I get asked a lot about who needs executive coaching. I understand what’s often behind this question. It’s usually someone asking: ‘Is it worth it?’ or ‘what on earth is executive coaching really … is it right for me?’

I’m a straightforward person and I’m not going to pretend executive coaching isn’t an investment. It’s not something to do as a new hobby because you’re bored. Yes, there’s a financial cost involved (more info here). But the far bigger investment is of your time, and your commitment to make changes. 

When is the Right Time to Seek Executive Coaching?

There’s no single right answer to when it’s the right time to seek executive coaching, but I’ve found that my clients and organisations tend to come to me for at least one of these reasons:

• They’ve reached a high level of success in their business but it’s starting to get on top of them and they feel like they can’t carry on like this
• They’re struggling in their work, and perhaps so busy ‘working’ and fire-fighting, they don’t have time for proactive strategy and leadership.
• They’re scared of being ‘found out’ as not really being on top of it all
• They have a big goal in mind – maybe a promotion, career change or growing their business and they don’t know how to make it happen
• Their relationships with friends and family are going downhill because they are thinking about work all the time.

The time to look for executive coaching is when you realise that you’re struggling to overcome adversity or you have challenges in your life that too hard to manage on your own. When I work with my clients I help them get clear on what’s holding them back – and very often, it’s not what you think it is. 

Think of yourself as an onion (stay with me on this!) and imagine the layers being peeled back. Getting to the heart of the problem is what executive coaching can do, in a way that’s nigh on impossible on your own. An onion can’t peel itself!

Here’s another sign it’s your time to look for executive coaching

– you’re itchy for accountability and support (even if you’re a little nervous about it).

There are some brilliant self-help books and study programmes out there, asking powerful questions and getting you to do some insightful exercises. And that’s great. I love those books too … 

But what happens if you don’t quite get to the core of the issue and just move on? Or (shock, horror) skip the exercises? I think we’ve all been guilty of buying a book, skimming it and wondering why it didn’t give us the transformation we’ve been promised (or, if you’re like me, you leave it on the beside table and hope it goes in by osmosis!!)

There’s no hiding with executive coaching – certainly not with me! Don’t get me wrong, it’s all explored with care and understanding. But if you don’t do the work, we’ll look into why. We’ll get to the root of it, and once you’ve pulled your blocks and limiting beliefs out at the roots, they’re not going to bother you. 

We’ll work out tools, tips, strategies that fit into your work, your life, your thought process … so that you actually make the change and use them!

Is Executive Coaching Right for Me?

So if you’re wondering whether executive coaching is right for you over the next few weeks, ask yourself:

• Are there changes I know I could put into place myself? (If so, go and do them, and see what happens. You’ll still probably benefit from a coach but you’ll be in a stronger place)
• Do I know there’s got to be a better way to handle my work and life? (If you’re totally happy with how things are, coaching’s not for you!)
• Do I want things to be different strongly enough to invest my time and energy into making change happen? (If the answer is no, coaching is unlikely to work for you).

If you’re reading this and thinking, “Yes, I want my life to be different, yes, I want to feel calmer, happier, more in control, yes, I know I need some help to get things shifting”, then you’re probably in the right spot to think about coaching. 

There are so many types of coaches out there and not all provide executive coaching (I’ll run through the different support available another time!) that it’s important to choose the right person to help you with your specific issues.

I never take on clients without talking to them first, so we can get to know each other. If you want to book in a free call, just send me a message or connect with me on Linked In