It’s lonely at the top… but does it have to be? A guide to Executive Coaching for the Digital industry
Whilst Digital media and Ecommerce companies continue to blaze a trail in their respective industries, we ask the question ‘who is looking after the people actually running these companies?’
Other than the continual learning curve that working in such a fast paced industry dictates, how else do the top level of management in this vanguard industry develop their careers? Traditionally, Executive Coaching would be the answer to this question – but is the Executive Coaching model appropriate for today’s entrepreneurial Digital Media and Ecommerce directors? To help answer that question, Bearing Partnership has called upon Stephanie Vora, a dyed in the wool Ecommerce and Digital Media veteran who now helps Executives get the very best out of their career – to contribute to this article on the challenges the modern day Digital Executive is facing and what, if anything, they can do to help maximise their career in this frenetic and pressured environment.
Arrested development
With an industry still in its infancy and its top level Executives averaging 10 years less experience than their board level counterparts in traditional businesses, Digital Media and Ecommerce companies will have to consider the future development of their most valuable asset – their human capital.
The pressure facing the top echelon of management and decision making within Digital Media and Ecommerce is immense. For those working to develop Digital Media or Ecommerce operations within more established companies, managing the parent company’s expectations is just as much a part of the job as driving the growth of the channel. Executives operating within a pure play environment are challenged by different, but no less important issues; making sales predictions when they are actually creating the market, talking to investors who are failing to understand the priorities, or being so successful that their original commercial model flies out the window. 
In no other industry has it been so vital for those at the top to know what is happening on the ground. If Executives lose sight of the consumers’ demands, if they are not fully apprised of their competitors movements, or if they do not act swiftly enough on social trends, then other companies will make no apology for usurping their position. The top tier of management and decision making within Digital Media and Ecommerce companies requires intuition, unparalleled relationship building, leadership, and management skills of internal colleagues and direct reports as well as external suppliers and customers.
Not only do Executives within this space need to develop their company, they need to develop themselves. Sadly though, and the main reason for writing this article, is that the development and growth of the Executive’s skills is often seen as less important than their primary management responsibilities by their employer. Whilst Bearing Partnership have yet to survey this particular matter – even from the straw pole in the office, the amount of clients providing Executive coaching support or any sort of mentoring to their key Digital and Ecommerce management is abysmally low.
This is also reflected in general recruitment practice. The briefs provided to Executive Search companies looking for top level Digital talent generally ask for someone who has ‘been there and done it already’. Understandable considering the risks involved in Digital – companies will always prefer a candidate to have demonstrable evidence of being successful in a similar environment to the one which the company is trying to compete. The indication here is that the company often feels they have nothing to offer in the development of a Digital or Ecommerce Executive – this however, could not be further from the truth.
An introduction to Coaching
Not only are the Executive level responsibilities for a Digital and Ecommerce person the same as a more traditional established discipline, but the business model itself is often being forged by that management team at the same time – with new commercial models, different markets being discovered, more ingenious and effective means of not only doing the same things better, but creating ways of doing business that have never been thought of before. Often, the most valued competency of any senior Executive is their ability to mitigate risk whilst maximising results. Stephanie Vora, from Vora Coaching, understands these pressures and reflects that, “Executive coaching has that same goal – to maximise the results capable of an individual through practical, tested processes to enhance an Executive’s clarity”.
Not just for the ivory tower
Executive Coaching is quite often mistakenly seen as exclusively for CEOs or group board members. This simply just isn’t the case. Executive Coaching is about maximising one’s professional potential and decision making, anyone in a position of responsibility would benefit from coaching. It is true to say that companies who pay for this level of tuition on behalf of the Executive have only traditionally recognised its importance for their board member – the ‘who else do they have to talk to’ attitude prevails. And for that very same reason is why Bearing Partnership believes Executive Coaching should be considered as an essential support mechanism to leaders within the Digital Media and Ecommerce space, after all, who else in the business do they have to talk to?
It is in this respect, Vora is a particularly adept commentator, having a successful background within Ecommerce – she spent 10 years within the Ecommerce/Digital space spearheading the Digital development for companies such as Bloomingdale’s, Space NK and Aspinal of London. Vora is uniquely positioned as an Executive Coach who understands the esoteric pressures that comes with senior management within this industry. This makes for a natural partnership between those Executives seeking the benefits derived from a having an Executive Coach, with the added benefit of Vora understanding the subject matter and context.
So what is coaching and what is the process?
“Leaders surround themselves with professionals that would not necessarily tell them what to do, but instead be a support system and an expert sounding board for them to polish their ideas, sharpen their goals and create a balance necessary for them to make their own decisions and move forward” says Vora. She summarises coaching as a very unique and tailored experience – “It is about accelerating positive change and reaching set goals, assessing what’s working and what could be improved.” It is a progression of self-awareness, reflection, action, accountability and results.
To exemplify the type of relationship Vora sets up, she says “If it’s an executive coaching engagement, I work with my clients based on both the organisational goals coupled with their individual needs, desires and objectives. If it is a personal one-on-one engagement then it is strictly based on their individual needs. As coaching is self-directed, we work at their pace and learning style to accomplish the most we can in the time we have together.”
