Have you ever wondered how to be more productive?  I know I have, and recently my executive coach helped show me how.

Things were getting done in my company, but the really tough tasks and projects always were unfinished.  Hard to complete items seemed to drag on, no matter how early I got up, how many to-do lists I put together, what system I used to set priorities, or how many times I said to myself:  I need to do this.

There were plenty of excuses available: paperwork, phone calls, emails, letters, memos, meetings, old projects, new projects, and an even longer personal list – chores to do, events to attend, family and friends to keep up with – I think you get the picture.  In addition to the excuses, I had to battle procrastination, conflicting priorities, lack of motivation, not having to be accountable, and bad work habits. 

I needed help.  Not administrative help.  Not medical help.  Not words of inspiration.  What I needed was a consultant; an advisor, a friend, and a partner to help me find ways to operate at my full potential.  What I needed was a coach.  Wait a minute – I am a Coach!

Then I asked myself: Do doctors need doctors?  Do teachers need teachers?  Do lawyers need lawyers?  Do trainers need trainers?  The answer of course, is yes they do.  Professionals of all types can benefit from working with someone in their area of expertise.  It made sense – to be a better businessman, and coach, I needed a coach.

What Executive Coaches Do

Coaches help you move from whatever level you are at to a level you want to reach.  Coaching is about achieving peak performance.  Coaches help you define what excellence is and they help push you to achieve objectives that might seem impossible to attain. 

As I thought about my business challenges and the need to improve my productivity, I put together a list of things a coach can do for me that I can’t do on my own:

• A coach can provide a totally objective observation of my situation

• A coach can give me different ways to handle my challenges

• A coach can help me gain clarity relative to my mission and goals

• A coach can provide me with additional skills and expertise

• A coach can share knowledge and wisdom

• A coach can help me develop and monitor an improved list action items

• A coach can “raise the bar” and make sure that I create stretch goals

• A coach can teach me how to learn 

This list of benefits was both impressive and compelling – I decided that it was time to find an executive coach to coach me.

Finding A Coach to Coach Me

My goal was to find someone that was easy to relate to and that had experience in running a broad business in the area of professional development.  I also needed to work with someone who could help me with my most pressing business issue – development of a marketing strategy and supporting materials for work in a new service area. 

One of my instructors at the College of Executive Coaching came to mind immediately – Andrea Molberg, Ph.D. Dr. Molberg is an organizational psychologist who has served as a consultant, trainer, and coach to Fortune 500 firms, small businesses, governmental agencies, individuals, and not-for-profits for over 25 years.  She also has been a professional speaker and college instructor for a number of institutions and organizations.  Dr. Molberg was the instructor of my class in executive coaching.

I really liked Dr. Molberg’s approach.  She is a big advocate of diversification in coaching practices, and my company, Farrell Group, is diversified.  Like Dr. Molberg’s firm, Farrell Group provides coaching, consulting, speaking, and training services.

I also found it easy to relate to Dr. Molberg and I really liked how she gets to the heart of the matter quickly.  The ability to get to the core of an issue is a requirement that I have for professionals that I work with.  My experience is that many people have knowledge and understanding, but only a select few have the ability to distill their knowledge down to its essence and then communicate it with a high degree of clarity.  

Another factor that I considered was that I had met Dr. Molberg and knew we could continue to work together over the phone, despite the fact that she is based in southern California.  Many executive coaching relationships are face to face, but I thought that we would be able to get a great deal accomplished based on the time we had already spent together.

Things to Do Before You Hire a Coach

I had the benefit of working with Andrea Molberg and getting to know more about her as an individual, a professional, and as a potential coach.  Three considerations allowed me to confidently select Dr. Molberg as my coach: I liked her approach, I found her easy to relate to, and I thought we could establish an effective long-distance working relationship.  Below is a list of things you can do once you’ve decided that getting a coach would be of benefit to you:

1. Talk to people that you know who have used coaches or might know of where to find qualified coaches.  If you are unable to get credible referrals, contact the local chapter of International Coach Federation for some names.

2. Interview the coaches in person or over the phone.  Look to find people that you seem to click with and that have strengths that will be helpful to your particular coaching needs.

3. Learn more about the coach’s formal training and coaching practice.  Find out whether they have specific certifications and specialty areas.  Also find out what type of professional coaching affiliations your potential coaches maintain.

4. Ask for business references.  Speak to current or former clients to learn more about their experiences with the coach.

5. Develop an understanding of their coaching philosophy.  Learn more about how meetings are conducted and what you can expect to achieve as a result of working together.  If possible, ask for a complimentary session.

6. Find out if your coach has a coach.  You want to work with people who look to continue their own development and growth.

7. Make sure that you are ready to be coached.  Ask yourself whether you are willing to make changes to help achieve your goals.  Also think about your ability to stay committed to the coaching process.

After doing this homework you will be in a much better position to determine which coach is most qualified and able to help you achieve your desired goals.

The Results

Thanks to my work over the past couple of months with Dr. Molberg, I have been able better define my service area, work through several complex strategic partnering issues, and develop a set of corporate materials that are much more focused and attractive.  I’m looking forward to working with Dr. Molberg on other items in the next few months.

Take the time to consider whether a coach would be of assistance to you.  You will quickly find that the investment is well worth it.

The End