A good coaching session is about more than just complaints or chit chat. “Coaching sessions are not just to have a feel-good moment,” says Daniel. “They are intended to focus on action and follow up.”

In this week’s episode, Daniel and Peter demystify a typical coaching session. They discuss some of the questions they typically ask, the common way they begin many sessions, and the importance of both behavior change and mindset shift.

Tune in to learn:

• The one thing a coachee should do to optimize a coaching session
• The one thing a coachee should do right after a coaching session
• The value of a retainer model in hiring an outside coach

Through a typical structure that’s flexible enough to allow for the needs of the moment, great coaching can lead to sustained change and maximum leadership effectiveness.

Plus, more insights from Gallup about common leader blind spots, and three tips on how to best recognize direct reports.

In this episode:

2:20 – Insight of the Week

14:16 – Topic: What to Expect During a Coaching Session

15:55 – What a Typical Coaching Session Looks Like

20:49 – How to Balance a Long-Term Action Plan with Daily Challenges

34:03 – How to End a Coaching Session

40:56 – Lightning Round

Gallup: “The Strengths, Weaknesses and Blind Spots of Managers”

Harvard Business Review: “Do Compliments Make You Cringe? Here’s Why.”

Stewart Leadership Insights and Resources:

5 Reasons to Encourage Compliments in the Workplace

6 Ways to Regulate Your Emotions for Leadership Effectiveness

8 Keys to Managing Conflict Well

10 Questions to Ask to Best Develop Your Individual Action Plan

6 Ways to Become Aware of Your Leadership Blind Spots

Eight Skills of Great Coaching Managers

6 Keys to Setting Yourself Up for Success with an Executive Coach

White Paper: Coaching for Organizational Growth: A Powerful Resource for Maximizing Human Capital

Leadership Growth Podcast Episode 29: “The 5 Steps of Great Coaching”

If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend or colleague, or, better yet, leave a review to help other listeners find our show, and remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

For more great content or to learn about how Stewart Leadership can help you grow your ability to lead effectively, please visit stewartleadership.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

Executive coaching is more than just a series of nice, but unconnected, conversations, says Peter Stewart. “It’s a development process with real teeth and traction in it” to help leaders meet goals.

In this episode, Peter and Daniel demystify the coaching process with a look at their five-step approach to coaching. This approach identifies clear objectives, sets measurable and time-bound goals, and integrates feedback to help leaders course correct as they progress.

Anyone can benefit from a coaching engagement. “It is not about the coach,” says Daniel. “It is about what you need, and for you to be confident and comfortable to be a self-advocate for your own development.”

Tune in to learn:

• The most common objectives leaders have when working with a coach
• The value of feedback in coaching
• The one thing you should know to optimize your coaching experience

Plus, insights from Gallup on the relationship between feedback and employee engagement, and a flashback to the struggles of owning a home sprinkler system.

In this episode:

2:08 – Memory Lane

5:32 – Insight of the Week

11:20 – Topic: The 5 Steps of Great Coaching

13:49 – Step 1: Establishing the Objective

21:16 – Step 2: Understanding Through Assessment

24:20 – Step 3: Providing Feedback

28:47 – Step 4: Identifying Goals

32:52 – Step 5: Following Up with Support

36:48 – Lightning Round

Gallup: “How Effective Feedback Fuels Performance”

Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development

Stewart Leadership Insights and Resources:

Podcast Episode 13: How to Create an Effective Action Plan for Development

The Five Steps of Great Coaching

How the Right Coach Can Ease a New Executive Transition

10 Questions to Ask to Best Develop Your Individual Action Plan

6 Ways to Become Aware of Your Leadership Blind Spots

Eight Skills of Great Coaching Managers

6 Keys to Setting Yourself Up for Success with an Executive Coach

White Paper: Coaching for Organizational Growth: A Powerful Resource for Maximizing Human Capital

If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend or colleague, or, better yet, leave a review to help other listeners find our show, and remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

For more great content or to learn about how Stewart Leadership can help you grow your ability to lead effectively, please visit stewartleadership.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

Over the last few decades, the attitude on leadership coaching has shifted dramatically. What was once considered necessary only when there was a performance issue is now a common piece of leadership development.

“More and more leaders are seeing executive leadership coaching as actually a sign of investment and development,” says Daniel. “It’s a positive thing.”

But being given a coaching opportunity can raise a lot of questions. Can you choose your coach, or will your company assign you a coach? How much will your boss know about your coaching sessions? And what does a coaching session even look like?

In this episode, Daniel and Peter take a look at the value of coaching, what to look for in a coach, and how to make the most of a coaching experience.

Tune in to learn:

• The difference between a coach and a mentor–and why both can be helpful to your career
• The importance of coaching as a “safe space” for leaders
• The one thing you should NOT do if you want to get the most out of your coaching experience

Plus, what we can learn from Costco’s Code of Ethics, and the strategy you need to win (almost) every game of Risk (at least when you play against Daniel and Peter).

In this episode:

1:42 – Insight of the Week

5:42 – Memory Lane

8:50 – Topic: What to Expect from Your Executive Coach

10:31 – Why Executive Coaching?

18:21 – How Do You Choose an Executive Coach?

31:56 – What Does a Coaching Session Look Like?

34:40 – Lightning Round

Costco Code of Ethics

The Ultimate Risk Strategy Guide

Stewart Leadership Insights and Resources:

Choosing a Coach: How the Right Coach Can Help You Get Unstuck

The Five Steps of Great Coaching

How Do You Know if You Are Choosing the Right Executive Coach?

How the Right Coach Can Ease a New Executive Transition

10 Questions to Ask to Best Develop Your Individual Action Plan

If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend or colleague, or, better yet, leave a review to help other listeners find our show, and remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

For more great content or to learn about how Stewart Leadership can help you grow your ability to lead effectively, please visit stewartleadership.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.