How can leaders stay motivated and committed to the coaching process?
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Leadership development coaching is a powerful way to enhance your skills, performance, and impact as a leader. However, it also requires a high level of motivation and commitment to follow through on your goals, actions, and feedback. How can you stay engaged and motivated throughout the coaching process? Here are some tips to help you.
One of the first steps in the coaching process is to set clear and realistic goals that align with your vision, values, and priorities. Your goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). They should also be challenging enough to stretch you, but not too overwhelming or vague. Having clear and realistic goals will help you focus your efforts, track your progress, and celebrate your achievements.
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Jessica E. Samuels, Executive Leadership and Career Coaching
Executive & Career Coach for leaders pathing to or in C-suite (Healthcare & Tech) ✅ Chief Talent Officer ✅ C-suite Advisor ✅ DEIB Expert ✅ Outplacement ✅ Speaker ✅ Facilitator ✅ Coaching companies on performance & change
Leaders can stay motivated and committed to the coaching process by understanding they don't need to have all the answers. They should act as facilitators, not dictators, guiding team members to discover solutions themselves. This encourages active participation and empowers their team. Approach coaching as a guide, not a director, by asking thought-provoking questions that stimulate creativity and leverage their existing strengths. Set aside dedicated coaching time, separate from regular 1:1 meetings, to ensure it receives the attention it deserves. This commitment leads to team growth and is powerful motivator to direct reports seeking career mobility. A bonus of becoming known as a leader coach is that it elevates your executive brand.
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Amber Sauer, M.Ed., BCC, SHRM-CP
Helping organizations startup and scale the L&D function
Realize that the coaching process is not linear. There will be backsliding and mistakes. Past experiences will come up when one least expects it which will require a pause to process. Don't get wrapped up in seeing progress every single week. You're playing the long game.
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Dean Miles - Executive Coach
Author, Keynote Speaker, Unlocking Great Leaders, Aligning Exceptional Teams, Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches Agency, Fellow Harvard Institute of Coaching, Thinkers360 Top 10 Thought Leader, Board Member, Brain Picker
Setting clear and realistic goals is vital; often, goals are set too ambitiously, demanding flawless execution which can hinder progress. By establishing achievable daily minimums, momentum is maintained. It's the consistent effort of doing the right thing and giving our best every single day that accumulates into the achievement of larger aspirations. This approach not only makes daunting goals more attainable but also builds a resilient and persistent work ethic that turns grand visions into reality.
Another key aspect of the coaching process is to seek feedback and support from your coach, peers, colleagues, and stakeholders. Feedback is essential for learning, improving, and adjusting your actions and behaviors. It can also help you identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). Support is equally important for sustaining your motivation, confidence, and resilience. It can help you overcome challenges, cope with stress, and celebrate successes. Seek feedback and support regularly and openly, and use them to inform your actions and decisions.
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Sasidhar Ambatipudi
Senior Manager, HR | ET and HRAI 40 under 40 | NHRD YTC | Corporate Yoga Trainer | Speaker | PCC Coach
One of the key pieces of advice I give my coachees is not bear the burden to work on every feedback points given in a 360. The idea is to treat it with ones own reflections, urgency and support system available to work and create an impact. That said, seeking feedback subtly is as important as explicitly on tools / surveys. What worked for me personally is to take not more than 2 important pieces and do a thorough job
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Bulëza Koci
CEO at DRYM | Transforming Health and Business Performance
Stress management is a crucial component of effective leadership. Support from a coach, peers, and colleagues can provide valuable insights into stress coping strategies. Leaders should feel comfortable discussing stressors and seeking solutions to maintain their well-being.
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Rebecca Houghton
Helping Middle Managers achieve C-Suite Impact | Middle Management Expert | B-Suite Leaders with C-Suite ImpactⓇ | Mentor, Facilitator, Trainer, Speaker + Bestselling author | Mentored 500+ middle managers
In my experience, the fastest route to changing your habits is to make it public and engage your network for support. It's why weight watchers have weigh-in groups and addiction centres have coaching circles - public accountability and support really work. So if you're at work and you're looking to change a habit, ask for help from your boss, your team, your peers. - Ask them to keep you accountable, and to give you feedback. - And ask them - every three months - how you're doing against that goal.
A third tip to stay motivated and committed to the coaching process is to review and reflect on your actions, results, and learning. Reviewing and reflecting can help you evaluate your performance, identify gaps, and recognize achievements. It can also help you learn from your experiences, apply your insights, and plan your next steps. Review and reflect on your coaching goals, actions, and feedback at least once a month, and use a journal, a checklist, or a template to guide you.
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Rebecca Houghton
Helping Middle Managers achieve C-Suite Impact | Middle Management Expert | B-Suite Leaders with C-Suite ImpactⓇ | Mentor, Facilitator, Trainer, Speaker + Bestselling author | Mentored 500+ middle managers
In my experience, high performers always look ahead and are never satisfied. My advice is to always look back before forging forwards! When we feel like we have a long way still to go it's even more crucial to first recognise how far we have already come.
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Repa Patel GAICD
Elevating leadership through trust, collaboration and accountability
Growth can't happen without reflection. Unless you make time to reflect on your thoughts, behaviours and actions, you will not know if they are effective. Many organisational cultures prioritise expertise and experience when choosing leaders. The third critical element is reflection to enable insight and growth
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Eleni Konidaris
Benefits Nerd | Career Development, Interviewing, and Up-skilling Expert
We don’t always see or recognize results in our mentees in the short term. Oftentimes, making changes, particularly big ones, occurs over a larger swath of time. If we look at each individual feedback session in a vacuum, we may not notice a significant amount of progress. But, if we go back to where our mentee was a year ago, suddenly we are able to recognize and appreciate how far they’ve come. Reflecting on their journey and the impact you’ve had is incredibly reassuring and motivating. And, while we look back, we can identify learning opportunities for ourselves as well - what resonated, how could we have been more supportive, what worked particularly well etc.
