How do you sustain executive coaching benefits?

To keep the coaching benefits rolling, lock in those goals—clear, big, achievable. Think bigger, play smarter. Keep the momentum, always recalibrate, always pushing forward. It’s not just coaching, it’s a continuous power-up. Keep aiming higher, stay hungry for success. Be relentless, be unstoppable.

🎯 Set SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. This isn't just smart, it's brilliant. 🔄 Make it a habit: Regularly review and adjust goals to keep them challenging yet attainable. 👁️🗨️ Visualize success: Picture reaching your goal—what does it look like? This vision propels persistence. 📈 Measure progress with key milestones; they're like breadcrumbs leading to your personal Hansel & Gretel moment.

Even when you have set goals or start a coaching relationship with a clearly define goal set, stay agile and flexible to check in with yourself if after the first or even a few sessions the goal was rightly defined and still what you want. Sometimes during a coaching process, new doors open, perspectives shift and there might be new thoughts and/or feelings to the goals. Listening in and work with those can be very valuable.

Setting clear and inspired goals typically starts right before your first session, and the program, if it’s highly customized and personalized, will be designed to help achieve them. Identifying high-impact goals that will have a positive ripple effect on others can act as a catalyst for greater fulfillment and achievement. Just imagine what you can achieve if you have someone by your side guiding, supporting, and celebrating you as you tap into your true potential.

A great coaching session or relationship will end with an action plan. Sustainable change comes through habits. New habits to add. Old habits to remove. Habits are hard. We can't adopt 10 new things at a time. And as we all know, its hard to remove existing habits. This means, we need to start gradually. One habit at a time. Habits are just a part of what is needed for lasting transformation. These habits need to be part of a system. A system for coaching effectiveness could include things like accountability check ins (the coach follows up or reminds), sharing your goals and intentions with others (again to create accountability) and ensuring that there is a clear path (a system) for how you get to your desired state.

Participating in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Emerging Leaders Program, which included executive coaching, taught me that sustainability lies in actively discussing the implementation of new strategies during coaching sessions. Applying lessons in real-time offers reinforcement and immediate feedback. Regularly incorporating the outcomes, whether positive or negative, into weekly personal reflections was crucial. This practice of continuously applying and reflecting on new behaviors ensured they remained a focal point, aiding in solidifying the desired behavioral changes. The key takeaway: Practicing new approaches and keeping them at the forefront of one's mind is essential for lasting behavior change.

Sometimes testing what you have learned in a different environment, let's say instead of in your profession, trying it in your private life or vice versa can develop confidence and a good space to build a skill. From my experience what we learn in one area of life can be very enriching in other areas even if at first glance this might not seem so. The value of seeing yourself and your life holistically can accelerate and enrich your learning and aplication of your learnings greatly.

One of the best ways to learn and sustain any new learning’s that one has got, is to apply them. Now i am not saying you do it forcefully, if a situation presents itself naturally, where you can apply these learning’s, you should do that. However, in case of the lack of situation, you can try and apply the learning’s in a case or mock drill. Application of the same does not only make you understand the theory but also help you see how you can assimilate the same with your own behaviours or skills to make the coaching and its application more personalised.

By analyzing successes and failures, leaders can gain deeper self-awareness, identify areas for further improvement, and refine their approach for future challenges.

After completing the Resilience Building Leadership Program I earned a certification to coach others and to work within organizations to improve workplace culture. This is an excellent program that coaches how workplace changes can begin by building communication between team members to create a positive climate. A positive climate promotes an atmosphere of psychological safety where team members opinions feel valued and heard. This can generate new ideas,improve team performance , and organizational growth. In a toxic environment team resilience fails when members lack team cohesion to accomplish organizational goals. Leaders who are willing to help their teams succeed are often the best people to lead the organization to achieve success

Being a lifelong learner includes seeking ways to elevate your leadership, performance, and skills on a regular basis. One way to unlock something for you can be to seek out actionable feedback from people with shared values and philosophies who have your back.

Coach leaders to not only seek feedback but also to appreciate and integrate it into their growth mindset, ultimately maximizing their potential and ROI.

When I start working with an executive, I interview their stakeholders to learn what the exec is doing well and what they could do differently to be even more effective as a leader. At about the 3 month mark of my coaching engagement, I ask the leader to check in with their peers to see how they are doing and what they could adjust further. Finally, at the end of the coaching engagement, I do another round of interviews so the leader can celebrate the successes and have things to focus on to sustain the coaching.

