Q. Is coaching different from consulting
or psychological counseling?
Dr. Small: Yes, significantly different. Consultants
promote their expert knowledge and are paid to
impart that knowledge to the people or organizations
that hire them. In essence, consultants are teachers.
A psychological therapist helps people fix problems
and deals primarily with issues in the past that have
created problems in the present. Coaching does not
dwell on the past or on problems. It is futurefocused and concentrates on positive solutions
rather than defining or dwelling on the cause of
specific problems.
Dr. Joel C. Small
Executive
Coaching:
What it is and what it can do
for your professional growth
Q. What is executive coaching?
Dr. Small: Executive coaching is a positive, solution-focused process aimed at inspiring leaders to
recognize and overcome blind spots and self-limiting
beliefs that, once resolved, allow transformational
behavioral changes to occur throughout their entire
organization. The nature of this transformation is
both personal and professional and results in
increased productivity and performance, as well as
increased job satisfaction and improvement in the
organization’s bottom line profitability.
A
Although executive coaching remains relatively
unknown in the healthcare profession, Forbes cites
it as the second fastest growing profession in the
country. Coaching has become the transformational
process of choice for numerous Forbes 1000 companies, and their testimonials are nothing short
of overwhelming.
Q
&
Professional coaches are experts at coaching, but
share a deeply held belief that their client has within
him/her the answers to any situation they may face.
The coach’s job is to assist the client in finding the
solution which they already possess and developing
an action plan to implement the solution and
ultimately achieve a goal. The coach serves as
a facilitator.
Q. Can you give an example of what
one might expect when working with
an executive coach?
Dr. Small: Absolutely, in fact, I can share my personal story as an example. Throughout my career, I
have benefited greatly from my experience with professional coaches. Working with my past coaches, I
was able to identify blind spots that for years were
compromising my effectiveness in all aspects of my
personal and professional life. Coaching allowed me
to not only identify my blind spots, but it taught me
how to reframe existing, self-limiting preconceptions
that, once viewed differently and aligned with my personal values, became my greatest strengths.
Several of the doctors in my endodontic practice
have utilized executive coaches, and our office manager has her own executive coach that she has utilized for the past ten years. Overall, professional
coaching has had a very positive effect on North
Texas Endodontic Associates.
My personal mission is to introduce coaching to the
healthcare profession. I know from personal experience that coaching is transformational and that
overcoming blind spots and self-limiting beliefs can
be a life-altering experience.
Q. How does one find the right coach?
Dr. Small: There are three prerequisites for executive coaching to be effective; a well-trained coach
who is knowledgeable about the industry in which
they are coaching, a willing subject that wants to
make positive changes in their personal and/or professional life, and a positive rapport between the
coach and their client.
Given these criteria, it would be important to find
someone who has experience in your industry and
it would be wise to inquire about their training and
experience. Most of the better coaches have undergone formal training in executive coaching and are
either working toward or have already acquired a
coaching designation from the International Coach
Federation, the official worldwide governing body for
personal and professional coaches.
The rapport between the coach and client is paramount. Most coaches offer a complimentary initial
coaching session dedicated to answering your questions and deciding if there is the proper chemistry for
the coach/client relationship. Each party must decide
for themselves if there is sufficient trust and rapport
for there to be a successful outcome from working
together.
What self-limiting beliefs do you have that might be
getting in your way? If you asked your team to help
you identify blind spots, would you be surprised by
what you discover?
Dr. Joel C. Small is a practicing endodontist and the
author of “Face to Face: A Leadership Guide for
Healthcare Professionals and Entrepreneurs”. He
received his MBA, with an emphasis in healthcare
management, from Texas Tech University. He is a
graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas postgraduate program in executive coaching and limits
his coaching practice to motivated healthcare professionals. He is a nationally recognized speaker on
the subjects of leadership and professional development. Dr. Small is available for speaking engagements and for coaching healthcare professionals
who wish to experience personal and professional
growth while taking their practices to a higher level
of productivity.
Dr. Small can be reached at [email protected]
or by calling (972) 567-9592.
Joel C. Small, DDS, MBA, FICD
Executive Coaching for the Dental Mind
www.northtexasdentistry.com
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NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY
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