FAQs

Executive coaching and mentoring differ primarily in their objectives. Executive Coaching is task-oriented, aiming to enhance defined skills, behaviours, and performance.  Coaches provide structured feedback and hold executives accountable, helping them achieve measurable outcomes related to business objectives.

Mentoring is more relationship-focused and often involves long-term career and personal development. Mentors, in most cases are senior individuals with lived experienced in a similar industry or profession to that of their mentee, provide guidance based on their own experiences.

Our methodology doesn’t rely solely on coaching and mentoring. A fundamental strength of our practice is the ability of our team to move fluidly between multiple modalities as determined by client needs. This flexibility, coupled with proven expertise in the fields of organisational behaviour and cultural change, positions us at the peak, not only of coaching and mentoring, but full-service leadership development.

Many coaching firms offer coaches with formal coaching qualifications. What sets SMG apart is the additional lived experience and commercial acumen of our Executive Coaches and Mentors. They have walked in the shoes of leaders, and bring with them decades of leadership experience. They understand the pressures faced at all levels of leadership.

There is no right or wrong time for executive coaching. We look at leadership on a continuum, constantly being refined based on new experiences, regardless of career stage. Our team can work with you to define your objectives, challenges or obstacles, and determine the most appropriate modality to address your needs.

Our coaching engagements vary based on the needs of the leader or organisation. Generally coaching engagements range from 6-12 months.

Thorough impact assessments are a fundamental component of all SMG coaching, mentoring and leadership development programs. To provide depth of insight, we undertake 360 reviews, assess goal outcomes and interview 3^rd parties. We assess impact on the individual, team and organisation.

After establishing a comprehensive brief with one of the SMG team members to understand what you are hoping to achieve from your coaching or mentoring engagement,  we provide you with Executive Coach/Mentor options based on our extensive network of experienced associates. We consider coach specialisations and how they best fit with your individual needs. Following this, a meeting with each coach helps you to determine which coach is the right fit for you.

All of SMG executive coaches are qualified across one or more of the following areas: executive coaching, organisational psychology and clinical psychology. This provides all SMG Associates with a range of foundations and frameworks in which to apply during your sessions. They do not need to know detailed information about your work and life circumstances to be able to support you. They are trained in asking the right questions to get to the core of the issues and strategies to overcome obstacles.

There are many diagnostic tools available in executive coaching. These are used to help both the leader and the coach to gain a better understanding of blind spots and areas of development. At SMG, we are agnostic in regard to which tools we use. If you are not comfortable with the use of psychometric testing, this can be discussed with your coach or mentor and an alternative solution identified.