Executive Coaching at Work

by Pario Coaching Tools Pario Coaching Tools is part of Pario Innovations

The pace of change now requires people to go beyond the skills and knowledge that underpin traditional ideas of competence. Qualifications are simple a ticket that enable someone to join a professional group. However, when faced with significant challenges, it becomes increasingly important to understand the competencies that contribute to high performance. These are context specific and define how effective people direct their energy and attention. Competencies involve more than the conventional notion of ‘competence’. Leadership Qualities include the mindset and behaviour that differentiate exceptional performance. Two consultants, for example, may have similar levels of specialist knowledge and technical skill. However, one may be far more effective at active listening and enquiry, resulting in much greater responsiveness and awareness of underlying issues. This supports essential leadership skills problem solving and team leadership. Understanding context and role-related competencies also enables more people to develop the attributes needed to excel.

Leadership Qualities

So, what are the qualities required to be an effective leader? There are consistent elements that link to successful outcomes. For example, a leader requires skills and experience that are relevant to the task. That said, they do not need to be a specialist or technical expert. What’s important is that they understand how the pieces fit together. They learn to ask the right questions. These are the team leaders who are able to make sense of what is happening and see things in context. It reminds us of the value of being aware of the bigger picture. Leadership Essentials include effective analysis, a clear vision, the ability to influence others and develop people’s capability, and the resilience required to maintain focus.

Executive Coaching Tools helps leaders to develop a wider perspective. This becomes more important when leadership involves working with a range of people – including associates and stakeholders. These individuals are rarely passive followers. They need to be persuaded to support a course of action. A leader therefore requires persuasion and persistence to overcome problems. Executive Coaching Tools and Techniques help create insight into key issues. Other people may well be wary of change that causes disruption or creates additional work demands. It’s important to understand options on how best to proceed. In a leadership role, it’s wise to assume that most people will not initially share your perspective. They will often argue for an alternative approach and express genuine concerns about the proposed course of action. This creates an opportunity to engage others in discussion on how best to move forward. Agile leaders are responsive to context and changing demands.

Solution Focused Coaching

Progress requires the insight to see things clearly. Solution Focused Coaching helps leaders appreciate that it’s not sufficient to simply focus on the immediate task. What are the wider considerations and longer-term objectives? Some people struggle with leadership responsibility because they fail to explore issues beyond what is immediate and obvious. The problem is that what is currently ‘evident’ is also ‘historical’ and only forms part of the picture. The ‘data’ highlighted in business reports, for example, comes from the past and typically focuses on what is easily measured. The future implications may be affected by other factors. Faced with complexity and change, agile leaders need a mindset that explores context, identifies trends and assesses future possibilities. This creates a vision of what might be achieved. It needs to be backed by a leader’s personal conviction about longer-term objectives. A meaningful rationale linked to Purposeful Conversations is needed to create motivation. This helps clarify what action is required and how best to make progress.