Leading Effectively e-Newsletter - November 2008 Issue

Ask CCL

CCL's experts answer your questions about being a leader and developing leadership skills. If you have a question that you would like CCL to address in a future issue of Leading Effectively, we would like to hear from you.

Q. I've got much more visibility and responsibility than I did just a year ago. How do I make the case for working with a coach without letting my boss think I can't handle my job?

A. To make the case to your boss - and to get the most out of a coaching relationship - think about what you want to change or what skills you need to develop to meet the needs of the organization. You and your boss can probably agree on areas for improvement without suggesting that you aren't up for the job at hand.

Meanwhile, let your boss know that research shows that leadership coaching helps to improve individual performance in several ways, including:

• Greater self- and contextual-awareness. Coaching is about you and where you work. You will gain insight about yourself as a leader within your organization.
• Greater understanding of others. A coach helps you understand why others might think and act the way they do. You'll learn about actions you can take to help them or to focus them in a direction that is better for the organization.
• Enhanced ability to communicate. A coach works with you to find ways to improve how you convey what is important to you, to the business and to others.
• Enhanced ability to coach others. Once you have experienced the value of coaching for your own development, you will be much more prepared to notice and leverage coaching opportunities with your team. This capacity will be a key differentiator between a good leader and a great one.

Finally, be careful what you wish for. Don't sell yourself and your boss on the benefits of a coach if you aren't serious about learning and making smart changes. If you aren't willing to put in the effort, coaching will be a waste of time and dollars - and you will lose credibility with the boss.

Learn more about coaching.

Q. How can I go after new projects or try new things when I have a boss who isn't supportive?

A. Having an involved and supportive boss is a great benefit, but you can do so much on your own. Look at how to use non-work opportunities - community activities and groups, schools, parenting roles - to hone new skills. On the job, you can choose to try new approaches to your current assignments or take on roles in your group that nobody currently owns. You might also find a colleague, mentor or advocate in another area of the organization to help you out.

Want more ideas? Take a look at Developmental Assignments: Creating Learning Experiences without Changing Jobs, CCL Press, 2006.