What clients benefit most from coaching?

Do you feel that there is a particular type of client that benefits more from coaching?

GARY’S ANSWER: I think that since I’ve been coaching, almost 20 years now, I’ve rarely had anybody not be successful in making some behavioral changes.

However, I have found that people, who have jobs where they have risen in responsibility based on technical skills, often had more of a breakthrough of understanding than someone who comes to their position from a background requiring social skills.

For example, if somebody has become very successful as a salesperson, then VP Sales, then President --- they’ve had to understand the dynamics that occur between themselves and what’s happening with other people around them. And so, sometimes when there’s a suggestion when they are being coached, they may second guess that suggestion, as if they already knew or understand that already.

Whereas an engineer, or scientist, IT or other technically brilliant person who has risen to be a top manager, may not think as readily about or realize how their actions or their style of communication might make a difference on other people’s productivity in the corporate workplace. These technically oriented people tend to be more receptive to the newness of examining interpersonal relationships. And so, sometimes, there may be greater breakthroughs with technically proficient people, who’ve risen to higher responsibility due to their technical accomplishments.