executive career coach

An executive coach’s job

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An executive coach’s job is to tell you what you need to know, not what you want to hear. She or he is a sounding board with whom you can verbalize your intentions and fears, since sole reliance on your internal mental monologues can often steer you in the wrong direction. You could be led astray because you misread economic or business indicators, don’t track metrics and adjust accordingly, or simply fail to understand how to work with and through people to elicit ideas and generate focused actions to get the job done. Successful executives know that having a confidential sounding board is particularly invaluable when they hit the inevitable wall.

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

How has an executive coach helped you?

Do you sound like a four-year-old?

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“I don’t want to and I shouldn’t have to.” Many professionals take new positions that include tasks they don’t enjoy and are unwilling to do because the new job offers a better paycheck, job title, or other perks. Yet every role has those hated obligations that you need to get done right in order to keep your job. A childish reaction of “I shouldn’t have to do it” is never a good attitude, and doesn’t bode well for future opportunities either.  

One client wanted a new job and got it. He took on a job his new co-workers refused to do. He met with each client and asked the tough question “What can we do to improve?” It transformed his ability to deal with controversy and build teams to resolve issues, and it positioned him for a big new job—running his own company.

Instead of focusing on what you don’t want to do, adjust your attitude and focus on the results. One solution is to focus on resolving customer dilemmas (both internal and external). Or, focus on system improvements you can create with your team by learning the procedures from start to finish. By developing the right inner talk and correct actions, though you may not love your assignments, you’ll get them done well—the sign of a leader with a high social intelligence. This can-do attitude will be recognized when it is time for performance reviews, pay increases, bonus payouts, and promotion opportunities. (Don’t forget to learn how to share these achievements in a business-savvy manner! http://TimeToBrag.com)

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

Are you running away from your employer?

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When you leave a job, company, or department, are you running away from coworkers or bosses you don’t like or respect? Or are you moving forward toward a goal? Many times people make job and career transitions for more money, but they are not any happier. Or, they switch jobs to find a better boss, only to find the new bosses have issues too.  Or, they falsely believed bigger is better. Remember, the grass isn’t necessarily greener at another company—it simply looks different from the outside looking in, but there will be similar problems. Take time to clarify your goals and life needs: it will make a difference in selecting the right employer for you. (http://TimeToBrag.com).

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

Executive coaching removes elephants in your career.

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Many times executives see coaching as “remedial fixes,” and not enough to remove the elephants in their careers that prevent them from enjoying more money, time, and success. A business advisor can help you design and implement successful results that impact company mission and goals, thus saving your current job and future career—even if you’ve been unknowingly sidelined!

Being the lone ranger and thinking you need to have the answers to everything rarely makes a positive difference for the enterprise. Reading a book or attending a workshop can actually have detrimental results when you attempt to superimpose your limited insights on your organization.

One client had said, “If I had known you would have asked to me to have this conversation with my boss, I would never have hired you.” My response, “A good thing you didn’t know … otherwise you would still hope for a different result without having taken the correct actions. Now you enjoy a lot of notoriety, make more money, and have more fun in your job!” He agreed.

When you embrace coaching and take the appropriate actions, you develop your skills in critical areas such as conflict resolution, project management, and working with and through people to execute ideas effectively. These processes ensure you see alternative solutions while developing your business acumen, taking you from OK to good to great. Many executives rate their coaching experiences as one the best investments of their time and money. Remove your elephant today!  Contact Jeannette Seibly @ JLSeibly@SeibCo.com.

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

How has executive coaching helped your career?

New executives are wrongly focused.

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Recently I was talking with an executive who was having a difficult time working with another executive inside his company. When I said, “Sounds like she’s in denial,” he responded, “She’s in denial about a lot of things.” Many times new executives are focused on the wrong things. Either the company did not take time to effectively onboard them, or the new hire wasn’t listening and had his or her own agenda.  Making changes and taking unfocused action steps without buy-in from the executive team and employees can get anyone into immediate trouble. The higher up you are on the organizational ladder, the fewer places there are to hide out—the responsibility and accountability solely rests on you.  If you’re one of these struggling leaders, immediately find yourself a mentor and business advisor. It’s important that you quickly rectify bad decisions with guided expertise and correct the old methodology of your work habits.

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

How do you handle a boss that leads by directive?

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There are bosses who will strut around and issue directives. They have a huge fear of people and rely upon their dictatorial manner instead of learning how to make requests of others. Fearful leaders often make poor decisions because they are not open to others’ input and fail to learn how to talk with and through others to bridge gaps in ideas and create workable, practical solutions. As the employee or part of the executive team, help avoid troubling edicts by meeting the boss more than halfway. Provide ample facts and human solutions to persuade the decisions toward a more appropriate outcome.

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

What have you effectively done to work with a dictatorial boss?

Being righteous is a career saboteur.

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Leaders may win the battle but lose the war with their need to be right. Relying on a management style of browbeating employees or being condescending to clients is a lonely fight. Disheartened employees will find a way to invalidate your directives, and your clients will find another resource.  As a leader, it’s your job to learn how to listen to others’ ideas, even if they don’t appear to have merit, and build upon them for solutions. Being righteous is a career saboteur! Creating win-win outcomes is one of your most important jobs.

Where have you won the battle but lost the war in your career?

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

Avoid strategic plan nightmares.

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Executing ideas that sounded great in creative sessions can turn into nightmares. Often, execution fails because of the “bright, shiny object” illusion or a failure to address the reality of current work practices.

Poorly designed goals and action plans that don’t incorporate the current systems and people or are mismatched with the company’s vision and values will fail. Jokingly threatening to fire everyone and hire the “right ones” to get the idea to work is a fool’s mission for any company. Threats like these should be seen as warning signs about the workability of any blueprint.

Create workable goals and don’t change the goal to accommodate the action plan! Learn how to work backwards to produce a focused action from the desired result—it will illuminate often-overlooked problems. These discoveries, when realistically addressed, will help you avoid strategic plan nightmares.

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

Have you developed their talent lately?

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Hiring the right person requires more than simply hiring someone who appears to have the right skills. It’s selecting someone who can fit the environment and succeed. Many times they have the right stuff, but we fail to develop their talent and inadvertently sabotage their performance. Design a 180-day success plan to keep your employees focused on the targeted areas required for company success from the very first day on the job. Manage them daily, weekly, and monthly to ensure success, with the frequency determined by their most recent results. When left to their own devices, employees will usually go off-track to pursue their own interests.

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

The key role of any executive

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The key role of any executive is to be an effective decision-maker and help steer the company forward profitably and productively. Unfortunately, we are often swayed by office politics, our personal biases, and lack of good objective information. Take time to learn how and when to ask the right business questions. Be strategic in your thinking so you are aware of how your decisions can impact others in doing their jobs, integrating with your current systems, and keeping your internal and external clients satisfied.

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013