feedback, willing to make changes, and committed to the process.

In my experience of working with many executives and middle managers, you first need to understand what you actually need. What’s the problem you’re trying to solve. Coaching is very specific offering and often the opposite of what is needed. Mid-career leaders often need a little tough love, hard truths revealing, clear guidance, and a trusted confidante that they can sound off to. Ultimately, we all need some Effective Direction. It’s not just a clever name.

"Of course, I'm open to executive coaching, I want that promotion!" ?? Coaching isn't solely a tool to achieve a particular goal, such as a promotion. The coaching process begins with identifying desired outcomes, like your leadership aspirations. Yet, it's crucial to consider more than needs. Is the timing right? Are you ready to commit to a process that challenges your thinking, demands time, energy, & sustained effort? Will you accept having your feet 'gently held to the fire' & be held accountable? Are you open to discovering blind spots? A structured coaching process also includes triangulation meetings. What does your boss expect from you? Your organization is investing in your development, so discussing expectations early is key.

Consider whether the coach you are researching is able to understand and work with your cognitive style. We know for example that only 25% of people are motivated and work well with SMART goals. If that's the only tool the coach uses to set goals, it's ok if that doesn't work for you. There will be other coaches that have more tools in their bag. Additionally, it can be helpful to consider the coaches understanding of barriers you may face due to neurodivergence, caring responsibilities, discrimination, racism etc. It doesn't mean you need a coach with the same lived experience as you, but someone who is aware of inequities and the impact lived experience has on opportunities could be vital.

Find an executive coach that actually has the “at bats” working with people in a similar profile to you. They’ve worked in similar sized organizations, similar roles, etc. You want someone who actually has been in your shoes and understands the specific challenges you are facing. Certifications are great, but having a coaching certification doesn’t make you a good coach. Having the years of experience coaching others who have had similar challenges to you is the key differentiator between ok coaching and next level coaching.

You should look for a coach who can allow you to think, facilitate the discussion in a way that help you gain new insight and take decisions. Don’t try to look for a coach who has experience in your domain but prefer a Coch who is not from your domain for coaching is all about coach partnering in your thinking process to surface your ideas and get clarity in your thoughts.

Think about what you want to achieve from your coaching before sourcing a coach. Executive coaches specialise in different areas and some may have skills specific to the goals you have. Ask for recommendations from executives who have achieved the results that you want. It's likely that have worked with an executive coach and can give you a name.

Talk to friends and colleagues who have successful coaching relationships, and then talk to potential coaches. Many coaches offer a complimentary discovery or chemistry session. During this session, notice if they coaching and helping you, or if they are too focused on selling to you. Coaching is a relationship. Start by building a relationship with potential coaches.

The most important part of this is your goals, your timescale. Again this is where contracting is important. Setting yourself achievable goals is key. If your coach pushes back on timescales, listen. It is important that you don’t repeat patterns that have not succeeded. Coaching is not something to “gets through” it’s a journey to grow through.

Set clear goals and expectations for what you want to achieve through coaching to ensure you get the most out of the experience. Commit yourself to action and remain open to adapt as you journey the process. Obviously trusting the process and the coach will be key.

You may not know all of your goals if you're mid-career. Many of my mid-career clients have come to our work without clear objectives, and clarity emerges as we do the initial work together. So, for example, as I work with a client, sometimes the initial assessments yield useful guidance concerning what we should be working on. I've always felt that SMART goals are useful, but they're not the end-all, be-all of goals. It's okay if ALL of your goals aren't SMART. When someone wants to build confidence, making that a SMART goal can be difficult. You can certainly come up with what being confident represents and then make that SMART, but transforming every goal this way is not always required for success.

Case Study.- ctnd **Coaching Interventions** Together with his coach, Alex formulated #SMARTobjectives tailored to his career goals, such as refining leadership capabilities, fostering #StrategicThinking. Engaging Fully: He committed to actively participating in #CoachingSessions embracing feedback & applying newfound insights in real-world scenarios. Measuring Progress: Regular #ProgressAssessments allowed Alex to track his advancement, celebrate milestones, recalibrate goals as needed. Sustaining Growth: Beyond formal coaching, Alex integrated learned skills into his daily professional life, ensuring sustained growth & readiness for future challenges. #ExecutiveCoaching #CareerDevelopment #LVitin #ProfessionalGrowth #LeadershipSkills

As a coach of over eight years. Having worked with the United Nations amongst other notable organizations. One of the most frustrating things that I think is oversold within most of the executive world, including executive coaching, is using all, SMART. This is not some generalized magic tool. It doesn’t work for everybody. It’s OK for it not to work for everybody. Everybody learns differently. Even according to educational research, there’s at least five different major ways, that sometimes even intersect on how people learn. Create your own version of SMART that works with that particular person if you so desire. But do not rely on techniques like that. In terms of monitoring progress, both the client and the coach need to do this.

When you're in your coaching sessions, don't just sit back and watch. Get involved! Take what you learn and put it into action at work. And when you have some downtime between sessions, take a moment to really think about what you've learned. It's in these quiet moments that you'll really grow. And remember, coaching isn't just about checking things off a list. It's a journey where you'll learn a lot about yourself and change for the better. So, get ready for the adventure, and you'll see your career soar like never before!

This is where having a really good chemistry with your Executive coach is crucial. It facilitates building trust and rapport and fosters a supportive environment, one where you feel comfortable stepping out of your comfort zone . Spend time choosing the right coach for you, it will pay off handsomely in the end.

Allow yourself time to absorb what you have learned about yourself. Most importantly listen to what you are learning about how you react to others. It’s often how we react to others that is the most enlightening.

