Without doubt, for me at least, the most rewarding moment in an executive coachs day is when a client has a powerful realization and suddenly gains insights about how to be better.
This can happen in one of two ways:
1. You ask some great open-ended questions (via what we call inquiry) so that the client has an insight on their own.
2. You make an observation and the client sees new possibilities.
When this happens, the entire premise of executive coaching is realized. That is, you can have short, high-impact meetings with executives without intrusive consulting projects and generate incredible value.
For instance, the other day I was working with a long-time client of mine to help him improve the performance of a new business unit. As I asked him questions, he realized that he was not holding his team accountable for the performance he wanted them to achieve. He immediately saw opportunities to engage his team more effectively and focus them on the activities that would generate the best results.
Once he had this insight, I could see his entire demeanor change. He was more relaxed and confident. To borrow the old cliche, he seemed...