Influencing Skills: How to influence people
July 22, 2010 by Hannah McNamara
Filed under Articles
The issue of how to influence people often comes up when we are coaching our executive clients, with many people wanting to learn how to be more influential without knowing exactly what they mean by it.
Our usual approach is to find out what ‘being more influential’ looks, sounds and feels like to our clients; in other words, how will they know they are influencing others and being more persuasive? Only then can we guide them further on how to influence people. The reason is that the same term or set of words can have different meanings depending on the context or the culture in which the executive operates and we have to understand what influence means within that organisation.
Generally speaking, what our clients are talking about is their ability to guide the decision-making processes, gain allies and motivate people to behave in a particular way.
Once this is broken down into specific items or goals to be achieved, we work with our clients to develop a strategy – whether it’s for presenting effectively in a board meeting, gaining the support of their peers, persuading their teams of a particular course of action or not being walked over by a more dominant personality at work.
For executives, the challenge of being more influential can make or break their future career and so is a sensitive issue to talk about in public. If this has been identified as a development need in an appraisal, executive coaching is an option well worth considering because training and development can be carried out in a private setting.
© Copyright HRM Coaching Ltd
Related article: How to choose an Executive Coach
Lonely at the Top? Executive coaches can help
July 14, 2010 by Hannah McNamara
Filed under Articles
They say it’s lonely at the top and they’re not kidding are they? Executive Coaching company HRM Coaching in London has suggestions for senior personnel who are feeling isolated
As organisations seek to stay in operation during the recession, senior personnel are experiencing more pressure than ever before. They are being told to be a good leader, be strategic and keep the lines of communication open and at the same time act as a buffer between staff and the board, the banks and all the other stakeholders who have a view on what needs to happen.
While executives are seeking to motivate their staff and keep them engaged, who’s looking out for them?
Hannah McNamara, Managing Director of HRM Coaching in London says, “It’s a difficult situation because executives very rarely have anyone to talk to at their level who won’t have a vested interest in what they are saying. Even friends and family will either want to offer their pearls of wisdom, steer them towards what they think they should do or just change the subject. At times like these, executives are tasked with keeping up appearances while knowing what’s going on behind the scenes. And that’s not just when things are tough; it’s equally important for executives to take time to consider decisions made for the good of the organisation – jump the gun and talk to the wrong person too early in the process and you risk blowing a deal, having a PR disaster on your hands or giving the gossips something to talk about. Good executive coaches are able to act not only as mentors, but as a confidential sounding-board where executives can talk through their plans in private.”
Executive coaching isn’t only about having a space to talk.
Working with an executive coach has many other benefits such as its potential for one-to-one mentoring and training in leadership and management skills. For the most senior levels, attending the same training courses as their managers just isn’t appropriate. Executive coaching sessions can be tailored to the needs of the individual and provide much needed objective feedback on performance. Topics covered in coaching sessions can include everything from leadership skills and presentation skills, to communication and personal impact training.
Executives report that they find their time with their coach enormously helpful with typical comments like “It’s my me-time. If it wasn’t for my sessions, I wouldn’t take the time to sit and really think” to “The feedback is very useful – it’s been over 15 years since I was last formally appraised. The board members rarely comment on my performance as CEO other than to nod when things are completed to plan.”
Coaching programmes can last from a few sesions to on-going working relationships with their coach spanning years. the duration of programmes depends on the objectives. For example an executive may need short-term immediate help with presentation skills before an annual conference or they may want to work on the ‘softer skills’ such as being a better communicator, negotiator or simply being in more control of their own time.
It doesn’t have to be so lonely at the top. Executive coaches are there to help.
© HRM Coaching Ltd
For more information about Executive Coaching, call Hannah McNamara at HRM Coaching Ltd on 020 7939 9910 (+44 20 7939 9910) or contact us.
How to Choose an Executive Coach
July 5, 2010 by Hannah McNamara
Filed under Articles, Featured Article
Choosing an Executive Coach
These days everyone seems to be adding ‘Executive Coaching’ to their portfolio of skills and services. When you’re tasked with finding an executive coach or a team of executive coaches to work with your senior people, how do you make the best possible selection?
In this article, we explore the key points to consider when sourcing executive coaches:
Account Management
This is especially important when you are looking for coaches to work with a team. Look for a coaching company which has a structure for managing your business. On smaller projects it is possible to work with independent coaches, however when you are organising coaching for more than 3-4 people, it can become an administrative nightmare to have to manually track who has taken their coaching sessions and when they are due to meet with their coach again. Unless managing the coaching process is part of your on-going role, it’s best to find an organisation that can do all of this for you. In addition, think about what would happen if the coaching isn’t progressing in the way that you hoped. A well structured coaching company should be able to explain who to speak to and how any issues will be resolved.
Credibility
If you are going to ‘sell’ the idea of coaching within your organisation, you need to be sure that the coaches you put in front of your senior have the credibility factor. Are they used to coaching at an executive level? Do they understand the language that will be used? Are the people having the coaching likely to take them seriously? In the case of particularly feisty coachees, can the coach be assertive and manage the relationship in a respectful way without either party losing face? You can usually tell this just from speaking to one of the directors/partners in the coaching company and trusting your gut.
Cultural Fit
The executive coaches you choose should be able to quickly understand the culture of your organisation and adapt their style accordingly.
Relevant experience
This is an interesting one because of course you would expect executive coaches to have experience, but what makes experience relevant to the individuals being coached? Despite what you might think, it is not absolutely vital for the coach to have held the same position as the person being coached. What is important however is that the coach has experience of the kinds of challenges that the coachee is facing and knows how to handle them. Ideally, look for coaches who have themselves held senior positions within organisations and can demonstrate success with similar clients.
References
Any self-respecting executive coach should be more than happy to put you in touch with other clients who you can contact for a reference. When you follow up on the reference find out about the aims and objectives of the coaching programme they were engaged in – did they achieve the outcomes they were looking for? What was it like to be coached by them?
Chemistry
The chemistry between the executive coach and their coachee needs to be right to have an effective coaching relationship. Ask the coaching company whether they are willing to meet or talk with the individuals being coached to make sure it’s right before the programme starts.
With the right partners, the Executive Coaching process can be an incredibly effective way of developing the skills of your senior people.
Copyright Hannah McNamara HRM Coaching Ltd
Hannah McNamara is the Managing Director of HRM Coaching Ltd an Executive Coaching company based in London, UK with clients all over the world. They have a team of Executive Coaches available to choose from and will manage the coaching programme for you from start to finish. for more information call +44 20 7939 9910 or contact us.
