How to choose the right executive coach as a nonprofit leader
As a nonprofit leader, the right coach is crucial when it comes to your career. At Bonsai Leadership Group, we view coaching as a resource for personalized guidance that empowers you to think creatively about your strengths, goals, and outcomes to realize your full potential. We know that supported nonprofit leaders shape healthy, thriving nonprofits.
Coaching vs. counseling/therapy vs. mentoring in the workplace
Before working with a coach, it’s important to clearly understand the type of help you’re seeking. While coaching, therapy or counseling, and mentoring may appear related at first glance, they all engage different approaches.
Coaching is a short-term, structured approach focused on driving performance and achieving measurable results. Our coaches have specialized expertise that they tap into to guide and inform their clients. Their experiences and knowledge provide valuable insights for navigating professional challenges and reaching desired outcomes.
Counseling/therapy, on the other hand, tends to be more clinical and retrospective, often theory-driven, and with a psychological focus. While counseling can occur over any length of time, it is typically oriented towards healing and personal growth. Counselors usually require certification and specialize in addressing psychological challenges.
Mentoring takes a long-term, informal approach to development and growth. Mentors provide guidance that encompasses both personal and professional aspects, serving as advisors to their mentees. Unlike coaching, the connection between mentor and mentee is often looser, emphasizing a more advisory role.
Why coaching matters
Bonsai-affiliated coaches can help you achieve your professional goals by first examining your strengths through the Birkman Assessment. By working with an executive coach, you will benefit from their specialized expertise and experiences, gaining valuable insights and guidance tailored to your goals. Coaching offers a structured framework that focuses on performance-driven strategies, allowing you to make tangible progress towards your desired outcomes.
Coaching with Bonsai Leadership Group addresses a wide range of issues, such as career development, burnout, leadership, and fulfillment to help clients identify and overcome challenges, develop new skills and perspectives, and achieve their full potential.
Factors to consider when choosing an executive coach should include the specific type of coaching you’re seeking. Bonsai Leadership Group offers three types of coaching for nonprofit executives to accompany your leadership journey.
Career coaching helps guide you through clarifying your thinking, opening yourself to new possibilities, and unlocking your personal and professional potential so you can step boldly into a new and fulfilling stage of your career, while supporting you as you take a new path. People who are in leadership positions or who are preparing for leadership roles benefit in particular from this style of coaching.
Executive coaching focuses on specific goals and objectives, such as increasing leadership influence and impact, improving communication skills, enhancing strategic thinking, or developing stronger decision-making abilities. This type of coaching is designed for executives and senior leaders within an organization.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion coaching helps nonprofit leaders understand the complexities and nuances of DEI to develop strategies that foster a more inclusive workplace.
How to choose an executive coach
Choosing the right executive coach is a significant decision that can have a profound impact on your professional growth and success. Finding the right coach involves identifying a trusted partner who can provide guidance, support, and insights tailored to your unique needs and aspirations.
Determine whether the coach has relevant experience and credentials in your field. Have they walked a similar path to the one you envision for yourself? Look for coaches who have achieved what you aspire to achieve and can provide valuable insights based on their own journey.
Explore testimonials from past clients. Hearing about their experiences and successes can provide valuable insights into the coach's effectiveness and the potential impact on your own professional growth.
Be clear about what success means to you and communicate your expectations to potential coaches. Identify the tangible outcomes you seek and ensure that the coach aligns with your vision of success. This clarity will help you find a coach who can guide you effectively towards your goals.
Gain an understanding of the coach's approach and methodology. Research what typically occurs during a coaching session and assess whether it aligns with your preferred learning style. Alternatively, find a coach who is willing to adapt their approach to accommodate your learning preferences.
Questions to ask when selecting an executive coach
We encourage our clients to take an active role in determining if a coaching relationship is right for them. Asking these questions can help you ensure that you and your coach have a clear understanding of what to expect from this relationship.
What is your coaching approach or philosophy?
What is your background and experience as a coach?
What kind of training and professional development have you completed?
What specific areas or topics do you specialize in?
Can you provide references or testimonials from past clients?
How do you tailor your coaching to meet the individual needs of clients?
How do you measure progress and success?
Do you have a coach?
Identifying the right coach is instrumental in unlocking your professional potential. At Bonsai Leadership Group, our goal is to provide you with guidance that enables you to think creatively about your goals and outcomes. With the right coach by your side, you can embark on a transformative journey towards achieving your professional aspirations so that you can continue positively impacting the world. Let’s get started today.