Executive Coaching

with

Jill Fairbairns (BA MSc C Psychol AFBPsS)

Executive coaching focuses specifically on leaders and their work. The aim is to raise the performance of leaders to their maximum potential.

It involves at least three parties: the coach, the client, and their organisation. Ensuring that the coaching stays on track requires careful agreement from the outset so that all parties have realistic expectations. One important point is that the subject of the coaching is the person in their organisation, not the person on their own.

Executive coaching involves opening up for learning and change, and then closing down again to engage with new ways of being and doing. My task as coach is to enable this process by knowing how to go about it, setting it up, providing both support and challenge, and ensuring that we stay on track.

Experience as an executive coach

Jill has worked with CEO’s, senior directors and high flyers in a variety of leadership positions. They have been working in large organisations in both private and public sectors, in industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to banking to health. They have been scientists, engineers, IT, HR, legal and financial specialists - running global entities, laboratories, factories, business facing services, corporate departments and teams of internal consultants. Often they have been identified as particularly talented people with significant leadership potential.

Typical executive coaching clients

What coaching did for me – quotes from clients

“I’m surprised to find that I’ve learnt so much about myself. I’ve done a lot of thinking in depth. It’s challenged me to tap into my whole self and now I can see times when I can and will be more truly myself at work” – Senior process engineer

“Jill’s particular strength has been to provide a different perspective. She has challenged me to think in areas I might not normally go to and haven’t thought about”- Leader of pharmaceutical development group

“I’ve learnt to look at things from other people’s perspectives – to ‘sit in different chairs’. Also, to distinguish between what I imagine people are thinking and what I actually know” - Leading technology specialist

“She has helped me navigate a new world in a very different business, finding out how they do things and why. I learnt to take a few steps back and to expand my view – instead of seeing everything through the lens of my previous organisation” – Senior Director of Human Resources

“I have crystallised a number of things by taking the time to reflect in a safe environment where I know it’s just between the two of us” – Leader of global division of pharmaceutical company

Stages of a typical coaching assignment

Jill is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards. She works within those set by the British Psychological Society and the European Coaching and Mentoring Council.

Examples of Executive Coaching

Jill works at clients' premises, at her own offices in West London, and by telephone.

Client: UK MD of major people services provider asked for one-on-one coaching after series of team building intensives I facilitated with his team.

Coaching issues: Enhancing competitive position of company in UK. Learning to work with and through his team. Increasing emotional self-control. Developing successors from within UK.

Coaching approach: Systematic contracting against stated goals. Upward appraisal. Psychometric assessments. Exploration of leadership models to find best fit with aspirations and personal preferences. Development planning. Conversations around issues arising.

Outcomes: Subordinates noticed positive changes within 3 months. Client promoted to global role after 4 months. Focus of coaching changed and became more intensive until his departure. He made a great success opening up new markets in Far East and operating on world stage.

Client: Popular quiet leader on promotion to run worldwide factory network. Coaching in aftermath of merger of two global pharmaceutical businesses.

Coaching issues: Building credibility and recognition across new organisation. Forging strong new alliances upwards and outwards with partners from “other side”. Taking on mantle of a top leader and letting go of hands-on management.

Coaching approach: Reflecting on events, discussion and rehearsal of behaviour changes. Emphasis on relationship and political issues around his role.

Outcomes: Inspired outstanding performance in his organisation. Became well-known and strongly influential with his peers and senior bosses.

Client: Senior line manager had moved into a different business in the company. An innovative leader with extensive networks in his former business but not in the new one.

Coaching issues: Managing relationships with peers in leadership team; managing upwards to boss; networking and getting things to happen in the new business; overcoming conflict avoidance.

Outcomes: Gained recognition and reward for major innovation that resulted in enormous efficiency savings. Peer relationship issues settled. Appointed to prestigious new role.

Client: US-based senior HR leader responsible for providing HR support to Board of transnational R&D organisation in state of flux and continuing uncertainty.

Coaching issues: Transitions to make across businesses into very different culture, holding his own in a leadership team where existing relationships seemed (initially) to exclude the HR function, “earning his spurs”.

Coaching approach: Monthly one hour telephone conversations with one or two face-to-face meetings per year.

Outcomes: Significant growth in self-awareness and consequent increase in personal and interpersonal effectiveness. Found he was asserting himself and holding his own in tough conversations with Board members.