Hey coach what's the solution to this?

Coaching is moving from the sports field and into the executive suite. Photo / Thinkstock

Learning from others is vital and most successful people have had mentors along the way. But what happens when you're an executive, a board member or a CEO in the company? Who do you turn to then?

An executive coach, says Iain McCormick, of The Executive Coaching Centre, is a professional who works with an individual or senior executive team, providing feedback and challenging them to meet high performance criteria.

Executive coaches are usually brought on board for people climbing the professional ladder with little experience in a managerial role, when there is a problem or the business is in transition.

McCormick says executive coaching is more about encouraging people to look at new ways of doing things, pointing out the time between sessions as being the most useful as that is when the executive tries things out. "Executive coaching is learning about doing. It's about taking action - taking an almost experimental approach to learning."

So, what can be expected from an executive coach? "The coach should be open to ideas, really listen and communicate clearly. This person must also be prepared to challenge you. Executives have enough people in their lives who only tell them the good news."

Jasbindar Singh, coaching psychologist, executive coach, author and speaker, says executive coaching is a positive and facilitative process, adding coaches work to solve an executive's particular concerns.

She said coaching helped such people achieve their goals and intentions as well as focusing on their development.

McCormick says: "If a client is struggling with rapport, the coach will get them to keep a behavioural log, which can help identify problems and aid behaviour change."

As the field of executive coaching is "slightly Wild West", he says it's important to get a recommendation and that the coaches have the required experience.

"I think it's important that if you're going to use a coach, you make the commitment to work through the issues. You really need to be committed to make change."

As a coach, he has to provide ongoing evidence of his work and success - particularly when helping an executive. "Although the sessions are confidential, there needs to be openness in reporting to the company. Of course, the coach does not disclose anything personal but the organisation needs to know what they're getting."

Singh says: "At the top level, there are fewer people one can talk to openly as there is a greater risk. Managers and leaders are less inclined to be challenged, constructive feedback is less forthcoming.

"While there is no shortage of the intellectual grunt required for doing their jobs, executives are still human. And, like everyone else, they have their strengths, weaknesses, blind spots and default patterns of thinking and doing things. They also have their moments of doubt, anxiety, questioning and loneliness."