Executive Coaching and Leadership Coaching is now really coming into its own. Thankfully. As schools become more and more challenging to lead, what got you here isn’t likely to get you there. Furthermore, with fewer and fewer people going into education and more and more departing before retirement, there are an increasing number of people coming into leadership positions light on experience and job specific skills. This is where a coach can be invaluable and it’s becoming more common for coaching to be part of hiring contracts.
At Elevate we have year long and in many cases multi-year coaching relationships for Heads and senior school leaders. Occasionally, there are acute issues going on with a school. In these cases we try to fit in a coaching/thought partner/mentor/advisor role on retainer for a few months.
Much as we all believe in coaching at Elevate, we also know that coaching doesn’t always work. Sometimes it’s not the coach, but the fact that someone simply isn’t ready to be coached.
Humility if required for coaching to work. You cannot coach perfect people, nor can you coach people who are severely allergic to change. Osman, Lane, and Goldsmith write about the openness framework – change, feedback, action, accountability – as something that allows you to be ready to harness the power of the coaching relationship. As most schools are in hiring season, you might want to explore how open a candidate is to coaching and make coaching part of the employment offer. We can’t all hire world class talent out of the gate, but we sure can help the talent we have become a lot better – and relatively quickly.
Here are some questions that might be useful in the interview process and what to listen for:
- "Tell me about a time when you received feedback that was difficult to hear. How did you process it, and what specific actions did you take as a result?" Listen for: Specific examples of implementing changes, emotional maturity in handling criticism, and evidence of lasting behavioral change.
- "What do you consider to be your biggest professional opportunity for growth right now? How did you come to this realization?" Listen for: Self-awareness, specificity in identifying areas for growth, and proactive steps toward improvement.
- "Describe a situation where you had to learn a completely new skill or system to be effective in your role. What was your approach, and what did you learn about yourself in the process?" Listen for: Comfort with being a novice, strategies for learning, and persistence through challenges.
- "Can you share an example of a goal you set for yourself professionally that required ongoing feedback and adjustment? How did you manage that process?" Listen for: Commitment to measurable progress, openness to course correction, and follow-through.
- "Tell me about a time when you disagreed with feedback you received but chose to implement it anyway. What was the outcome?" Listen for: Ability to separate emotional responses from professional growth, willingness to experiment with new approaches.
- "How do you typically structure your own professional development? What methods have you found most effective for your growth?" Listen for: Initiative in seeking growth opportunities, practical approaches to implementing learning.
- "Describe your ideal mentoring relationship. What qualities do you look for in a mentor, and how do you ensure the relationship is productive?" Listen for: Understanding of two-way responsibility in coaching relationships, appreciation for expertise of others.