Nearly every executive we’ve coached has shared with us a similar experience: When they get to the top of the organization, they don’t get honest feedback from people any more.
At a time when they are dealing with the toughest challenges of their careers, there have fewer trusted leaders, mentors, and colleagues who will give them objective guidance, challenge their thinking, or help them to grow. Simultaneously, their position of influence makes it harder to admit their struggles to others within their organization.
Enter DDI executive coaches. Our authentic, savvy coaches draw from their decades of experience as current and former executives, organizational psychologists, and business consultants to provide executives with valuable, objective perspective to help them overcome their biggest challenges. Our coaches act as sounding boards, leadership guides, objective mirrors, accountability drivers, and confidants. But most of all, they’re focused on helping executives understand themselves and find their own solutions.
Whether an executive is transitioning into a new role, dealing with significant changes, facing a crisis, or simply looking to enhance their performance, DDI coaches are by their side to provide energizing support for the road ahead.
DDI's Executive Coaching Approach
Executive coaching is only successful when it’s built on a foundation of trust and focused on results. DDI’s coaching approach is based on gaining commitment from the executive, advancing their skills, measuring the results, and knowing when it’s time to transition out.
Commit: Commit involves gathering data through assessment and delivering personalized feedback to the coaching participant, as well as planning for customized development.
Advance: Advance is the active and ongoing direct coaching facilitation between the coach and participant. The coach will provide guidance, discuss progress, identify barriers, and implement goal-oriented action.
Calibrate: The calibration process aligns the coaching participant’s work context and their coaching—a vital factor for development growth.
Measure: Quantifying the business impact of participant progress is crucial to any coaching engagement. Measurement will be customized to the participant’s growth objectives.
Transition: DDI’s goal is to enable the executive to “fly solo” in their development to achieve desired business and leadership results. We’ll collaborate to determine when and how to transition out of the coaching engagement.
Pairing coaching with assessment
Executive coaching is most effective when it’s personalized to address the unique set of strengths and development needs of each executive. DDI's executive and C-suite level assessments help our coaches pinpoint their approach to the specific needs of the executive. In addition, our 360-assessments can help to create involvement and buy-in from other key leaders, target discussions, and heighten urgency around development.