discussion

In the past, leadership focused more on telling individuals what to do than guiding them or teaching them the skills necessary to thrive in their respective positions. Do you agree with how adults learn essential to the coaching process? What advice can you give coaches and executive leaders that are able to empower and engage others with the purpose of facilitating change and increasing the capacity of people within an organization to succeed.

Dr. Gary explains that a safe haven is client-centered because it requires a willing individual who wants to learn and an executive coach who is willing to coach. A coach needs to be focused on their coachees' goals and ambitions without any reason to believe there are selfish reasons so that the coachee feels safe with the coach (Myzkowski, 2010). Myzkowski explained that if the executive is using an internal executive coach it can prevent honesty and feeling safe since the executive coachee will question if their coach is telling others or if what was discussed will damage their career. 

The executive coaches need to understand that adults learn differently and be able to adjust to that angle. Myzkowski explains Kolb's Experimental Learning chart and that it does not have an exact starting place since everyone learns differently, the beginning of the coaching can begin at any of the four parts. These four parts are feeling, watching, thinking, and doing.  Myzkowski gives an example of how the cycle could go and he started at thinking. This part of the cycle is strictly thinking of what someone would do than moving on to doing it. After doing the task it is encouraged to take some time and see how that felt. Once the feelings are understood and determined then the coachee is recommended to look back and see worked and what did not.

Mentors and Executive coaches can be differentiated by who is in who's head. Myzkowski (2010) explained that a mentor and mentee relationship is created because the mentee wants to understand their mentor's knowledge on their field and get advice from someone who has been in their shoes while an executive coach is there to help the coachee explore their own mind. A mentor and mentee can end up competing for different positions or promotions which can instill a sense of competition and make the mentor forget about the mentee while the coach has no relation with the career or any hidden agendas. The difference is a large one because while they are both individuals someone may confide in, only the coach is 100% there for you.