Executive Coaching

Everyone is an Executive -- of some sort!...whether its Executive running the Company, or Executive running the Rest Rooms - someone has to be in charge and take responsibility.  But - one cannot be allowed to exercise and account for responsibility, without having appropriate knowledge and authority.  And that’s why this discussion begins with the following questions:

(1)  What is; or constitutes; or designates; a person to be an “Executive Coach”?

(2)  Why are so many Executives - senior and junior - successful and wannabes (on the way up) - CONSULTING - Executive Coaches?

I think I know the answer to the first question because I have been “Coaching People” for almost 30 years.  However, I decided to see how others, who advertised themselves as Professional Coaches, answered these questions on this very Internet.  I typed in “Executive Coaching” on a search engine and on the first run through over 7,000 sites were identified.  I proceeded to review a number of them.  Having now done so, I would encourage anyone reading this essay to do the same.  I suspect that you will find, as I did, a wide variety of “Offerings” by a quite “Divergent” group of individuals.  Most of these “Coaches” offered as their primary credential a “Successful Career” in some Business Venture or “Outstanding Communication Skills” learned in various academic or practical environments.  It would seem that their achievements are significant and that their Offerings are of value to many individuals who are having mechanical or functional issues to deal with or overcome.  There is also a large number of very successful Seminar and Training Organizations that offer a wide variety of one day or one week Programs to either Train the Executive or Train the Trainer of Executives.  These are usually “CRASH COURSES’, cost anywhere from one to five thousand dollars ($5,000), and are great introductions to the topics offered. 

However, I would ask the reader just what it is that he/she would be looking for from Coaching with a successful “Business Executive”, a “Communications Instructor”, or a “Coaching Course or Seminar”?

If its help with a Particular Problem or the need to learn a Particular Technique, then by all means a Coach or a Program of the above description would be a valuable choice.

It has been my experience that most Top Executives (or gonnabes^) have achieved to their present level because they have a pretty good Business Sense, and while they (everyone) could use better communication and situational skills, these skills alone usually will not make them more successful.

WHAT THEN, IS AN ALTERNATIVE PATH TO FOLLOW IN SELECTING AN EXECUTIVE COACH?

The purpose of this essay is to encourage you to ask: WHY would a Coach with a Psychological and Business Consulting Background be a good choice and of significant help in furthering my Personal Business Success?

- MY ANSWER -

As Psychologists we study numerous systems of how people learn to learn, develop their feeling structures, and apply this combination of intellectual and EMOTIONAL factors to all aspect of life and decision making.

All know that you call on us when you experience a serious problem in your personal life.  Psychologists are most frequently called upon for help when there is difficulty in Marriage, trouble on the job, concern about a child, depression, stress or anxiety in your emotional life.(Issues talked about in other sections of this Web Page).  Additionally, Psychologists historically have been retained to deal with People Issues by Government Agencies, the Armed Services, Police Departments, Sports Franchises, Employment Search Firms and even the Major Television Networks.  The rapidly changing work environment has led a leading Training Organization (Linkage) to state that “In the past 2 years, more than 40% of Fortune 1,000 Companies have named Chief Knowledge Officers, or Chief Learning Officers.”

AND SO WE ASK -- Why wait until a serious PROBLEM occurs to call on our Psychological expertise to help you in your People Related Business Decisions? Wouldn’t it make sense to be proactive and use Psychological Assistance (Coaching) to be ahead of the issues to solve potential Business problems and be prepared for change - both for yourself and for your employees?  Of course, not all Psychologists are prepared by Training and Experience to offer their services in this capacity.  But some of us are!

As stated in my Resume, I enjoyed a very secure and successful Position as a Tenured Professor and Director of Psychological Services at Merrimack College (14 Years) into the ‘70’s.  During those 14 years I served as a College Administrator and had the opportunity to Represent the College on many Local Community Committees such as Drug Abuse Prevention, Mental Health Issues, various Charitable Fund Raising Projects,etc.  Representing the College gave me the opportunity to work side by side with the leaders of a number of very large and successful companies.  These “Decision Makers soon started to call me on a Private basis and I was able to Consult on a variety of issues to Top Executives in such complex companies as Raytheon, Gillette, Western Electric, Lawrence General Hospital, Massachusetts State Prison System etc.... Seeing such a need for these services, I left the position at the College in 1977 to be engaged FULL TIME as a CONSULTANT working not only with locally based Companies but with such nationally known Companies as Hoffman-LaRoache Drug Co; Gulf Oil; Certain-Teed; Quinn and Johnson Advertising Agency; Questor Corp.; etc.....  The above, of course, are examples of Companies and/or Individuals who have seen the advantage of learning and using the tools of Psychology to further their Business Objectives.

IF YOU  - as “The Decision Making Executive” - desire to understand better the Emotions and Feelings that influence your Judgments and those of your Employees, wouldn’t it make sense to review your history and to plan your future by Consulting with a COACH who has studied the nature and workings of these functions in all aspects of life and work!   As Executives become more aware of this it helps explain why Goldman’s recent book on Understanding Emotional Intelligence in Business is a runaway best seller.

The Workings of the Job are usually understood pretty well by you and that is why you are “where you are”.  What I have found, is that to “stay where you are” and/or to move ahead requires that you question and learn more about the Feelings that Govern your Decision Making (Emotional Intelligence).   Generally, the better you understand your Feeling Nature and that of your Employees, the Better you should be able to motivate and direct productivity - on all fronts.

To this point, there is no end to the decisions that Executives must make involving the Company’s chief asset - P - E - O - P - L -E........ Hiring - Firing - Evaluating - Training - Motivating - Coaching - and PLANNING AHEAD........

I hope I haven’t worn you out with this long essay.  However, I am talking about a major investment and commitment on both our parts, and it should be undertaken only if it makes sense (ON BOTH OUR PARTS).

SO --- If you really are ready to take that next step forward -- to challenge yourself and your employees to the fullest, and be a leader into the next Century, than you are ready to call me, set up an interview, and we will go from there!

Dr. Harrington is a Consultant to many Organizations and Companies.  A Book of Business is available upon request.

       Return to the top of the page