Working with a leadership coach can be a rewarding and transformative experience, but it can also come with some challenges. Whether you are facing resistance, frustration, or confusion, you can overcome these obstacles and make the most of your coaching journey. Here are some tips to help you navigate the common challenges when working with a leadership coach.
Before you start working with a leadership coach, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve. What are your strengths and weaknesses as a leader? What are the specific areas you want to improve or develop? How will you measure your progress and success? Having SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals will help you and your coach create a focused and realistic action plan.
As a coach I find that many people are incapable of even working out what their goals are and are therefore unclear of what they want to achieve. That's OK. A way of getting context is to ask a few useful questions like: - what's important to me right now and why? - what isn't as I'd like it to be? - what direction would I be interested in going in?
One of the key factors for a successful coaching relationship is trust. You need to feel comfortable and safe to share your thoughts, feelings, and challenges with your coach. You also need to respect and value their feedback and guidance. To build trust and rapport, you need to communicate openly and honestly, listen actively and attentively, and follow through on your commitments. You also need to respect each other's boundaries, expectations, and confidentiality.
Be clear with your coach about what will establish and break trust. For them to establish trust they need to demonstrate to you that: - they are credible and knowledgeable - they follow through on their promises - they will keep confidentialities If you don't feel comfortable in the process of employing the coach, go somewhere else. The chemistry is so important.
Another essential aspect of working with a leadership coach is feedback. Feedback is not criticism or judgment, but rather a way to help you learn and grow. Your coach will provide you with constructive and supportive feedback on your performance, behavior, and mindset. You need to be open and receptive to this feedback, and use it as an opportunity to reflect and improve. You also need to give feedback to your coach on how they can help you better.
Take control and solicit feedback from your coach as well as other people around you, Feedback is way more powerful when: - you're in control - it comes from people whose opinions you trust and value - when it's on your terms
Sometimes, working with a leadership coach can trigger resistance and fear. You may feel defensive, anxious, or overwhelmed by the changes you need to make. You may also doubt your abilities, potential, or readiness. These are normal reactions, but they can also hold you back from achieving your goals. To overcome resistance and fear, you need to acknowledge and understand them, challenge your limiting beliefs, and take small and consistent steps outside your comfort zone.
Working with a leadership coach does not mean you have to do everything on your own. You can also seek support and accountability from other sources, such as your peers, colleagues, mentors, or friends. They can offer you different perspectives, insights, and advice. They can also encourage you, motivate you, and celebrate your achievements. Having a support network can help you stay on track and overcome any challenges along the way.
Finally, working with a leadership coach requires you to review and celebrate your progress and results. You need to regularly evaluate how you are doing, what you are learning, and what you are achieving. You also need to recognize and appreciate your efforts, growth, and accomplishments. Reviewing and celebrating can help you reinforce your positive changes, identify your areas of improvement, and set new goals for the future.
A great way to do this is to invest in keeping a learning journal that you review regularly. It reinforces what you learn; it anchors the learning; it creates positive feelings and the dopamine makes you crave more.
Here's an additional consideration for overcoming challenges when working with a leadership coach: Adaptability: Leadership coaching is a dynamic process that may require adjustments based on your evolving needs and circumstances. Stay adaptable and be willing to modify your strategies or goals as necessary. A flexible approach ensures that the coaching relationship remains relevant and effective as your leadership skills and challenges evolve.
It is possible that your coach, even with lots of experience and accreditations may not be equipped to deal with everything that comes up for you during your coaching sessions. Coaching can trigger trapped emotions or unhealed trauma in you and if this happens and your coach is not trained and experienced to deal with this can cause you unintended harm. It’s really important to be referred to someone who can so you can help you with this. This comes from someone who almost 10 years after the event can now see how much unintended damage was caused by my coach back then who was not equipped to deal with what came up for me in my coaching sessions.
Be open to possibilities - any possibilities. Even those you have embedded doubts over. Let your coach be your enabler, even though you don’t know where it might lead.