6 SITUATIONS WHERE AN EXECUTIVE COACH CAN HELP

As an Executive and Business Coach I work with organisations and individuals on Professional and Personal Development as well as Communication and People and Culture issues. When out and about, I am often asked “how do I know when I need to call in a coach?”
Here are six common situations you may be experiencing, which an Executive Coach can help you with.

1. You have hit a ceiling in career progression
People are often eager to blame the organisation, their boss or perceived biases, when they get passed over for jobs, promotions or special projects. However, in my experience, if it happens repeatedly, it’s often something about the individual themselves that is hindering their progress. Whether it’s attitude, skills or behaviours, we are often not great at recognising our own shortcomings and how they are impacting on our results. A coach, looking in from the outside, can give you answers you may not see yourself, and then help you work to develop and improve so you can reach the career goals you aspire to.

2. Your team are unmotivated but you can’t work out why.
Every manager I meet thinks they know their team, what their issues are and how they feel about people and things in the workplace. In reality, many managers have no idea what is actually going on with their staff and are gauging their impressions from their own perspective, not the perspective of the individuals concerned. A coach can come in and act as “Switzerland”, a neutral party. They can gain trust and connect with the team to discover what is really going on and how they are feeling. They can then assist you to make changes to create a positive culture and the motivated team you need.

3. You have the business side covered, but your personal life is falling to pieces or non-existent.
This one is extremely predominant at senior leadership level. The business is thriving, your hours are growing, interstate or international travel is a regular occurrence, but relationships and personal life are at the bottom of the list. This situation is often accompanied by a bunch of side effects like adrenal fatigue, sleep difficulties, relationship stress, social isolation and loneliness. It is possible to attain a better balance, if not optimal, with a little help from someone to help you notice what you have created and how to change it. That’s where a coach can help.

4. You need a neutral person to bounce off.
Finding someone who doesn’t work for you, beside you, or above you, can be difficult at senior level. A coach can be the neutral party to brainstorm with, challenge your ideas, ask the tough questions and point out behaviour patterns which aren’t serving you. A bunch of Yes Men won’t do the trick. A good coach will tell you what you NEED to hear, rather than what you want to hear.

5. You need professional development in a specific area.
Sometimes there are just one or two areas or gaps that are letting you down professionally. It may be confidence building, presentation skills, effective leadership, delegation, or communication. A coach can work with you individually to develop and strengthen your skills in such areas, in a neutral and judgement free environment.

6. You feel like you have lost your Mojo.
Sometimes life just gets on top of you, you feel stuck or you just don’t seem to have the passion for what you do anymore. By unpacking and questioning where you are, where you want to be and what is getting in the way, a coach can help you ignite the flame and get back on track, identifying behaviours and belief systems that need changing along the way.

There are many other ways an Executive Coach can help you both professionally and personally, but these are the situations I witness the most often. I love to work with people who are ready to change their results and create positive change. With a corporate background myself I understand what it’s like to walk in your shoes. If you would like to know more about Executive Coaching, feel free to contact me for more information. Contact

Cheryl Alderman
Executive and Business Coach
Be Ultimate