Executive coaching has evolved immensely over the years. A once sceptically-viewed practice, it is fast becoming the go-to tool used by leaders globally to boost personal excellence, elevate performance, prepare for change and take leaps to success. As the fourth industrial revolution redefines the global economic landscape, it is clear to us at The Radical Leap Company that the future of executive coaching is shifting accordingly.
Here are 5 interesting evolutions we have observed that are impacting executive coaching and leadership performance.
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The Normalisation of Having an Executive Coach
In the past, coaching was seen as a nice-to-have in the business world. It was not uncommon to hear questions like, “What exactly is the importance of having a coach?” asked with some scepticism. However, the appetite for coaching appears to have increased with the growth of social media and reality television aimed at professionals and entrepreneurs. As more business and executive coaches share behind-the-scenes work and transformation of clients’ lives and businesses – whether it’s confidence building, stress management, health, negotiation, business growth or more – more professionals and leaders are gaining a better understanding of how working with a coach can support their personal, professional and business growth.
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Experiential Learning Over Explanation
For most of us, long hours of sitting down, listening to people talk and taking notes have lost their appeal. As well as the fact that we all have preferred learning styles – like auditory, visual or kinesthetic – the bombardment we get from online information is causing overwhelm and attention spans are shrinking. Nobody wants to sit in a room for a full day and be “talked at”. Leaders crave more engaging and memorable ways of learning and embedding that learning in the psyche. Immersion in experiential learning is replacing pen-and-paper learning. Leaders have expressed an interest in engaging in the entire process of their own transformation giving them full ownership of decisions and new actions. This is how we deliver the ENGAGE & GROW™ programme.
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Digitalisation and Automation
The digital economy is shaping delivery methods coaches use for client services. Whereas the emphasis was once placed on in-person delivery, technology has permitted an increase in remote working meaning coaches and clients can connect conveniently irrespective of time and geographical location. Private online meeting rooms like MS Teams, webinars platforms like Zoom and pre-recorded masterclasses locked in secure online learning platforms offer flexibility for both coach and client. As leaders get busier, coaches can tailor solutions to suit learning styles, schedules and urgency without having to hop in a car, train or plane to get the work done. In our experience, this has helped us save clients money in travelling expenses and time where solutions are needed urgently. With social-distancing become more of a permanent work and business arrangement, we see more businesses becoming comfortable with virtual coaching and e-learning platforms.
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Specialisation
Gone are the days of generic executive coaching. Leaders are seeking coaches who have specialised knowledge and can offer much more than methodologies. For example, a CEO is more likely to prefer an Executive Coach with CEO experience who will understand the challenges as well as opportunities at that level of leadership.
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Speed of Transformation
The timeframe for transformation is getting shorter. There has been an increase in the expectation that change can be achieved quickly. Markets move quickly and companies are requiring more of their leaders and executives. That pressure is brought to the table when executive coaching is required meaning that frameworks and delivery require agility and urgency. The ability to meet clients at this point of need is paramount to the success of the coach-client relationship, more so in the post-COVID19 economy.
