Should I Hire An Executive Coach?

When's the right time to invest? What to look for in an executive coach? How do I get my company to sponsor my coaching?

Hiring an executive coach is a large investment in terms of time and money. As a coach, I care about being there for you when I can be most helpful.

Here are some common reasons clients begin to work with me. If one of these resonates with you, it is a sign that we could be a great fit to partner.

Large Role Changes

• You are taking on a bigger scope as a result of a new project, promotion, or role change

• You are working towards a promotion with a 6-12 month timeline

• You are a first-time manager, manager of managers, VP, or executive

• You are taking over a new function as a leader

Transitions

• You are considering looking for a new job, but aren’t sure if it’s the right next step

• Your job search isn’t going as well as you had hoped

• You want to better integrate work and family, personal and professional, and work towards a single north star

Personal Growth

• You’ve received career feedback that feels vague (e.g. executive presence, be more strategic, do more)

• You are frustrated at your current role with lack of growth, toxic environment, uncertainty, etc

• You are at or beyond your capacity and yet feel like you have to do “more” to grow your career

But do I need a coach?

Do you need a teacher to learn the piano? Do you need a coach for tennis? Well, it all depends on what your goals are, how quickly you want to get there, and how good of a self-learner you are.

Some executives made it to VP+ without executive coaching. There are great pianists and tennis players who are mostly self-taught. But…not many.

There are fewer and fewer who take this path. Executive coaching is the norm for high-potential leaders and executives, particularly in Silicon Valley. Boards and CEOs have realized that in order to maximize team performance and get the most out of their highly paid executives, hiring coaches for them or the entire leadership team has a high return on investment.

Personally, I worked with two executive coaches in my career as I advanced from PM to CPO in 13 years. It was a fast trajectory, made possible by the perspectives, tactics, mindsets, and connections my coaches helped me make. They saw in me potential that I hadn’t fully grasped. They pointed to options I hadn’t considered. They gave me new tools and perspectives on work, myself, and life generally.

I would highly recommend an executive coach as you move up the ranks. Sure, it is possible to “figure it out” alone or with a group of peers and strong mentors. However, as the problems and challenges become more complex, risky, and time-sensitive, it is much more effective and efficient to have a coach help you identify problems, work through potential solutions, and hold you accountable to your goals (not just the business ones).

Finding the right coach

There are many different types of coaches out there.

• Life coach: Life coaches help you through life’s problems. They help you identify what you want in life generally (across personal goals and career goals), and partner with you to achieve changes and transitions you want to make. While I have done life coaching for some friends and long-time clients, this is not where I focus.

• Executive coach (me): An executive coach focuses on coaching executives (VP, C-suite). They help the executive be as effective as they can be in their roles. At times, executive coaches work with an entire executive team on team collaboration. They are often hired by the company.

• Career coach (me): A career coach who has experience in the role that you want, who has traveled down a path you want to go down, is invaluable in helping you identify what you need to work on and avoid the pitfalls along the way.

• Interview coach: An interview coach focuses on job transitions and practicing for interviews. The great ones start with helping you create a narrative, build a cohesive resume, and strengthen your interview answers. While I have done a significant amount of interview coaching (and am quite good at it), I do not solely focus here.

• [Functional] coach: Marketing Coaches, Communication Coaches, and Product Strategy Coaches all focus on their functional expertise. They coach in a particular area. I specialize in product strategy, execution, and org building. I primarily work through VCs with early-stage startups in this capacity.

What to ask/look for:

• Look for personality fit: you’re going to tell your coach some embarrassing truths about yourself and you’re in for some critical feedback. Find someone you intuitively trust.

• Ask how they work and who they’ve worked with: What’s their process? How do they set goals and milestones? What types of clients do they work with and why?

• Look for selective coaches: Look for people who are in it because they love it, not because they need the money. Yes, most coaches rely on coaching for income. However, it’s important to find people who are selective about their clients and truly care about being able to deliver value.

What to avoid:

Sometimes it feels like everyone is a coach. How do you know who’s actually good and what you need? Here are some watch-outs:

• Coaches with little experience in the workplace and/or in coaching

• Coaches who are “old school” in their approach or practice

• Coaches who are too sales-y

• Coaches who worry more about their TikTok videos and LinkedIn followers than your problems.

Getting sponsorship for coaching

If your company has a professional Development or Learning & Development budget for things like classes, certifications, or conferences, coaching falls into that category. Some opt to use a part of their budget to cover the cost of executive coaching.

Executive coaching is extremely helpful for high-potential, up-and-coming leaders. When seeking approval from your manager, highlight how a coach will help you develop and in what areas specifically. Make a business case where possible. At the end of the day, the reason the company will pay for your coaching is that it can get a more productive and effective employee in return.

Example email:

"Hello [name], we've been discussing [insert opportunity area, e.g., being more strategic, being more empathetic, leading through influence, or executive presence] as an opportunity area in my last performance review.  I did research on potential options from courses to certifications, and believe that working 1:1 with a coach is the most effective approach.

I am interested in working with Yue Zhao, a former Chief Product Officer turned executive coach. She has relevant experience as an operator, founder, and executive herself, and has been coaching for many years aspiring executives like myself. You can learn more about her and her coaching here: https://www.theuncommonexecutive.com.

Through working with her, I believe we can:

• e.g. increase the success that [impactful project x] is a success

• e.g. increase my bandwidth as a team leader to take on additional work like project xyz

• e.g. help me develop and scale as a leader, which in turn allows Team A to hit goal X.

I’d like to know if [company] has the budget to sponsor a 6-month engagement with her this quarter. I can share a document with specific milestones we want to accomplish together and an invoice for the engagement. Please let me know if there’s any additional information needed.”

There you have it. If you’re looking for an executive coach and are interested in working with me, you can find out more about my 1:1 and group coaching services here. Schedule an intro session to get started!