Seeking feedback is a crucial yet challenging exercise. The first step is to identify the right coach or guide for you, as you deserve insights that are valuable for your personal development journey. Then establishing and maintaining a learning plan will allow you to understand and invest in your strengths while partnering to address your weaknesses. Take it step by step; focus on one behaviour or area at a time, it’s hard to transform entirely overnight. I personally love Marshall Goldsmith’s "feed-forward" approach, to make a positive difference don’t take the feedback about the past, focus only on the now and on the future, as that’s where you can change and improve things.

The important thing to sustain the benefits is to foster a culture of feedback, which encourage open communication and constructive criticism. Building a 360 feedback mechanism into practice to gather feedback from multiple sources. to provide holistic view of strengths and area of improvement and then plan for improvement. Some time even collecting anonymous feedback to encourage more participation. The gist is to get actionable feedback which highlight enough area of development which can then be incorporated into the development plan

Pause and reflect is what I like to call it. Regular reflection and review is required on a continual basis. Schedule time outside of coaching sessions to think about the insights you gained and the changes you're implementing. Are they sticking? Are your goals still relevant? Regularly assess your progress to stay motivated. If you're a leader who has benefited from coaching, share your experience and learnings with others. This can inspire a culture of development within your team. By actively applying these strategies, you can ensure that the positive changes gained from executive coaching become lasting improvements in your leadership style and overall effectiveness.

Reflection is critical part of assessment it provide inside into leadership style, behavior , performance , alignment with goals and any discrepancy noticed. Feedback give us an opportunity to understand patterns or recurring themes for the areas where we can enhance our skills, approach, behavior or leadership effectiveness. Based on reflection and developing our learning plan we can collaborate with others to gain insights, perspectives and advice to address the challenges

Reflection helps leaders become more aware of their strengths, weaknesses, beliefs, and values. This self-awareness is crucial for personal growth and effective leadership. Leaders can make more informed and intentional choices by understanding their impact on others and the organisation. Reflecting on past experiences and outcomes enables leaders to learn from their successes and failures. This continuous learning loop ensures they remain adaptable and can apply new insights to future challenges. Regular reflection and review embed a mindset of growth and continuous improvement. This is essential for achieving long-term and sustainable benefits, as it encourages leaders to evolve and adapt to new learnings and changing environments.

To sustain executive coaching benefits, regular reflection and review are key. Set aside time to reflect on the coaching process, the insights gained, and the changes made. Review your goals and progress regularly to assess how well you are applying the learnings from the coaching sessions. This practice helps in solidifying the new skills and strategies, ensuring that the benefits of the coaching are integrated into your leadership style and continue to influence your professional growth.

Each month, take time to reflect on your learning and growth progress as an executive leader. If you took notes during your coaching sessions, review them for fresh insights. Ask yourself: 1. How well am I building new leadership muscle? 2. What's going well with leadership behaviors? 3. What can I continue to improve about my leadership? Based on your responses, set a goal for the coming month. What leadership behaviors will you focus on? Take some time to acknowledge and celebrate your progress. Leaders often focus on what's wrong and what needs to be improved. Also take time to recognize what's going well.

Most people want a quick fix (diet pill), a convenient solution (healthy fast food), something easy (30 day workout and I'm ripped). But seriously, every thing worth changing and creating a new habit needs support. We don't go to the gym as a Non-Work Out person and expect one time personal trainer work out and I'm ripped. So commit to your Leadership Coach for a year. Have a monthly check - in session. You'll probably not even see yourself transform - but everyone around you will start saying "wow - you're a delight! what's changed"

Um das Ergbnis von Executive Coaching zu maximieren, ist es entscheidend, den Zeitraum möglichst offen zu halten. Auch wenn das für viele ein Luxus ist: Erst ein kontinuierlicher Coaching-Prozess bietet laufend Raum für Reflexion, Wachstum und das Meistern komplexer Herausforderungen. Leider bieten viele Unternehmen diese Möglichkeit nur Top-Level Führungskräften.

Maintaining the support is critical. If you are working with a coach and the engagement has ended, I strongly encourage you to ask for options to continue meeting or seek a new coach. If you continue, it can be at a different frequency to help you keep moving forward. For instance, during a tough time in my role with a toxic boss, I met with a coach weekly for six months. We then moved to monthly and now check in quarterly. In my coaching practice, I often do this for clients as the support is critical.

