Common Misconceptions About Executive Coaching That Managers Need To Be Aware Of

There is no denying the fact that coaching plays an important role in helping the executives within an organization to gain the essential skills and knowledge for sustained career growth. However, many executives tend to harbour various misconceptions about the coaching sessions organized by their employers, which can render the entire process ineffective for them. Discussed below are the most common misconceptions about executive coaching in China that are prevalent amongst the executives. The awareness of these misconceptions can help the managers to educate their executives about the pitfalls of harbouring such thoughts.

Coaching Is About Teaching The Executives To Do Things

Most executives enrol for a coaching session believing that they will be taught about the right ways to do things. However, the primary objective of coaching is to help these professionals find the most appropriate solutions to the issues and problems at hand on their own. It is important for the executives to understand that coaching is different from training and focuses more on helping the executives to utilize their skills and creativity to overcome the challenges they are likely to face.

Coaches Recommend The Best Solutions To Problems

It is common for the executive to treat the professionals offering coaching services as consultants and even mentors. They, therefore expect the coaches to recommend the best ways to complete the various tasks and projects assigned to them. However, the coaches do not offer any such recommendations unless the situation demands so or it is an integral part of the coaching services being sought by the clients. Rather than recommending the solutions, they help the executives to develop the right approach to problem solving based on their own experience and knowledge.

 

Coaching Is About Getting The Answers To A Standard Set Of Questions

It is common perception amongst executives that attending a coaching session is all about getting answers to a pre-defined set of standard questions. However, the questions asked and answered during such sessions are generally based on the interactions carried out between the executives and the coaches. This creates a vast diversity of questions and generates enough information to help all the people attending the coaching session to learn something new and beneficial. At the same time, getting answers to some standard questions might be essential to create a strong base for learning new things.

Coaches Tend To Instil Their Own Viewpoint

Many professionals tend to avoid executive coaching sessions as they feel that the coaches tend to instill their own viewpoint onto the people attending these sessions. However, the professional coaches from the ICF coaching firm in China, are of the opinion that these sessions provide as good a learning experience to the coaches as to the executives themselves. The coaches help the executives to look at things from a fresh and unique perspective and enable them to find their own solutions to problems. At the same time the executives help the coaches to understand the diverse perspectives of individual employees within an organization.

 

Coaching Is All About Listening Rather Than Speaking

It is a common perception amongst executives that attending coaching sessions is all about listening to what the coaches have to say. However, a truly successful coaching session is based on a high level of interaction between the coaches and the executives. It is equally important for the attendees to express their views and opinion about various topics being covered to make the sessions engaging and informative. The executives need to understand that the primary objective of these sessions is to enhance the knowledge and skill set of the executives. This can be ensured only when there is free communication flow within these sessions so that all the queries are put forward and resolved in a effective and hassle free manner.