Executive Communication Coaches for Healthy Communication
May 16, 2008 Business No CommentsThere are several different types of coaches that I have heard of from life coach, to birth coach. When I first heard the term ‘Executive Communication Coach’, though, I was a little shocked by it, wondering what type of coach this might be. Don’t we all have the ability to listen, to talk? So what purpose would a coach for communication serve? The answer is that executive communication coaches truly can and will be a plus to any organization in corporate America.
An executive communication coach helps people have the courage to express their ideas in a work situation in ways that are most effective. This is important because many people are so concerned with expressing thoughts too strongly and thereby pushing listeners away, while other people believe that their message must be presented with too strong of a force in order for it to be heard. To strike the best balance between these extremes, an executive coach can help you to express thoughts while allowing for open communication as well.
How can you benefit from executive job coaching? A good coach has the ability to eliminate barriers to your communicating freely. It is the contention of executive coaches that creativity suffers greatly, and in a costly way, when the expression of views and ideas is suppressed, or even just discouraged. A lack of effective communication can adversely affect the bottom line through detrimental effects to relationships and in many other areas at all levels within an organization.
Speaking assertively should be fairly easy to do, but for some reason, many people are reluctant. One sports coach lists eight reasons why people seem to be unable to speak up for themselves: misplaced respect for authority, fear of negative consequences, self-doubt, fear of offending anyone, a desire to avoid certain issues, it’s their habit not to do so, they don’t know how to speak up, and when no one else is saying anything, they don’t want to be the first to speak up.
Take note of the fact that many of these reasons are the same as those that all of us feel in our interactions. All of these things are detrimental to the effectiveness of our daily communications. This where a communications coach comes in, helping to both identify and eliminate these issues with effective solutions. They will follow a formula called FACE, which stands for facts, appreciation, consequence/cost, and expectation.
Let us break down this communication formula. First, you must convey facts about a situation instead of your opinion. By listening to and acknowledging others’ contributions, you show appreciation. Try to determine the costs or consequences of any idea or behavior. Make your expectations clear, so that others know what you want and what outcome that you want to see. The FACE formula will allow you to get the results you want and to speak your mind politely along the way.
One of the ways that executive communication coaches are able to help your business office is to expertly teach colleagues how to better communicate with each other so that the office is far more productive overall.
Why exactly would anyone need an executive communication coach? Because executive coaches can help you express your thoughts without repelling your listeners by being too forceful. Executive job coaching can help remove obstacles that interfere with company communication. It can be difficult to speak up in a meeting or some other social situation, and coaching can help executives learn when and how to speak their minds. The FACE formula (Facts, Appreciation, Consequence/Cost, and Expectation) is an example of the advice that a good communication coach can bring. Coaches can make executives more productive.