Support is most critical as it will help in ultimately sustaining the coaching efforts over time. It is critical to have regular check in with the coach to get guidance and remain on track. Also include engagement with ongoing learning network, peer network, developing over a period of time mentorship relation with coaches, industry expert, experience leaders. Also take advantage of professional development opportunities provided by organization to attend conference, seminars, networking events to expand knowledge

Learning is an ongoing journey. Even after formal executive coaching ends, continue your growth by having occasional refresher sessions with your coach and regularly seeking 360-degree feedback from your team and peers.

It works best if you pick a topic that is diverse and far from your field of work. For example if you are in manufacturing space be inquisitive about latest developments in space or sports.

Diversify Your Learning Sources: While coaching is invaluable, true growth comes from diverse learning sources. Explore books, podcasts, courses, events, and seek inspiration from role models. Continuously updating your knowledge, skills, and competencies, while staying curious and open-minded, prepares you to adapt to evolving demands and expectations. This holistic approach enhances your leadership potential and effectiveness by enriching your perspective and keeping you agile in a dynamic executive position.

People often overlook the power of fiction. As you think about ongoing learning, pick up a classic. Literature taps into the human condition in powerful ways. You want to understand the burnout and malaise in your office? Read Kafka's Metamorphosis or Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Illych. Want to grow your emotional intelligence? Read Wright's Black Boy or Twain's Huck Finn. Or listen to a series, like Louise Penny's mysteries with Detective Gamache. Let his world teach you about yourself and your team as you commute to and from the office. Whatever fiction you choose, read it, carve time to reflect, force yourself to write a journal entry, and put what you learn into practice.

I agree about the importance of continuous learning and professional development, but I do not see a coach as a source of learning. To me, a coach is a source of unlearning and discovery. In fact, the opposite of teaching is true for coaching. A coach's superpower emerges when they are completely detached from the client's agenda and do not project their own life experiences or biases onto the client. The main goal is to help the client find the answers within themselves and to challenge any limiting beliefs until a way out is found.

Think about ways to teach or distribute what you learn. For example if through coaching you discover an interest or passion for understanding the topic of influence better, consider writing short posts or articles about what you learn. You could also consider becoming the 'champion' for the topic at your workplace and finding ways to spread what you learn around your organisation.

Sustaining the benefits of executive coaching requires a commitment to continuous growth and the integration of learned strategies into everyday practices. Start by setting long-term development goals based on the insights gained during coaching sessions, and regularly review your progress to ensure alignment with your objectives. Embrace a mindset of lifelong learning by seeking opportunities for further skill enhancement through workshops, courses, or seminars. Practice self-reflection to identify areas for improvement and celebrate achievements along the way. Building a support network of peers or mentors can provide ongoing feedback and encouragement, helping you stay accountable to your growth journey. your team.

To maintain the momentum of executive coaching, set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals to focus your growth. Actively implement new strategies learned, continuously seeking feedback for refinement. Regular reflection aids in recognizing progress and adjusting approaches. Cultivate a supportive network to challenge and encourage you, ensuring that learning is an ongoing process, not a final destination. Stay committed to personal and professional development for lasting change.

Consider when you have a plan or an engagement with a longer time frame between sessions, what do you need as an accountability support --> could be for example a commitment to yourself but sharing with someone that helps you to commit to something if you do not pursue, it can be an accountability partner with who you commit vice versa and you meet regularly or more of a digital support tool like an app, reminders or even a formal demand to a superior to checkup on you on certain goalson top of your business goals

By implementing the following methods, a leader can sustain & solidify executive coaching gains & extend the impact of executive coaching, ensuring lasting positive development in his/her leadership journey. 1) Build a peer mastermind group for shared experiences and accountability. 2)Identify a trusted advisor for external guidance. 3)Continuously learn through micro learning or stretch assignments. 4)Translate coaching insights into a personal development plan with actionable steps. 5)Integrate learnings into daily routines through journaling or visualisation techniques 6) Create a personal development plan to translate coaching insights into action, and establish routines to solidify learnings, like journaling or visualization.

While in coaching, use it to build models for yourself. Aim to learn how to think about solving problems, opposed to solving individual acute issues. Take notes on these models and have a practice of reviewing these notes monthly so you can integrate your learnings broadly!