by Robert A. Isaacson, MA, MSS
©2015 All rights reserved.
Over the years, I’ve been asked some variation of these 2 questions, “What does an executive coach actually do? If done well, why is it so effective?”
There are several ways to answer these questions.
Here’s one way, a true coaching story, Katelyn’s story…
Many years ago, our then 7-year-old daughter Katelyn played softball in a community league. She struck out consistently. She and her teammates were unfocused and lackadaisical in the outfield, often dropping the ball. Kate was feeling badly about her ability to play. Her team was losing. As you might expect, the girls finished in last place that year.
The next year things were dramatically different. Katelyn learned how to hit the ball and did so consistently. The girls were excited and confident, their energy high, and they cheered each other on as they won games. Kate’s team ended the year in first place.
Why the difference? Same girls. Same community. Even the same field.
The difference was the coaching!
The team’s first coach was quiet and laid back during games, did little cheering as well as little teaching. The next year’s coach was dynamic and powerful. He showed his caring by cheering the girls on. He taught them how to hit, catch and throw. He believed in them. He was patient and empathic. He developed strategies to help the girls win. And win they did!
That’s the difference effective executive coaching can make in your life and your business. Great athletes know this. They know they need someone else, a trained someone else, to help them achieve results. So they hire a coach. No serious athlete would expect to progress very far without one. Why should you?
Robert A. Isaacson, M.A., M.S.S., is a business and executive coach. He helps leaders and executives connect to others emotionally and communicate powerfully to get business results like better performance, profitability and promotions. Bob is the co-founder of Full Circle Solutions, a Philadelphia-area executive coaching and counseling company. He can be reached here and at (610) 446-4981.