How do you engage an uncooperative executive coachee?

1 Identify the root cause

The first step to engaging an uncooperative executive coachee is to understand why they are behaving that way. Is it due to fear, lack of confidence, personality clash, or organizational culture? By asking open-ended questions, listening actively, and empathizing with their perspective, you can uncover the underlying issues and address them accordingly. For example, if your coachee is afraid of failure, you can help them reframe their mindset and focus on learning and growth instead of performance and judgment.

4 Challenge them respectfully

Sometimes, executive coachees may be uncooperative because they are bored, complacent, or overconfident. They may think they know everything, have nothing to learn, or have no room for improvement. In these cases, you need to challenge them respectfully and help them see the gaps between their current and desired state. You can do this by asking powerful questions, providing honest feedback, and exposing them to different perspectives and scenarios. You can also challenge them to set stretch goals, try new approaches, and seek feedback from others.

5 Leverage their values and interests

Finally, you can engage an uncooperative executive coachee by leveraging their values and interests. You can find out what matters to them, what motivates them, and what excites them, and use that information to tailor your coaching approach and style. You can also link their coaching goals and outcomes to their values and interests, and show them how coaching can help them achieve what they want. By doing this, you can create a more meaningful and relevant coaching experience for your coachee.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?