Executive coaching
Get confidential expert advice from an executive coach
Looking for support to elevate your leadership capabilities and drive business success?
Our global executive coaching service connects you with specialist C-suite coaches who will help you develop your leadership skills, take your company and team to new heights and inspire your long-term career goals.
Drive organisational change
Learn how to drive cultural change with the help of an executive coach. Foster a high-performance culture, build resilient teams, and unlock your organisation’s full potential.
Overcome leadership challenges
Conquer complex leadership challenges with 1-2-1 guidance and support. Gain the strategic insights and practical tools to overcome obstacles, make tough decisions, and achieve sustainable results.
Personal and professional growth
Develop the skills and mindset to excel in your role, build strong relationships, and achieve long-term success.
Our expert coaches can help with all kinds of business and personal challenges such as:
- Transition to the boardroom
- Career planning
- Team building, alignment, leadership and development
- Building relationships with stakeholders
- Cross-cultural working
- Communication and motivating others
- Managing change
- Confidence building
- Stress, work priorities and delegation
The IoD Executive Coaching service provided a safe environment to explore new ideas and approaches and get valuable independent critique on them.
Get in touch
Arrange a thirty minute complimentary session with one of our professional development experts to identify your specific coaching needs via phone at +44 (0)20 3855 4309 or email [email protected].
FAQs
How do we match you with the right coach?
The IoD executive coaching team have a broad spectrum of industry experience, coaching expertise and skills.
It is important to seek a coach with these core credentials:
- A member of an established professional coaching body
- Have undertaken at least diploma-level training accredited by one of the professional coaching bodies
- Relevant experience and expertise
- History of successful coaching engagements
- Can provide references and testimonials if requested
Once we have identified one or more coaches that meet the above criteria, it is important to establish that you have the right ‘chemistry’ between you.
Research suggests that the single most important factor is the quality of the coaching relationship. Therefore, first and foremost you need to ask yourself, “Can I work with this person?”
We will encourage you to have an initial conversation with each of them and decide whether you feel comfortable enough to be really open and honest; while also feeling that the coach will give you the type and level of challenge that you’re looking for.
Once you can answer “yes” to both of these questions, you’re ready to go.
What does the executive coaching process look like?
- Assess – A 30-minute complimentary session with one of our professional development experts to identify your specific coaching needs
- Identify – We will choose an appropriate executive coach to work with you based on experience, sector and compatibility
- Set goal – You will set SMART objectives with your coach (including confirmation of the number of sessions required)
- Prepare – Use action plans, diagnostic tools (optional) and assessment results to aid your coaching experience
- Implement – Your coaching sessions will take place in a safe, comfortable environment over a period of dates/times that are convenient for you
- Reflect/Debrief – Evaluate, determine success and determine next steps
- Perform – Take your career to the next level
What makes a good coaching relationship?
A successful coaching relationship is built on trust, open communication, and mutual respect. Remember that coaching is a personalised process, not a one-size-fits-all approach.
You need to have an initial conversation with your coach and decide whether you feel comfortable enough that you can be really open and honest, while also feeling that the coach will give you the type and level of challenge that you are looking for.
Talk with the coach about what to do if you ever feel things are not going well; make some agreements up front on how to handle questions or problems.
Remember that coaching is a partnership, so be assertive about talking with the coach about any concerns.
How often should I meet with the coach?
The frequency of your coaching sessions depends on your individual needs and goals. While some clients find weekly meetings beneficial, others may prefer fortnightly or monthly sessions.
We recommend discussing your preferred frequency with your coach during your initial consultation. This will help determine the optimal meeting schedule to support your development.
Remember, the goal is to find a rhythm that works best for you and allows you to make consistent progress.
Where is the best place to hold the coaching sessions?
Choosing the right location for your coaching sessions is essential for creating a conducive environment for focused discussion. Ideally, the space should be quiet, free from interruptions, and conducive to open conversation.
Consider options such as:
- Neutral locations: Meeting rooms, business centres or other dedicated co-working spaces.
- Quiet areas within your workplace: If privacy is guaranteed, a meeting room or unused office can work.
- Virtual sessions: For added flexibility, consider online platforms for video or phone calls.
Ultimately, the best location is one where you feel comfortable and able to fully engage in the coaching process.
Should I keep notes of my coaching sessions?
Yes, it’s essential to keep a record of your coaching sessions. This helps you and your coach track progress, identify key areas for development, and ensure accountability.
To create your own coaching session record sheet, consider including the following:
- Date of meeting: This helps track the frequency of sessions.
- Session number: Provides a sequential record of your coaching journey.
- Key discussion points: Summarise the main topics covered during the session.
- Actions to be completed: Outline specific tasks or goals agreed upon.
- Additional help, support, or recommended resources: Note any materials or information shared by the coach.
Regularly reviewing these notes will help you maximise the benefits of your coaching experience.
How is coaching different from mentoring?
The key difference between a coach and a mentor is usually the ‘content’ or sector experience/knowledge, together with the purpose of the conversation and the way the person will work with you.
For example, if you want to become a marketing director in the FMCG sector, then you may look for someone who has a track record in these roles to give you specific advice and information on how to go about achieving your career goal – this would be a mentor.
However, if you are looking to have your thinking challenged or for someone to work with you to help clarify your career goals, you are more likely to work with a coach, whose expertise is in helping you explore and gain new insights about yourself and others, as opposed to giving you topic-specific information and advice.
Our mentoring offers
As an IoD member, you get free access to the IoD Mentor Connect platform which is designed to connect members looking for support and guidance on their leadership journey with those that want to share the benefit of their experience. Find out more here.
To find out about our discounted professional business mentoring offer from the Association of Business Mentors, providing IoD members with access to qualified mentors, click here.
How can the success of the coaching process be measured?
The success of your coaching can be measured in two ways: external indicators of performance and internal indicators of success.
External measures may include the achievement of your coaching goals, an increase in your income/revenue, obtaining a promotion, performance feedback obtained from your direct reports, colleagues, customers, boss or personal and/or business performance data.
Internal indicators of success may include self-assessments that can be administered at the initial stages of the coaching and then compared to post-coaching self-assessment results to measure the degree of improvement in behaviour, performance and confidence.
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