Executive coaching     In today's 24/7 corporate environment, there's a huge emphasis on doing, doing, doing – and it leaves little or no time for reflection. This is especially true for senior executives, who are rarely allowed to say "I don't know", simply because they have a senior job title. There aren't many corporate cultures which give people permission to say, "I don't know".       Executive coaching enables people to learn. In the whole hierarchical notion of organisations, the more senior you become, the more you're supposed to know. Executive coaching creates space for senior executives to admit mistakes or gaps in their knowledge, so they can develop and grow. Executive coaching focuses on how people can improve their performance. It's achievement oriented, aiming to build on the individual's strengths, and the organisation's objectives, too. I work with executives to highlight their talents and capabilities and to uncover the blocks that prevent them from reaching their full potential. The whole value of a coaching relationship is that the individual executive can talk freely about what they've done, and then reflect on it. They can reflect on what they've done, why they've done it, and how they've done it; they can reflect on whether what they've done is effective so they can do more of it, or modify if it's not been effective. And all this can take place without loss of face, humiliation or fear of exposure, which are real dangers people face in corporate life. In my experience, executives find huge comfort in being able to not know; in being able to say, "How do I do this?" or, "What do I do about that?" The challenge is not to give them "the answers", but to help them find the appropriate answers for their context – working in the way that is best for them.       Click here to view a video interview with Alison. "If I'm helping somebody improve their swimming, I don't get in the swimming pool myself..." Video also available in Real Player and Quicktime format.       © Alison Hodge 2011 Tel: 020 8995 5485