Why Every Business Needs an Executive Coach

There are many associations we can make to the word 'coach.' We may think of that person who made us 'ride the bench' those high school years of low self-ego or that person with a sparkle in their eye that did not give up on you well after you had given up on yourself. The nature of a 'coach' is someone who has a specific knowledge and shares, facilitates, and instills that knowledge. Executive coaching is much the same thing. We are not talking tee-ball or gymnastics, but strictly speaking business.

What is an Executive Coach

Executive coaching is a one-on-one collaboration between a certified coach and an executive interested in augmenting themselves in business related skills. The relationship consists of developmental talks targeted at performance improvement and developing efficiency and confidence. It is engineered to be practical, goal-oriented, and focuses on reinforcing (or creating) positive executive attributes and eradicating the negative ones. Depending on the ultimate goals set forth in the beginning, it can last from a month to over a year. Executive coaching is usually tailored to aid an individual, but the implications are meant to stem out into the executives impact on a group and a company as a whole.

Spawned from business or organizational psychology, executive coaching is all about fostering awareness. The executive is made cognizant of their own personal style and the ups and downsides of bringing that style to the business. Once the executive realizes their own individualized approach, then they can take that knowledge and implement it in such a way that will produce positive results. The executive will recognize that they set the tone for the rest of the business, and if confident and effective, then the rest of the business will follow suit.

Executive Coaching is No Joke

Some may be saying, "Come on, I don't need a headshrinker, especially one that will help me with my business." Well, an executive coach isn't really a 'headshrinker' (maybe a 'head-expander'), and if you think that it is hodgepodge to implement one for your company, maybe ask yourself why a little company named IBM has more than sixty of them. Coaching was once viewed as a 'red-flag' denoting that there was something to be resolved within a company, but now they are utilized in promoting top levels of production. A 2004 survey by a consulting firm out of Philadelphia gathered that more than 85% of companies used coaching to procure the skills of individuals who had been labeled as the future of the company's executive team.


Coaching is quickly making its way into the mainstream of business. There is a high demand for quick results in business, and coaching is just another way of achieving it. Coaching develops the leaders of a business in the context of their individualized company without removing them from the grind of the day-to-day routines. Many people feel intimidated to bring constructive criticism to executive attention, but a coach has nothing to lose in making execs aware of their downfalls and leading them to improvement.

Think About Taking a Swing at Coaching

Both the executive and the organization must make a conscious decision in applying an executive coach. Usually it has been a decision from HR or leadership development professionals, but more and more executives have been taking it upon themselves to seek out the consultation of a coach. The choice of embracing the insight of the coach must be readily accepted by the executive working with the coach (just saying it isn't enough). It takes some soul searching on the part of the coached to understand where they are and where they would like to be. The coached must be open to criticism (at times hearing things that may not be delightful to hear).

Certain times may be more beneficial than others in seeking out a coach. Coaching can be particularly effective in times of change (such as a merger or promotion). Sometimes taking on a new role means expanding horizons. Some may realize their potential, but need insight into establishing it.

Touching on All the Bases

Though an executive coach works at an individualized level, the reverberations reach far into the organization as a whole. Coaching works best when systematically planned from the beginning. Many businesses use coaching as an integrated part of a larger leadership development program. The coach not only helps those being coached, but those coached upon completion can see a larger and deeper playing field that the rest of the company is on. The executive with more insight can now take those things learned and apply them to the business (seeing things that were perhaps not there before).



The benefit of the coach is that they are not directly tied to the executives business or personal life. It is much easier to be on the outside looking in to help others see the big picture. Even close friends and family members may be a part of the problem because they are too closely tied to the individual whom can benefit from the coaching.

There are many executive coaches out there to choose from. Some coaches are well versed in working in a particular field, so there are many benefits to be had in hiring an executive coach. Think about that person who believed in you from the beginning.