The Immeasurable Value of Executive Coaching

by 10x Marketing

It has been apparent for quite some time that out society is undergoing rapid metamorphosis in regard to its many norms established over the past centuries.

Whereas historically societal needs have been dictated by a variety of factors outside of our control, such as religion and economic considerations, today such constraints are becoming less and less applicable. Today, our culture is influenced by substantial ongoing changes in its outlook on most of the formerly revered institutions, including marriage, education, child-rearing, employment and religious beliefs (or lack of thereof). With the rising equality and power of women, it has become increasingly apparent that the independent, educated, economically self-sufficient female of the 21st Century no longer has the need to be supported and, subsequently, controlled by the male, whose role and consciousness have also been challenged and forced to evolve with the times. Nowadays, women’s intuitive emotional skills are finally becoming recognized and sought-after, and more and more of us are undertaking voluntary nurturing roles of life and executive coaches.

Nowhere are these changes more obvious than in the workplace. The recent onset of the Age of Aquarius has ushered in the tremendous technological advances and globalized economy, which dictate the need for revision of the traditional business structure and the way businesses are run. The old autocratic, controlling, male-dominated corporate environment is being forced out and gradually replaced by the new management philosophy, which increasingly values employee incentive and emphasizes the importance of revised motivational strategies. Research increasingly indicates that management must heed the warning signs and recognize that today’s employees respond far better to emotional rewards than the traditional dehumanizing approach. And that’s the reason behind the surge in the executive coaching services offered by consulting companies of late. Unfortunately, the much-needed training opportunities which indoctrinate the new generation of managers into the mysteries of the evolved leadership style are insufficient and often still not readily available to support the monumental culture shock of such rapid philosophic overhaul. Not to mention the ample residual old-school tendencies still practiced by the older generation of management resistant to change.

Let’s face it: most of us are lagging behind when it comes to the mysteries of effective human interaction. Supervisors and employees alike are still reeling from the multitude of progressive communication concepts and are confused as to how to apply the ideas introduced by an occasional executive coaching seminar. In my opinion, the only way to learn new skills, especially when (as often is the case) they are counterintuitive to our upbringing and environment, is systematic on-the-job training and application. The width and breadth of executive coaching is staggering, addressing such imperatives as:

• Individual and team leadership development
• Organization development and renewal
• Performance and people skills enhancement
• Meetings facilitation and conflict management.

Hence, I can’t stress enough the importance of availability of an experienced executive coach on the job, someone to depend on for guidance and to go to as questions arise. My best friend of thirty years is the example that inevitably comes to mind. She has risen from a staff position to vice presidency within a major health care organization in less than five years! Aside from her obvious professional expertise, what in my opinion makes her an indispensable asset to her company is her natural-born ability of an executive coach. Her humane, patient approach to her staff is at the root of the much-improved management-employee relations enjoyed by her organization in the recent years. Many of her promising proteges have since gone on to successful managerial careers, thanks to her intuitive executive coaching skills. To top off her on-the-job initiative and busy family life, she volunteers at the local elementary school, taking bright underprivileged little girls under her wing. There is no telling whether, left to their own devices, these lucky children would have blossomed to their full potential. As it is, thanks to my friend’s generosity, these girls have the early benefits of the hard-to-come-by free life and executive coaching that undoubtedly will prove invaluable in their overall evolution and career development. These future executive coaches will hopefully go on to spread the communication skills learned from my dear friend to other lucky beneficiaries, helping build a more harmonious foundation for the new emotionally literate generation.