Let me start to explain this concept by way of an example. A couple of years ago, a client was frustrated with his productivity. He had just come back from vacation and wondered to me why he couldn’t be as productive on his return as he had been on day before he left. On day before his vacation, he was a whirlwind of activity - plowing through important phone calls that had to be made, responding to all important emails on his computer, and clearing his desk of all paperwork that needed his attention. By end of day, everything important had been attended to. He had had one of his most productive days. But upon his return, he had fallen back into his routine – productive, but not highly productive. He wanted to know how, or if, he could be highly productive on a daily basis. The answer is yes and no…

The reason for each answer has to do with energy management. Good energy management can allow you to be highly productive on a regular basis and poor energy management can keep you at average productivity or worse. Everything we do – from making sales calls to conducting meetings and presentations to attending little league games – requires energy. Most of us fail to take into account importance that energy plays in our lives. Without right amount of energy, properly focused and applied, we simply can’t be as productive as we could otherwise be. Certainly, even with a poor level of energy, we can be productive – most everyone is. We’re just not highly productive. Think about your day. Do you get up feeling tired? Do you put yourself on “cruise control” with a steady flow of caffeine throughout day? Is your mental capacity diminished by mid-afternoon? Are you too tired to be active with family or outside interests in evening?

Energy management has even greater impact than just physically getting through day. I don’t know about you, but when most people get tired their creativity drops, their persistence abandons them, and they get a bit edgy and less tolerant of people and challenges. A drop in energy impacts virtually every area of our lives.

It seems that coaches are everywhere these days.

Senior Executives are hiring executive consultants in increasing numbers, and for a wider variety of reasons.

In past, coaching was viewed primarily as a remedial tool for executives whose careers were skidding. Today more and more leaders use coaches on a consultative basis, for everything from accelerating leadership transitions to facilitating board, shareholder and employee relations.

Today’s leaders proactively seek coaching to build on strengths, accelerate initiatives and identify potential derailing obstacles before they cause serious damage

While locating a coach may be as simple as asking a colleague or entering a few words in a search engine, finding right one for your specific needs can be a bit more difficult.

So how do you locate a coach with right skills and expertise that match your needs? And once you get started how can you work with your coach to benefit most from experience?

Over many years of working with senior executives, we have formulated 9 practical suggestions. To gain most from your coaching experience, follow these guidelines:

1. Define your goals – What are your most immediate goals? What long-term results are you seeking? By considering your objectives in advance, you’ll more rapidly identify best person to work with.

Some common reasons why Executives seek coaching:

·accelerate career advancement ·increase leadership effectiveness ·increase senior management team effectiveness ·improve presentation and communication skills ·improve negotiation skills ·reduce stress ·enhance career transitions ·help gather and assimilate information for more objective decisions ·improve interpersonal and team relationships ·assist with crisis or change leadership ·help lead culture change ·enhance executive hiring decisions ·improve delegation and reduce time constraints ·plan retirement or next career

2. Establish Rapport

You want a coach who listens. The best coaches are objective and unbiased. They save insights and recommendations until they have listened, assessed and fully understood your situation.

There’s no formula for assessing rapport in advance. And no credentials or testimonials will allow you to figure this out. You’ll get a “gut feeling” in your initial conversation or two whether this is right collaborative relationship. If feeling isn’t there, don’t make assumption that things will get better over time… keep looking.

3. Be Yourself

The right coach will help bring out your best, not try to change you into someone else. One sure way to recognize a poorly trained coach is if he or she recommends a categorical change based on a textbook standard. Experienced coaches can pinpoint specific areas where a small change can lead to a significant result.

There’s no point in trying to become someone you’re not. You’ll squander precious energy and become less effective. The right coach won’t try to change you just for sake of change. Find a coach who’ll help you be your best self.

4. Look for a positive focus

A coach is there to help you improve your game, not to ferret out and fix every flaw. The best results are achieved by focusing on strengths, not weaknesses.