The LIVE Executive Coaching Model

We are in the process of setting up our own business in Switzerland under the name of KAPU-CARE GmbH. My wife and I decided to leave our international corporate careers after 30+ years and we are now dedicated to establishing and developing a business focused on the following value proposition:

1. Executive/Leadership Coaching, Mentoring and Consulting
2. Chairing Peer Advisory Groups (for leaders of small- to mid-sized, non-competing, companies)
3. Non-exec Board Directorships
4. Health Counseling/Coaching (based on diet, physical activity, sleep, and social engagements)

This paper will focus on Executive/Leadership Coaching and implicitly also Health Counseling/Coaching, where our coaching model will help us in presenting us as well as our approach to coaching.

A(non-)executive leadership role is, by design, a lonely job, and the continuous increase in complexity adds pressure on non-executive board members and executive leaders to be constantly fit, mentally, and physically. Dr. Kyle Elliott, a Forbes Council member, points out that feelings of isolation and loneliness increase when climbing the corporate ladder simply because fewer people can relate to the added responsibility and associated stress. This creates a need for executives/leaders to establish a safe and confidential space where they can address both professional and personal issues. Executive coaching is one impactful answer to this need since the coach is external to the company, not vested in business outcomes or internal politics, and should be trained and certified to coach.

The added complexity in today’s executive role is driven by both external and internal environmental factors. The Conference Board C-Suite Outlook for 2023 called out the following high external/internal impacts assessed by CEOs (across all regions) for 2023 (the 2024 report has not been published yet; however, the topics are not expected to change significantly):

It is notable how topics like inflation, global pandemic, and global political instability are mentioned since such topics have significant adverse impacts and were not part of a recent past where non-executives and executives could draw from prior experiences.

The above considerations lead me to the following hypotheses when designing our own (executive) coaching model for future client engagements:

• Hypotheses: non-executive and executive leaders will increasingly be looking for trusted external advisors/coaches who can be there at their side to help them navigate and make timely and impactful decisions (in a sustainable, safe, and confidential space).
• Hypotheses: non-executive and executive leaders will increasingly focus on a holistic approach to their well-being, i.e., whole persons. There will be less room for trade-offs, and one’s health/well-being (physical and mental) and social relationships (including family) will be critical systems to care for and nurture. In other words, a healthy work-life balance will be sought after and be a critical success factor for a leader.

When coaching executives on professional and private/personal topics, our coaching model will help us explain who we are as coaches, how our values, convictions, approaches, strengths, and experience will be value-adding to a client, and explicitly focus on the person and not the role of being a leader. The model will also cover the full scope of KAPU-CARE’s value proposition. To illustrate, we will use the reference of the client being the Driver of her/his life and related issues and us being the Co-driver who will partner with them to inspire and drive maximization of their full potential. Our coaching and model will overlap in the Venn diagram and where we “meet.”

The LIVE Coaching Model

The LIVEcoaching model is a process model that outlines and illustrates the 4 steps that we will partner with the client to transition for them to help them reach their full potential. It will be the approach towards setting the overall agreement with the client (which may run for weeks/months), and it will be the approach in any individual client session. It will be continuous as long as the client goes through different coaching sessions to drive positive outcomes for her-/himself and toward the overarching goal in the coaching agreement. It plays with the word “LIVE,” which captures both the definition of “live” as a verb, i.e., to live, to be alive, and as well the adjective “live,” i.e., something that is occurring right now. The graphic of a water drop is part of our logo, i.e. KAPU-CARE, and is illustrated in the center of the (continuous) circular motion of the 4 steps of the LIVE Coaching Model. The water drop will draw associations to water as a source of life for people, plants, etc.; the different shades of blue colors are then again related to water.

All steps in the LIVE Coaching Model are based on action words, i.e., each step focuses on what can help the executive client get motivated to move forward with impactful and sustainable insights and solutions.

The uniqueness and differentiation come less from the 4 steps in the LIVE Coaching Model and more from the context of the overall agreement/session, the target group of (non-) executive leaders, and the background of coaches. We can draw from our own corporate experience as leaders of various businesses and teams and acknowledge the pressure that easily leads to very long hours, managing many and often difficult stakeholders, meeting stretch targets, often feeling alone on certain topics and key decisions, managing risks against expected benefits; all impacts that can lead to stress and also unsustainable negative health situations like unhealthy diet, not enough sleep, limited social interaction with family and friends outside of the workplace, etc. Bringing respect, empathy, and confidential/safe space to coaching executives, as well as the skill that lies in applying the ICF Core Competencies together, will make the LIVE Coaching Model a unique and differentiated coaching experience for clients.

I will describe each process step in the LIVE Coaching Model. Each section will refer to coaching sessions; however, each step will also be applied when setting the overall coaching agreement.

The 4 Steps

Lift-off:

This first step will ensure that the client settles into the coaching session and blocks out external and internal noise that will impact the “being present” and allow for coaching to take place. In the case of a (non-) executive, it is imperative to create a space that makes it legitimate for a leader to open up and remain open to reflect and answer the questions asked by the coach. The agenda of an executive is full, and time is invested according to perceived benefit, professionally and personally. Consequently, it can be expected by the coach that an executive going into coaching is motivated to maximize the outcome. However, observing and explicitly asking at the onset of a session may still be necessary if the client is mentally ready for coaching. In this step, the goal of the session is defined and refined, as well as what a successful outcome of the session will be and mean to the client. The Lift-off step will create clarity, energy, and focus for the session so the client feels motivated to enter the coaching.

Imagine:

The second step in the LIVE coaching model goes into creating an understanding of the present reality and how it impacts the client in the role as an executive and as a person. It will help the client identify their desired situation and what might be causing gaps in the present situation. Creating awareness of obstacles that stand in the way and what can be achieved if such obstacles are not present will allow for new awareness to take place. An executive is used to analyze, diagnose, plan, and implement action plans. However, these skills are mostly used on specific business and stakeholder challenges. A trained executive coach will use the Imagine step to focus on the executive as a person (i.e. human) and allow for more fundamental and not topic-driven insights. In this step, the coach will help the client identify what an ideal situation would look like by imagining the situation.

Value:

The third step will help the client determine what action steps will be taken to move towards the ideal situation. What will it take for the client to fully trust her-/himself in taking these actions? The coach will look for commitment and what may stop the client from acting. Opening up for the executive to reflect on what and who will support can be an easier or very difficult question depending on the situation and the person. Some executives may need to be aware that they need help from others to move forward. This step may also open for more personal questions, like why are you the person and leader you are? Who are you capable of becoming? What is standing in your way to make changes? Key learnings or takeaways will allow for leader/personal development to take place and bring real and longer-term value from the coaching.

Embrace:

The final step in the LIVE Coaching Model will help the client embrace success measures and feel accountable to the goal(s) of the session. (Non-) executive leaders view change as development that inherently must set the business they are in charge of leading and themselves up for success. The transformation of a company will not be successful without also transforming oneself as a leader, which in turn means that a leader needs to challenge underlying beliefs, biases, internal fears, and unproductive/unhealthy habits and surround themselves with others who can support them. Establishing and embracing a support system that supports them in their leadership role is a key success factor, and the right executive coach can be part of this.

Reference

The Conference Board C-Suite Outlook 2023, On the Edge, Driving Growth and Mitigating Risk Amid Extreme Volatility
Dr. Kyle Elliott, Forbes Councils Member, “Five Benefits to Executive Coaching that Might Surprise you”, March 24th, 2023
Merriam-Webster Dictionary, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/live
Tony Schwartz, “To Coach Leaders Ask the Right Questions”, Harvard Business Review, November 21st, 2022