How executive coaching can help achieve better work-life balance

An executive coach helps higher management, such as CEOs, lead more effectively, balanced, and healthy. Here, banker-turned-executive coach, author, and bibliotherapist Bhakti Mathur explains her career transition and addresses some of the issues related to work-life balance in Hong Kong. 

What does your work involve? 

I partner with middle- to senior-level executives in banks and multinational corporations globally, coaching them on a variety of issues, such as communication, leadership skills, shaping strategy, developing self and others, and work-life balance.

Why did you make the transition into coaching?

After I left banking, I started writing lifestyle stories in addition to children’s books. I focus primarily on the extraordinary resilience of ordinary people in the face of insurmountable adversities, and close to 100 articles later, I still marvel at the strength of the human spirit. 

But for every one person who overcame life’s difficulties, I came across many more who didn’t know how to. That’s when I realised I wanted to do more than write people’s stories. I want to help them shape their narratives. And so, I trained to be a coach. I am now an accredited ICF coach. 

Can you talk us through a typical session?

Coaching is a process of partnering with a client to help them achieve their potential professionally and personally. The process involves creating a safe space to explore what they want to work on. This is achieved by listening deeply and asking powerful questions that allow the client to think and reflect. It ends with us creating an action plan for which they feel accountable.

What are some common challenges for executives in Hong Kong?

Work-life balance, shaping strategy, managing difficult relationships, and improving communication skills are some of the topics discussed. Confidence and public speaking also come up a lot. 

How do you address work-life balance?

We create a safe space for clients to express their feelings and label them. Once they are able to acknowledge and accept their emotions, we can move to the next stage of seeing where they come from—from a past belief that may not be serving them anymore, from conditioning, from their environment, or from a habit. 

After this, we create a new reality and the feelings they want, using tools such as creative visualisation, exploring the clients strengths and other techniques. The biggest change comes when people feel that they are heard, understood, and validated.

Can you share a memorable success story?

One of my clients felt a lot of anxiety and was not able to switch off from work. Through our discussions, he realised that he was anxious about the outcome and that feeling was not letting him be in the present moment. With this awareness, we made an action plan to train the mind to be in the present. There were three parts to it – a daily 45-minute walk where he would walk and observe the sights and sounds, 15 minutes of meditation, and not checking his phone past 8 pm. The results were astounding. Over the subsequent few sessions, he said that his wife noticed a change in him that he was a lot calmer and happier.

Another client had a fear of public speaking, and after a few sessions, we discovered it stemmed from a fear of being judged. We explored where those feelings could be coming from and then made a plan that would make them take action every time fear surfaced while allowing them to feel the fear. The ‘taking action’ was the game changer, as it led to confidence. The big realisation for the client was that action reduces fear.

Bhakti Mathur is a bibliotherapist, executive coach, and author of children’s books. To learn more about her career coaching sessions, email bhakti@reflectwithbhakti.com or visit www.reflectwithbhakti.com.