How do I choose the right executive coach?

Choosing an executive coach is a big decision. Some say qualifications matter most; others say chemistry is most important. At HAVEN, we think both are necessary. That’s why all our coaches have formal coach training and business experience and represent a versatile set of coaching styles. Yet there’s one more consideration essential to making this investment worth it. You. We’re talking more than your chemistry with someone. Think about relationships in which you’ve grown in the past. Think about your readiness to engage in coaching process now. In other words: Finding the best coach for you entails knowing what you are looking for. Ask yourself: what kind of coach will help me achieve my goals? Do I want someone who is direct, who shows me the unvarnished truth? Do I want someone linear and analytic to help me take things on, one at a time? Do I want someone who challenges me, opens my eyes to other perspectives & challenges my thinking along the way? Do I want someone compassionate and understanding regarding what I’m up against? Do I want someone to hold me to account to ensure that I cross the finish lines I’ve set for myself? Ask yourself: am I ready? Do I have the humility to learn and trial new behaviors or test new assumptions? Do I have the discipline to focus my attention on self-improvement? Do I have the courage to question what I’ve been doing and imagine what I could do differently? Do I have the organization support to my growth? Qualifications, fit, and skills fit matter but you’ll get the most of coaching partnerships that are also based on your answers to what you need to maximize growth.

Is an executive coach worth it?

It depends. Coaching is expensive and only worth it for some. Complete this scorecard to help you decide. Does the recipient want coaching? Yes No Not sure Does the recipient need to develop to achieve his/her/their goals? Yes No Not sure Is the recipient capable of change? Yes No Not sure Can the recipient make the time to invest in coaching? Yes No Not sure Would the organization be receptive/supportive? Yes No Not sure Does the organization have the budget for coaching? Yes No Not sure Have (or will) internal supports been provided like feedback and mentoring? Yes No Not sure Calculate Your Score Great, it sounds like coaching may well be a smart investment in this time. If you want to discuss further and/or get to know our coaches, complete this quick form and we will get in touch. From our experience, it doesn’t sound like coaching is the right intervention in this instance. We’d hate for you to invest finite resources on something with such a questionable return but if you think there is a case for coaching, reach out to us to talk. From our experience, positive answers to these questions are proportional to the success of the partnership. As such, we’d encourage you to uncover these answers before you determine if coaching is the right step at this time.

Individual Coaching

When everyone looks to you for answers, where do you go when you have questions?

You get a coach.

Our Coaching Services

Executive Coaching

HAVEN coaches provide intensive leadership coaching to surface deep insights and action plans for greater success. Ongoing coaching meetings are undertaken to understand and reflect on how the leader is evolving at a high level and how to navigate specific day-to-day experiences.

DURATION: 6 Months

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Inclusive Leadership Coaching

HAVEN coaches take leaders on a journey to define their unique connections to inclusion, craft their personal narratives, and identify the key shifts they can make to get others on board.

DURATION: 3 Months

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Onboarding Coaching

HAVEN coaches help newly hired executives learn about themselves, their colleagues, and their organizations to maximize their productivity and impact as quickly as possible.

DURATION: 3 Months

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Career Coaching

HAVEN coaches help leaders step back, reflect, and reset on their career goals. Leaders get help identifying what they want, how they can pursue it, and how they can succeed once they get it.

DURATION: 6 Months

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Coaching Works

For Coachee

For Business

Sources: International Coaching Federation, Corporate Executive Board, Center for Creative Leadership

Our Collaborative Process

Why HAVEN For Coaching?

We believe that an investment of this size requires accountability, so we measure at the beginning and end of every engagement – and we share data.
Our coaches are carefully vetted experts with a minimum of 500 coaching hours and at least a decade of business leadership experience.
We have a team of coaches with different styles and backgrounds to ensure alignment with each client.
We get top marks in client satisfaction from coaching clients.
Virtually all of our clients return or refer us following their engagements.

Don’t take our word for it

[HAVEN COACH] is my guardian angel. I feel better after every session we have together.

[HAVEN COACH] guided me during a difficult time in my personal life. When my mind was spinning, [COACH] helped steady me by helping me better understand my own thoughts. We worked to come up with a plan that dispelled perceived expectations and really seek what I think is best for my personal and professional lives.

I wanted to send in a very special note of thanks for all the coaching and guidance you have provided. While the positive impact of your counsel has undoubtedly accelerated my professional career, it has made an invaluable impact at a personal level as well for which I will remain eternally grateful.

Success Story
Coaching Client
Context
Tony never missed a deadline but often, this came at a cost. Tony's career advancement stalled as his relationships across the organization suffered. Read about how Tony transformed his leadership through coaching partnership.
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CONTEXT
Tony never missed a deadline. He was revered for his willingness to walk through and was relied on to get the job done. But the cost of that delivery was high - others in the organization often felt disrespected, demotivated, and burnt out when working with him. Tony's career advancement stalled as his relationships across the organization suffered.
HAVEN APPROACH
Tony and his coach started by examining what makes him so effective on delivery. Why was he able to succeed where others couldn’t? And which of those attributes could be recalibrated to achieve better relationship results without compromising on the critical task results? The coach collected 360 feedback to understand his current impact, others' perceptions and requested actions. From there, Tony used his coach as a thought partner to identify specific behaviors that might achieve better relationship results. Tony and his coach explored what needed to shift in Tony’s mindset to enable these shifts in behavior, and then designed experiments for him to run and iterate on. Over time, Tony become more comfortable with this new pattern, to the point where it started to feel like his natural default.
RESULTS
In Tony’s follow-up 360, respondents consistently reported improvement in their ability to work with Tony, indeed some even reporting that it’s become enjoyable. They started to request him on their collaborations because it didn’t also come with major drawbacks for them. Tony was promoted 6-months later, and continues to check in with his constituents on a bi-annual basis to ensure he’s balancing both task and relationship results regularly.
Success Story
Coaching Client
Context
Jane recently joined a company as CEO knowing it needed to evolve. She sought out coaching to help her engage and align with others around her new plans. Learn how HAVEN helped Jane to face current challengesand expand her leadership repertoire.
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CONTEXT
Jane recently joined a company as CEO knowing it needed to evolve and the importance of committing to a strategy. Her inherited executive team, however, interpreted her steadfastness as inflexible and invalidating. This difference was being noticed by the Board and employees alike. Jane sought out coaching to help her engage and align with others in her strategic vision.
HAVEN APPROACH
Coaching started by encouraging Jane to empathize with the experience of her executive team. Through inquiry and observation, Jane began to appreciate how her intentions to save the company from the chaos of an ever-changing strategy were not matching her impact on the team that was now feeling diminished and annoyed. She and her coach explored ways to keep the organization focused while also involving and enrolling her colleagues where appropriate. Jane learned to clarify when the organization was in “brainstorming mode” and when decisions were finalized and the company was in “execution mode.” This clarity helped her executive team understand when it was helpful to provide input and debate, and when it was necessary to commit to implementation.
RESULTS
In follow-up discussions, the executive team reported feeling more included in the strategic debate, and also appreciated the clarity of knowing when the debate was over and it was time to commit. Because the executive team gained alignment, the broader employee-base gained clarity and confidence in the organization’s approach, which allowed the Board to back away from the day-to-day and operate at a higher-level. All the while, Jane gained versatility in her leadership style that will help her face the challenges of the future.

The question isn’t whether you need a coach but whether you are ready to reach new heights.

Individual Coaching

When everyone looks to you for answers, where do you go when you have questions?