Let’s face it, life is tough. In our personal lives, friends and family help us through the rough spots. They provide advice, encouragement and help us face challenges which seem far too onerous to tackle on our own. But what do we do when we need that same type of support in our careers? Maybe a a team building approach which worked in the past doesn’t work in a new organization. Maybe we are faced with a management style we haven’t encountered before, and we need an objective opinion. Have you ever thought about speaking with an executive coach? As I learned recently, you don’t need to be an executive to seek their advice. Executive coaches often provide career advice to all levels within an organization. Who knew?
I met Karen a few weeks ago, completely by chance. We both needed to get away from it all for a few hours and as luck would have it, I sat next to her in a movie theater. We started chatting before “Book Club” (great movie – showing us that no matter your age, we all need a support system). I mentioned my sister had just been diagnosed with breast cancer, and she shared that she was actually a survivor herself. By the end of the movie she gave me her card, and indicated my sister was welcome to call her anytime if she needed advice or support. What a wonderful thing to do for a stranger….!
Later, I looked at the business card and realized Karen is an executive coach. We met for dinner the other night, to discuss my concerns regarding my inability to effect change within my current organization. I knew I needed to change my approach – but how? Executive coaching is all about helping you objectively identify what is preventing you from reaching your full potential. I shared that I am pretty self-aware (via my EQ test results) but recently I haven’t been able to influence change the way I would like. Karen and I are going to begin to work together to better understand how my personality fits the personality of my current organization. She will then coach me on behaviors and strategies that will help me to find ways to influence positive change. I will be sharing my journey with you in upcoming posts – I am excited to continue to learn and grow and hopefully you will benefit from the lessons I learn as well.
If you live in or near Orange California, California I encourage you to reach out to Karen at leadersambition.com. Don’t be afraid of the term ‘executive’ if you are not VP or C-Suite level – Karen tells me all executive coaches are happy to provide training to anyone who is looking to optimize their performance and improve their leadership skills.
If this isn’t an option for you, remember good friends can be objective and offer advice – if you are willing to put aside your ego and really, really listen. They will also be the first to remind you that you are fabulous. Be strong!
