Executive Coaching – what is it?

Liz Beck speaks to Finance Monthly about elevating individuals, teams and businesses to become the best version of themselves.

What is your previous experience and how do you draw on it today?
My corporate career was in various HR roles where I had the privilege of working in Global brands such as Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Caradon and The Body Shop International. These years gave me important commercial grounding and the inspiration to build a business around people and the development of their potential. Today I find myself working across many sectors including Pharmaceuticals, Retail, Banking, Manufacturing and Not for Profit.

What excites you about being a Coach?
For me, Coaching is about giving people back their power and enabling them to be the best version of themselves – and it appears in many forms…….

It is the opportunity to operate and experience at another level; to find out what is possible and how you can achieve goals, dreams and often things beyond your own expectations. I am endlessly inspired by what people discover and achieve as a result of coaching and it reaffirms my belief that people are capable of so much more than they ever realise – they just need the space, support, challenge and mirror to see the opportunities, which is exactly what coaching provides. You wouldn’t see a gold medalist without a Coach and there is good reason for that!

Who are the typical ‘coachess’ that you work with?
Coachees come to me with a variety of objectives – to become a better leader; to create followship; to improve their performance; to realise their potential; to find better balance; to improve their influencing and stakeholder management; to get the next promotion etc. Each person, and their goals, is unique and coaching offers them a space where the agenda is really theirs – a space where they can think and work on their wants and needs and the other person in the room is their partner, dedicated to helping them get where they want to be.

People often ask me, “who is coaching for” and my answer is always the same – “anyone who wants to explore what is possible and how they can achieve more of what they want”. But coaching isn’t some fluffy space – it is a real commitment. The stretch can feel significant but the rewards can be equally so. I encourage anyone who wants to embark on a Coaching journey to really explore what they want to achieve and be prepared to commit 100%. If you have a great Coach, they will expect nothing less and will hold you to that commitment. If they don’t, you should question how dedicated a partner they are for you.

To my delight, more and more individuals, teams and organisations are realising the power of coaching and how it creates sustainable change in behaviours and cultures. There has been a significant shift in recent years to this way of working and I think the opportunity now is to understand how coaching can integrate into a way of ‘being’ for organisations and teams rather than be a stand alone activity that is reserved only for specific objectives or individuals. I truly believe a Coach Approach has the power to change the world for the better. A big statement, I know, but imagine a world where people are healthier, happier, free of self imposed ‘rules’ and are therefore operating and contributing to society, organisations, families in a more productive way – that’s the world I wish for the next generation of employees and the ones that will follow after that.

What is your vision for the future of AspiringHR?
Aspiring is growing – across all our service areas. We’re supporting an increasing number of businesses with their HR, Performance and Development needs as well as expanding our individual and team coaching and culture work. We genuinely believe there is better to be had – in business, in leadership, in teams, in governments, in schools, in homes……..in us all.

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