Executive coaching is recognised as a robust and effective tool for business and personal development.  Some companies have internal coaching programmes, but external executive coaching brings the added value of neutrality and objectivity.  For senior staff there is also the clear advantage of talking with someone confidentially outside of the organisation.

Having worked in senior directorate and CEO roles for 20 years you may think that qualified me to be a coach.  In fact, there’s an argument for saying anyone can coach someone else, we do it all the time.  However, I am firmly of the view that professional coaching is a distinct professional discipline and should only be carried out by suitably trained people.  That’s why I completed a Masters degree looking at the impact of coaching, a Diploma in Executive Coaching, and a Diploma in Personal Performance Coaching.  This gives me the advantage of training which is both practical and based on sound academic theory.  I’m also an accredited NLP Practitioner, and accredited to administer DISC profiling.  So if you decide to invest in a coach – training matters.

So what is coaching?  There is no universal definition.  My own definition is that it is “an action focused partnership that acts as a catalyst for exceptional results”.  This definition contains important elements and each word is chosen with care.  It is all about action and results, and the importance of clarifying with the client what exactly they want to achieve.  It is a partnership offering the client neutrality, objectivity, clarity, and challenge in a supportive environment.  And finally, if done well the coaching will not just support the client to problem solve, but will increase confidence, develop new ways of thinking, add new tools, and create new more useful behaviours which will continue long after the coaching has ended.

Simply put, a coach will help you to achieve your goals quicker and more effectively than you will working alone.  I’m often asked how much time I spend working on organisational issues and how much time on personal issues.  This simple question contains a flawed understanding of excellence at work.  I work with the whole person in the whole context, because transformational coaching is about keeping a holistic perspective even when working on very detailed challenges or concerns.

People choose to invest in a coach for many reasons, but most often it is because they are facing change or challenge, or want to make changes or take on a challenging role. Change and challenge are the common themes of all coaching assignments.  One of the significant changes where people choose to work with a coach is upon making significant career changes or taking on a new role. 

This can be a great time to work with a coach.  My clients have said that coaching has helped them to:

• Become more self aware
• Make better decisions
• Set aside time to focus and explore work
• Take control of my work life balance
• Have confidence to make clear and concise decisions
• Have space to make ‘my own’ choices
• Gain new insight into how I think and behave and possibilities for change and personal growth
• Focus and reflect on my practice

My coaching philosophy is simple.  Success is created and determined from within. Your opportunities for success are as abundant as your imagination. I believe that you will achieve far more with my support than you will working alone and I will commit 100% to your success if at some point in the future you become my client.

Martha Simpson, Executive Coach.

Click here to find out more about Martha Simpson Coaching

Back to Commentary