By Jean Hollands

Jean on the Job

What is executive coaching? These private consulting sessions are usually conducted on a one-on-one basis. The executive is exposed to new insights about his behavior and is then tutored into new behaviors that can enhance his professional potential.

The ideal coach combines industrial underpinnings with psychological theories. Understanding your belief systems that can stifle changes in your behaviors is vital for permanent change. Knowing one’s blind spots and personal biases equips you for the enviable challenges of professional life.

Most leaders can motivate the exceptional employee, but most leaders also must be able to motivate those very difficult employees. The test of working with the less competent subordinate is much more prevalent and important than managing the ideal employee.

How do you measure success? Companies use pre and post-testing scores by subordinates, peers and managers for the identified participant. Surveys measure leadership and team-building skills like vision, strategic thinking, giving and taking critical feedback, humor and managing change. Empirical data is also collected. The employee, himself, can determine that he now enjoys staff meetings, is sleeping better, attrition is down, or that he does not feel as stressed as measures of success.

Jean A. Hollands is CEO of the Growth & Leadership Center. Write to GLC, 1451 Grant Road, Mountain View, 94040.