I think one of the most useful aspects of coaching versus training is that you're not just learning something (and often forgetting it), you're applying it to your real life. Remember that you are in charge of the success and outcomes of this engagement. Get out of the stands and onto the court. Play full out. Use this as a catalyst to create real, lasting change in your life and career. If not now, when?

Coaching is a process that aims to help you reach your full potential. It's important to understand that you are responsible for the outcome of the coaching intervention. You should think of yourself as an accountability partner, actively engaging during the sessions, and being open to receiving 'feedforward' from your coach. This feedback will help you expand on your thoughts, feelings, and emotions, which in turn can help you achieve your breakthrough.

Success breeds success, and not achieving it just means you are still on a journey. If you think you can achieve or can’t achieve something you are right in both cases, it’s the THINK that makes the difference. Always look outside the issue to figure out a way forward you can see clearly from a helicopter view not in the thick of the issue.

Just 4 things, before you do anything else: 1. Are you ready to listen? 2. Are you ready to try something else? 3. Are you ready to listen? 4. Are you ready to listen? 5. Are you ready to try something else? Upppss thats 5... if yes, go for it!

Um dos pontos que mais gosto no coaching executivo é que criamos a meta do processo com KPIs claros e atingíveis para o processo. Durante o passar das sess?es vamos analisando e acompanhando a evolu??o gradual do coachee. E com a utiliza??o de ferramentas validadas pela ciência, e pela observa??o do comportamento de cada cliente é possível alcan?ar os objetivos de maneira gradual e até saudável para a vida do coachee. Sempre falo que sem termos um direcional e KPIs claros, n?o podemos medir os avan?os que ser?o feitos!

Oh, measuring progress, of course! Because, you know, nothing says "I'm progressing" like a good old table with numbers and graphs. Maybe even make a PowerPoint presentation about how you've improved your leadership skills. And don't forget to ask for feedback from colleagues - nothing says "success" like when a colleague pats you on the shoulder and says "Good job at that meeting, boss". And your coach will be there to help you assess your progress and adjust your goals as needed. Because, you know, goals are like the horizon - they always move further and further away. And don't forget to celebrate small victories along the way - because nothing says "success" like a mini celebration for every little thing you do. Good luck!

Measuring progress is strongly tied to self-reflection and being able to receive feedback. As you move through your coaching journey it's good to take a step back and reflect where you are at, where you came from, and where you still want to go to. If you are working with a good coach you should have set a goal that you are aiming for. That goal might adapt over time and that's ok. Recalibrate it. If you have reached your goal faster than expected express that to your coach. Together you can decide how to continue. A next goal? Ending the coaching engagement? Using open sessions for future check-ins? I think it is super important to be open about the status of the coaching relationship and how you both wish to shape it further.

Conscious repetition of your behavioral goals that you worked hard to make part of your professional style. These will become your brand- attributes that others regard and know about you. Allow yourself to do regular self strategic retreats to check in and stop, adjust or add new items in. By having some early successes you build muscle memory to keep changing and growing.

I have found that the end of formal coaching is just the beginning of many of my clients substantial “take off” While they have made significant changes in their careers and in their lives during our time together; without the “hand holding and external accountability”, the shift in their identity becomes apparent. They are equipped with the skills and tools to continue growing, evolving, becoming.

If you’re a high performing mid career person, ask for it? Explain your goals, and ask? Remember you’ll get nothing of things you don’t ask for.

You can not force yourself to sustain inner work. Find a working strategy that aligns actions, external interactions with your values and your vision to clearly define what is fuelling you.

As a mid-career professional exploring executive coaching, embrace this journey with a holistic perspective. Start by recognizing areas for improvement as opportunities for profound growth. Fully engage with the process, opening your heart and mind to feedback and new experiences. This approach, enriched with acceptance of self-improvement, ensures the coaching not only meets your immediate goals but also supports your continuous personal and professional evolution, reflecting our ethos of empowerment, clarity, and transformative development.

Be open to coaching being a growth process beyond simply achieving your goals. That is important, but arguably more important is the opportunity to upgrade your internal operating system. Coaching is an opportunity to expand your ability to take broader perspectives, to explore your story and how it shows up in your current environment and discover a deeper understanding of yourself and your impact on others. What a gift!

Don't follow someone's formula blindly. everyone has their own path based upon one's own characteristic. also don't change your focus just because something is trending. always meditate (retrospective end of day, and planing beginning of day) to measure your actions carefully. road can not be 100% defined. rather you will constantly find and upgrade road yourself while journey.

Mid Career stage is a critical juncture, where any correct decisions / efforts can change the discourse of career. Once you have more clarity on career aspirations, your coach can help you focus on the WIN: "What’s important next?" Working with an executive coach is more than the time spent in one-on-one conversations and reviews. It’s about a personal cycle of observation, reflection, action and feedback, which takes ongoing focus and commitment. Coaching requires mental bandwidth and commitment to watch yourself in action and be open to personal improvement. If you are ready for all this, then go for it !

Mid career trajectory and career dilemma go hand in hand. Though not unusual, this career phase at times needs a paradigm shift, an agile mindset and commitment to stay the journey. In this stage and frame of mind, an external perspective, a sounding board or someone else's experiential journey can be valuable. One should re-establish the need, scout for the right approach - be it coaching or mentoring by talking to a trusted network, seek help on narrowing down someone who can understand your professional dilemma while retaining a neutral perspective through the process. If one is aware of the reality and these few parameters, it becomes easier to navigate one's career.

Own your progress. Remember, the coach works for you, and it's your goal that you are working towards achieving. You are the one who should feel like you have a vision for what you want, and the coach is there to help you find your way around the obstacles when you get stuck. This can be anything from a dip in motivation to feeling lost in ambiguity to finding a door closing or identifying a knowledge or skills gap. You are the captain of the ship, not the passenger. You get to set the course for the ship, and the coach is there to help, but cannot do this for you.