In the past, executive coaching was done confidentially because leaders
were embarrassed. In fact, many professionals would even do it without the
knowledge of the HR. Thus, it was difficult to know if the coaching actually
worked, and if it did, to what extent.
But so many things have changed in the past decade already. In fact,
executives are more enthusiastic about the benefits of coaching in their
business and in their professional development.
Executive coaching is indeed a dynamic field, and these are the main
types that have emerged over the years:
Therapeutic
The goal of therapeutic coaching is to help professionals or employees
become more motivated, creative, and productive. In this kind of program, the
"patient" is asked about what he or she felt when a certain incident
happened, or what caused him or her to do a specific thing.
Life
Life coaching is actually a new part of the coaching market. People in
this field are generally very caring and warm people who are committed to
helping their clients move on from a bad experience and move to a better life.
While, this kind of coaching does not have a huge corporate following yet, more
and more professionals are beginning to appreciate the positive impact of this
kind of coaching on their professional lives.
Career
Career coaches work with people who are looking to change jobs or
careers, as well as those who have just been promoted into a new position. A
career coach will help you identify what your passions are, and will also
create a plan for you to help you incorporate those passions into your career
life.
Command
Command coaching or directive coaching is where you have another person
hold you accountable for your own actions. A good example of this is a fitness
coach. Your fitness coach will come up with a fitness plan for you, and will
tell you how to reach your goals, but it will be entirely up to you how you are
going to stick to your fitness plan in order for you to succeed.
Business
Business coaches typically work with CEOs and business owners who are
seeking a high return on investment. These clients believe that when they
perform better, their organizations will do better as well.
Business coaches are often considered as consultants. However, they are
not paid to execute anything. Their main responsibility is to equip leaders
with knowledge and expertise that will make them better leaders of their
organizations or businesses.
Executive coaching is very common in the workplace nowadays
because of the many proven benefits of it. While this could be considered as an
extra investment for organizations, the long term benefits are well worth it.
