C-suite leaders often find that they don’t have the opportunity or time to step back to review and understand how to manage their role within the organisation. They are often surprised when they feel unsupported and isolated.

Executive coaching at this level is often focused on embracing strategic and complex change, influencing stakeholders and systems and tackling critical problems so that their teams can do their best work. This requires developing an inspirational and resilient leadership approach. Leaders need to be adept at navigating diverse groups, be politically savvy and build a strong supportive network, often outside of the organisation.

Most management teams are made up of financial, technical, scientific, legal and knowledge-based specialists and people managers. Rachel works with leaders who need to let go of the stuff that made them successful as individual expert contributors and embrace the notion of getting work done through others. 

At management level, leaders learn to utilise active listening, powerful questioning and persuasive communication to be more effective in delegating, setting goals for others and managing ‘difficult conversations’.

Transition failure is a common phenomenon with newly appointed executives. By helping newly promoted or hired executives to match their strengths to the specific requirements of the role and navigate the organisation, onboard coaching can help the executive make immediate, significant and lasting contributions to the organisation.

Career coaching can be used to remotivate or reorientate a client, in their current position or a new position. The increasing recognition of the value of breadth in career experience means that coaching can provide an opportunity to achieve career goals.
Understanding how to act up or ‘be in role’ before a promotion is critical. Coaching supports individuals in identifying their best career options and developing the skills and style needed to excel in their new role.

Individuals taking on a new responsibility or developing new skills that they feel they have not displayed effectively will usually request skills-based coaching. In many cases, time is of the essence. Wider training and development initiatives may not be immediately available to meet this need. Skills-based coaching provides short, high-impact sessions that introduces the individual to one or more key skills.

In light of new challenges or changes, existing clients use top-up coaching to refocus their approach or thinking. It is very focused as the client is already familiar with the coaching process and presents with clear objectives.

Workplace resilience coaching is relevant where personal support in adapting to or coping with current or new challenges is required. This type of coaching is requested by individuals who are surprised and distressed by their personal response to changes or new demands in their work or personal life.

The purpose of workplace resilience coaching is to enhance the individual’s coping skills, help them recognise their own strengths and vulnerabilities, and enhance their response to and delivery on work challenges.