“Every one needs a coach”
Eric Schmidt,
Executive Chairman : Google
The core of the strengths movement is focusing on amplifying what’s right, not fixing what’s wrong. It is not about ignoring weaknesses either but about setting up peoples processes to compensate for them.
Only this week I was working with a client whose strength is what I’d term a ‘deep thinker and problem solver’, enabling her to be very successful at laying down strategy to resolve complex legal issues. What was causing her stress was the management of new time critical projects that kept being handed to her while she was still dealing with projects that were in the works. Trying to manage the restructure of those time critical new projects together with ongoing projects was causing a lot of confusion and projects were starting to fall behind schedule.
During our discussion it became clear that another team member had a strong talent for managing project deadlines. To manage her lesser talents and direct her energies to where she is most productive, the project rescheduling was handed to the team member with the talent for managing deadlines.
Problem solved and she has now freed herself up to focus her strengths where she adds the most value - managing her team and finding solutions to those complex issues that arise.
What value does coaching offer CEOs and Board members?
I have found that CEO’s often say to me “it is lonely at the top, I have nobody to talk to, bounce ideas off and seek guidance toward achieving my performance outcomes”. This is where a strengths coach is so valuable.
When you speak with very successful business leaders you often find that at some point in their career they’ve worked with a coach or mentor.
I’ve certainly found that to be the case.
As a coach myself, I have had enormous success working with CEOs, Entrepreneurs and Non- Executive Directors and find that by empowering people, they are better able to articulate the unique value that they bring to an organisation or board for that matter.
The real benefit of strengths coaching is that it helps to maximize not only your own performance, but enables you to better understand and then utilise the talents of the people around you – strengthening partnerships and teams.