Mentoring / coaching are wonderful tools for positive change but, in a saturated market, you need to identify what will give you the very best outcomes and you might wish to consider the following:

• Find an appropriately qualified executive mentor / coach – it’s easy to qualify as a business coach, with limited business & life experience, and there are literally thousands to choose from!

 

 

• So, consider who would be an ideal executive mentor / coach for YOU? e.g., is it someone…
  • … who’s ‘sat in your seat’ and lived your often tough reality, both work & personal?
  • … sensitive & empathic, with whom you feel comfortable, heard, safe and supported?
  • … also qualified to help you become healthier, happier, more effective & resilient?
  • … with a ‘person specific approach’, tailored to your unique situation & personality?
  • … with extensive experience of mentoring & coaching people in leadership roles?
  • … to whom you can reach out at any time, perhaps in a time of crisis?
  • … who’s on your side, dedicated to your success, and works unequivocally for YOU?

• Having engaged someone, the work you do yourself between ‘sessions’ (contact time) is critical. The people who put in the most effort consistently reap the greatest rewards.

• Be as open as you feel able re. your challenges and context – the more open you can be, the better informed the dialogue and decisions you take, and the greater the potential benefits.

• Everyone and their challenges are unique – so what works well for others might not suit you, hence the merit of a ‘person specific approach’ rather than set programmes. You can then speak up if you feel something isn’t working and the methodology can be modified for you.

• Change is a process, not an event – there will hopefully be some quick wins but, equally, some challenges are deep rooted, having developed over a long time, and/or require behavioural change, so their resolution might therefore take more time and effort.

• Therefore, it’s important to maintain momentum, whatever the frequency of sessions and whether it’s in person, by video or phone call. That said, you have control and can vary session frequency and mode according to your circumstances.

• Diarising a few sessions in advance helps maintain momentum. You can always cancel or postpone if something comes up and that’s typically easier than trying to fit something into your busy schedule at short notice.

• Try to maintain a balance between the ‘Important versus the Urgent’ – there will always be things in the ‘here and now’ which require your attention but they’ll slow progress on the bigger picture / longer term growth path if they’re allowed to dominate your contact time.

• Bringing an open mind helps a mentor / coach to help you…. to determine your best courses of action and build your abilities, confidence & empowerment in the process, by helping you review your challenges and options, including what you might yourself do differently – remember, one definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result!