When has been your favourite road trip or adventure?
Recall a favourite trip experience. Think about making the plans, navigating to your destination, and managing obstacles that arose along the way. Were you alone or did you share the journey with someone? The destination and the experience are embedded in your memories.
Let's plan your next journey
Who would you take with you to get you to your important destination? The experience of a trip with someone who collaborates, compliments you and brings out your best makes the trip a wonderful event and memory maker. Does this sound like a good way to journey and create amazing experiences? If you like to travel through life like this, then you'll likely be someone receptive to the possibilities of working with an executive coach.
I've been thinking about what profession executive coaching most similarly compares to. Given it's a younger profession, I meet people who have not been exposed to coaching and it sometimes takes several examples to convey how coaching is used in a corporate environment.
What comparable profession would help people easily see what executive coaches do for organizations and professionals?
Executive coaching is not about advice giving or telling you what to do so that rules out many professions we regularly interact such as bankers, lawyers, accountants, and consultants. The profession that comes to mind is Navigator. It's a profession that doesn't give advice but shows you the way. It's about being the trusted copilot to get you to the intended destination.
An executive coach:
will navigate you to your desired destination and outcome
is skilled at helping you set the course and helping you use your skills to get there
is comfortable in unchartered territories and will support you through the stormy weather
will be a trusted partner at your side
is entirely focused on your journey
is a master of change, growth and helping people succeed
A coaching relationship has a start and finish and potentially includes the rekindling of working together again. Most times a coaching experience is over six to twelve months but you are in the driver’s seat and get to decide.
If having someone help you navigate the road ahead is what you are looking for then find yourself a great coach to take the copilot seat with you.
Lisa W. Haydon is the President and Founder of Pivotal Coaching Inc. She left her comfortable corporate career several years ago to follow her passion of helping people realize their potential and companies to realize high performance. Lisa is a growth focused entrepreneur, leadership development consultant and certified executive coach. To her clients, she brings business experience with prestigious corporations and continuous education. Lisa’s work in business operations and B to B sales expertise allowed her to create a differentiated coaching model and client experience. Lisa and Pivotal Coaching are known for 1:1 and cohort Programs in leadership development and sales effectiveness.
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