Executive Coach Mike Hourigan
Each year Mike Hourigan personally provides executive coaching on a very select basis for a few executives. Mike’s coaching draws from his personal background as an executive with Cargill Inc. and Olympus Corporation coupled with over 15 years of consulting experience with premier organizations like Harley-Davidson, Marriott International, U.S Army, Disney and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Mike believes the real potential for companies to become purely profitable is by leadership of truly talented, innovative and caring individuals. This is why Mike will coach selected individuals to help them maximize their talents and reach their true potential. To excel as leaders, executives need more than a clear vision and an eagle eye on the bottom line. Today’s leaders need to develop trust quickly, encourage associates to give their best, and manage swiftly by eliminating communication barriers. Mike will personally work with executives and share how he has helped other executives reach their true capacity to help organizations reach superior results.
The following executive coaching overview provided by Hourigan and Associates is intended to provide a quick understanding of how our executive process works and to differentiate it for any other form of coaching.
Working definition of Executive Coaching
Executive coaching is an individualized process to help an executive achieve defined long and short term goals through an on the job experimental process. This process is a collaborative process involving the organization, coach and the executive.
Steps in the coaching process:
Step 1 Confidentiality:
Because honest and accurate information must be provided by the organization, coach, and executive confidentiality is a vital element in the agreement. Confidentiality will be agreed to by all parties before entering into an agreement.
Step 2 Define organizational and executive agreement:
The organization, coach and individual will agree on the long and short term goals of the coaching assignment. Particular attention will be paid to helping the coach define the relationship between key stakeholders in the process. Scope of work will be defined and agreed upon at this step.
Step 3 Assessment phase:
The assessment phase provides the coach and executive with a baseline to develop a unique development plan for the executive. Assessments can take the form of actual personality profiles, leadership assessments etc. and actual observation of the executive with peers and other stakeholders.
Step 4 Specific action plan:
After reviewing assessments and gathering other pertinent information, an individualized action plan will be developed for the executive. The plan will be developed for a year and broken down by long and short term objectives and milestones. The plan will include: new skills to be learned, establishment of priorities and expected change in behavior. The plan will be flexible and updated and fine tuned per the executive’s progress.
Step 5 Coaching:
Actual coaching will take the form of face to face meetings, telephone calls, learning activities, assigned readings and any other activities agreed to by the client and coach.
All of these activities are designed to help the executive to:
- Understand the consequences of their actions
- Continually reflect on their progress
- Find ways to change behaviors and learn different skills
- Improve self awareness of communication issues
- Realize the impact of their actions on stakeholders at all levels
Review:
In addition to normal meetings, executive and coach will meet on a quarterly basis to review progress and assign new goals based on the executive’s progress and change in behavior.