Vora suggests that the number of coaching sessions, whilst each individual case is different, averages between 6 to 12 sessions. With the general rule of thumb being that is takes 6 weeks to break a habit and 6 weeks to create a new habit. These sessions span enough time to ensure that new behavioural patterns can emerge.
Each session consists of up to 2 hours with the frequency of sessions being completely customisable, with weekly or bi-monthly sessions being the most preferred depending on the type of engagement. Vora adds, “They take place via phone (both domestic and internationally) or face-to-face, if mutually agreed upon. This consistency helps the Executives stay on track with their goals and insights. I also offer email support and additional phone support in between sessions in case they hit a roadblock or just want to share a success”.
“We will work together to identify attainable goals and to put a structure in place to accomplish them. In each session we will set action items together, and in between sessions the Executive will be responsible for completing these. Completing these assignments along with your insights and learning’s upon them are key to making this a successful partnership and propelling you forward.
What to look for when engaging a Coach
A referral from someone whose opinion you trust is essential when looking for an Executive Coach. Their background too is an important element towards building a trusting relationship. It is true to say that an Executive Coach has the tools to help, regardless of their background – however there is more comfort and an immediate sense of ‘getting it’ that comes with having an Executive coach who has worked in the same industry as you, so seeking out a trusted coach who has experience of your industry is important.
It also helps you to choose a coach once you understand the basics of what makes a good Coach. They will be non-judgmental, intuitive, 100% committed to you and your goals, dependable, flexible, honest, empathetic and above all, challenging. If you can identify those characteristics within your Executive Coaching partner, along with a trusted referral, you can be confident that you can fully embrace the process.
Full Disclosure, indeed, a recommendation
In the spirit of full disclosure, Bearing Partnership have seen first hand the benefits of using an Executive Coaching program and have engaged Vora to coach the management team through what has been one of the most challenging years for an Executive Search company in recent history. Being slightly protected from the cold economic winds due to our specialism in Digital and Ecommerce (possible one of the only markets still expanding bar the bankruptcy administration industry), we have been as much in need of clarity in our decision making as anyone – and that is where Executive coaching for us has excelled.
From my own personal experience, I can offer this example. I suffered from what I will term ‘total urgency syndrome’. Every moment of my day seemed to be accounted for to do an activity which I deemed critical to the success of the business. It never abated – I was stuck in the ‘Very Important Very Urgent’ quadrangle of time management. All the activities were important activities of course, I wasn’t having delusions of management grandeur, the problem was a combination of poor planning and a need for company restructuring that made every day a drama. Stephanie’s coaching was essential in changing my attitude to planning as well as offering sage suggestions around how to affect change within the organisation. Now in my everyday tasks, I look after the ‘Very Important but Not Urgent’ activities with just as much gusto as the ‘Very Urgent and Very important’ activities – breaking the perpetual cycle of the ‘Not Urgent’ becoming ‘The Urgent’ through my inaction. For me, this coaching model is supremely effective for people who believe in continual improvement of both their work scenario as well as improving their day to day enjoyment of their job – I have certainly benefited from huge tangible gains in both.
Vora goes on to say “Coaches are facilitators and collaborators. We don’t give advice, train or tutor on life and work, nor do we provide therapy. Suggestions can always be made if requested, but that’s not the core of what we do. Coaching focuses on effective solutions to accelerate positive change, helping you become the best version of yourself. Executive coaching includes goals around performance, productivity, self- management, effective communication, delegation, managing others, emotional intelligence, and managing change.”
Would you benefit from an Executive Coach?
Motivated people who are ready for change and are looking for that something extra would gain the most from a period of Executive coaching, as well as those people interested in continually looking for improvement within their work or life in general.
Vora helps us understand who benefits by commenting “I work with Executives, managers, and teams of all levels in the corporate environment on areas such as increasing productivity and sales, effective team management, communication skills, leadership, improving performance, taking on more responsibility, delegation, managing change, retention of key employees, and guiding newly promoted team members.”
So to summarise, those who can benefit are
- Managers or Executives within a position of responsibility within Digital and Ecommerce; where their clarity of decision making can markedly change the business. Not just board directors but the heads of department as well as the impactful specialists would also benefit.
- Any person who is either looking to take a step up to the next level, or has recently been promoted into a position of more responsibility would benefit from a process of Executive Coaching
- An Executive who has been affected by a company’s restructuring and has found themselves actively looking for their next opportunity. Like having a good head-hunter on your side, an Executive Coach can help with the decision making thought the stressful job seeking process.
It is essential the Digital and Ecommerce industries recognise the benefit that Executive Coaching can bring to their business; to stop relying on the skills they can buy in at the top level, and to help nurture the management decision prowess of their incumbent talent.
If you’re interested in talking to Vora Coaching about a free initial complimentary consultation that will allow you to get a taste of what coaching is like, please contact her at the following address.
Web: www.voracoaching.com
Mail: stephanie@voracoaching.com
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