A fourth way to stay motivated and committed to the coaching process is to reward yourself for your efforts, progress, and outcomes. Rewarding yourself can help you acknowledge your hard work, boost your morale, and reinforce your positive behaviors. Rewards can be anything that makes you happy, such as a treat, a break, a compliment, or a recognition. Reward yourself whenever you achieve a milestone, complete a task, or overcome a challenge.
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Bulëza Koci
CEO at DRYM | Transforming Health and Business Performance
Celebrating successes is a frequently overlooked aspect of leadership. Leaders often focus on what lies ahead, neglecting the importance of recognising achievements. I encourage leaders to openly celebrate their accomplishments, which not only boosts morale but also reinforces a culture of achievement within the team or organisation.
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Robert Barber, Developing Exceptional Leaders
Strategic Leadership Trainer | Sr HR Exec. | Serial Entrepreneur $917mm in Sales | Curriculum Designer | Best Selling Author | Adjunct Professor | Podcast Host | Key Speaker | Exec Coach | Electrical Engineer
In addition to the mentioned rewards, consider setting up a personal reward system that aligns with your values and goals. This could include investing in personal or professional development opportunities, such as attending a seminar or workshop, which further enriches your coaching journey. Moreover, sharing your achievements with your support network can be a form of reward. It not only celebrates your progress but also reinforces your commitment through positive reinforcement from peers and mentors.
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Coach Luisa Garza
Coach en EortizCoach| Socia de EOrtizCoach |Empresaria| Entrenador Control del Tiempo |Coach de Ventas |Alineación de Equipos| Liderazgo | Coaching Ejecutivo | Coaching PNL-NS| Life Coaching|DISC
Reconocer y celebrar los logros intermedios es crucial para mantener la motivación a lo largo del proceso de coaching. Estos hitos proporcionan momentos de validación y refuerzan el progreso, infundiendo energía renovada y reforzando el compromiso continuo. El propio reconocimiento es factor importante de autoconfianza.
A fifth and final tip to stay motivated and committed to the coaching process is to renew your motivation periodically. Renewing your motivation can help you re-energize, re-focus, and re-commit to your coaching goals and actions. You can renew your motivation by revisiting your vision, values, and purpose, by reminding yourself of the benefits and impact of your coaching, by seeking inspiration from others, or by trying something new or different. Renew your motivation whenever you feel stuck, bored, or frustrated.
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Ashu Karol
Supply Chain Manager, Transformational Coach -PCC -ICF /Mentor Coach.
i think reviewing the progress made during the journey as a visual growth chart helps to see where you started from and where you stand now helps with the commitment and motivation. As a coach these check-ins are very important as this helps both the coachee and the coach that all actions are aligned with the overall goal.
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Domenica (Nicki) Gorini, PCC - Executive and Life Coach
Helping executives achieve their goals while experiencing balance, fulfillment and joy.
Show up no matter what. Getting coached can feel like going to the gym. You might resist it at first, but you’ll get so much out of it and be glad you went.
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Swati Chawla
Global Director Wellbeing II 40under40 II I help organizations to create culture of Wellness with Innovation, Strategy & Passion to Heal II Trust & Safety, DEI, CSR, Employee Experience & Benefits, T&D, POSH TRAINER
Believe in the Benefits: Remind yourself of the positive impact coaching can have on your team and organization. The belief in the value of coaching can be a strong motivator.
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Dr. Janice Brooks
Leadership Consultant and Trainer Maxwell Leadership Certified l Life Strategist I Mentor I Helping Individuals with life growth strategies and Customer Centric Organizations with leadership growth and team empowerment
Leaders can stay motivated to the coaching process by being intentional and focused. A lack of intention and focus can decrease motivation. Just as the sun rises each morning and set each evening, in the same way leaders should rise with self-care both emotionally and physically. No one can pour from an empty cup. Secondly, leaders should focus on becoming the best version of themselves, then they can motivate others in the process to do the same. Finally, to be very intentional about the coaching relationship. Where does it starts and end. What are the goals and objectives? Whether one-on-one or group, it does not matter. When goals are carefully defined, motivation and productivity increases, and passion rises for those involved.
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Christopher Lind
12x LinkedIn Top Voice | Living at the Intersection of Business, Technology & Human Experience | Workplace Transformation | Devoted Husband and Father of 7
Make sure you’re taking the time to quantifiably assess a leader’s gaps and connect closing those gaps to the individual’s career goals or aspirations. It’s easy to jump to a goal based on what you or a leader thinks they need without validating the need. It’s also easy to miss unpacking why closing that gap will be meaningful to the individual. When you miss these steps, it doesn’t matter how clear the goal is or how effective the development and coaching toward it. You won’t be able to show measurable progress, which will diminish motivation. Also, at some point, inevitable competing priorities will fight for that space. If you haven’t locked in on why this matters what they hope to accomplish, this will fall to the back burner.
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Beth McGoldrick
These are all good ideas for leaders to stay motivated to coach. The one that is missing, and the most important, in my opinion, is the reason leaders need to coach in the first place - to grow their people. The goal of a coach is to become unnecessary in the future as their employees eventually gain skills so they can move on to bigger and better roles. Then the coach can start over with new employees who they can coach to bigger and better positions. This is the goal of the best coaches.