Executive Coaching Vancouver: What to Expect in Your First 90 Days (Founders + Executives)

If you’re searching for executive coaching in Vancouver, you’re probably not looking for inspiration.

You’re looking for traction.

Not “good conversations.” Not theory. Not a binder of ideas that dies by Tuesday.

You want to know:

• What actually happens in executive coaching?

• How long does it take to see results?

• How do you know it’s working?

This is a practical guide to what a strong coaching engagement looks like over the first 90 days—built for Vancouver founders and executives who want clearer decisions, stronger leadership habits, and measurable progress.

Who this is for

This guide is built for Vancouver / Lower Mainland leaders who want better performance without more pressure:

• Founders who feel like the bottleneck (everything runs through you)

• Executives stepping into a bigger scope (VP/C-suite/GM) with higher stakes and less honest feedback

• Leaders dealing with decision overload, communication friction, or inconsistent execution

• High performers who aren’t “struggling” — but know they’re leaving leverage on the table

If you want the overview first, start here: Executive Coaching in Vancouver (Service Page)
https://coachingsuccess.ca/executive-coach

Want clarity fast? Book a complimentary 15-minute strategy call:
https://calendly.com/joelzimelstern1/15min

Key Takeaways

• The best executive coaching starts with clear outcomes, not vague goals.

• In the first 30 days, you should gain focus, leverage, and a leadership rhythm—not just insight.

• In 60–90 days, you should see changes in behaviour and business impact signals (decision speed, delegation, accountability, team performance).

• If coaching isn’t measurable, it becomes optional. Good coaching makes progress visible.

Why “executive coaching Vancouver” is different than generic coaching advice

Vancouver (and the Lower Mainland) has a specific mix: entrepreneur-heavy growth companies, professional services, real estate-adjacent businesses, trades and construction, plus corporate leadership roles where expectations are high and time is tight.

In that environment, coaching needs to be:

• Confidential (leaders need a place to be honest)

• Practical (decisions, conversations, execution)

• Time-efficient (simple cadence, high leverage)

• Measurable (progress you can see, not just feel)

If you’re still sorting out what executive coaching is (and isn’t), start here:
A Guide to Executive Coaching: What It Is and When to Use It
https://coachingsuccess.ca/exectuive-guide

The 90-day executive coaching roadmap (what “good” looks like)

Days 1–30: Clarity, leverage, and the first “BFO” moments

In the first month, the goal isn’t transformation.

The goal is to stop wasting leadership energy.

You should walk away with:

• A clear definition of success (3–5 outcomes, not 25 wishes)

• A focus map: what matters, what’s noise, what’s being avoided

• A leadership rhythm that reduces chaos (weekly priorities + follow-through)

• One high-impact upgrade that shows up immediately (a conversation, a decision rule, a meeting structure)

Common Vancouver founder pattern: “Everything runs through me.”
Common Vancouver exec pattern: “I’m carrying too much context and not getting clean feedback.”

If you want a fast diagnostic on what might be quietly taxing performance, read:
Executive Blind Spots: See What You Miss, Scale What Matters
https://coachingsuccess.ca/executive-blind-spots-coaching

Days 31–60: Better decisions, cleaner delegation, stronger accountability

This is where coaching becomes real—or doesn’t.

By 60 days, leaders typically start seeing:

• Decision latency drop (fewer “circle back” loops)

• Delegation with standards (less rework, fewer rescues)

• Clearer ownership (who does what by when)

• Stronger communication (hard conversations happen earlier, not later)

If you’re unsure whether you need a coach, a consultant, or a mix, this is useful:
Business Coach vs Consultant in BC: Which Drives Growth?
https://coachingsuccess.ca/business-coach-vs-consultant-bc

Days 61–90: Measurable progress (and proof it’s compounding)

At 90 days, you should be able to point to specific changes like:

• Cycle time improvements (projects moving faster)

• Team performance lift (fewer repeated problems, better follow-through)

• Reduced “founder bottleneck” (more decisions made one level below you)

• Stronger retention signals (especially among high-value people)

If retention is one of your pain points, this article is a strong companion read:
Retention Strategy: How to Keep Your Best People in Canada
https://coachingsuccess.ca/employee-retention-canada-bottom-line

The 90-Day Executive Coaching Scorecard (copy/paste)

Use this to make progress visible. You don’t need perfect data — you need consistent signals.

Decision-making

• Days 1–30: Define decision rules + “what must be true” criteria

• Days 31–60: Reduce looping and late reversals

• Days 61–90: Faster decisions with fewer escalations

• Track: cycle time, reversals, escalations per week

Delegation

• Days 1–30: Clarify decision rights + standards

• Days 31–60: Fewer rescues, less rework

• Days 61–90: Team makes decisions without you

• Track: % decisions made below you, rework count

Accountability

• Days 1–30: Install meeting cadence + clear owners

• Days 31–60: Commitments done on time

• Days 61–90: Fewer recurring issues

• Track: on-time rate, repeat issues per month

Communication

• Days 1–30: Identify avoided conversations

• Days 31–60: Hard conversations earlier

• Days 61–90: Less friction, more alignment

• Track: stakeholder feedback, conflict frequency

Time + focus

• Days 1–30: Audit calendar + identify drains

• Days 31–60: More strategic blocks protected

• Days 61–90: Less firefighting, better leverage

• Track: hours/week strategy vs reactive work

Want to apply this to your situation? Start here:
https://coachingsuccess.ca/executive-coach
Or book a complimentary 15-minute strategy call:
https://calendly.com/joelzimelstern1/15min

How to know if coaching is working (without pretending leadership is math)

Not everything valuable is easy to measure. But you can almost always track signals.

Leadership signals

• Hard conversations happen earlier

• Meetings end with clear owners and next actions

• You’re less reactive—and more deliberate

• Your team stops waiting for you to solve everything

Business impact signals

• Projects move faster (less stall, less rework)

• Execution improves (commitments done on time)

• Fewer recurring people issues

• Retention risk reduces in key roles

If you want a deeper ROI lens with simple numbers and BC-friendly examples, start here:
Is Business Coaching Worth It? ROI Guide for BC Leaders
https://coachingsuccess.ca/is-business-coaching-worth-it-bc-roi-guide

What executive coaching is (and isn’t)

Coaching is not therapy. It’s not a motivational talk. And it’s not consulting where someone does the work for you.

Good coaching strengthens how you:

• think

• decide

• communicate

• execute

If you’re deciding between executive coaching and leadership coaching, this helps:
What is a leadership coach?
https://coachingsuccess.ca/articles/what-is-a-leadership-coach

Red flags (the things Vancouver leaders should avoid)

• Overpromised ROI with no context

• Vague process (“We’ll talk and see what happens”)

• No accountability between sessions

• No baseline (if you don’t define “better,” you can’t reach it)

Questions to ask on the first call (so you don’t waste time)

If you’re shortlisting an executive coach in Vancouver, these questions will save you hours.

1. What does your process look like in the first 30–90 days?

2. How do you define success at the start? (not after the fact)

3. How will we measure progress? What metrics or signals do you track?

4. What’s your coaching style? (direct feedback, questions, assignments, all of the above?)

5. What do you expect from me between sessions?

6. How do you handle confidentiality?

7. What types of leaders do you do your best work with?

8. What are the common reasons coaching fails—and how do you prevent that?

9. If we’re not getting traction by week 4–6, what changes?

10. What would make you say, “We’re not a fit”?

If the answers are vague, they usually stay vague.

FAQs: Executive coaching in Vancouver

How often do coaching sessions happen?

Most leaders do weekly or bi-weekly sessions, with simple implementation steps between sessions. The cadence matters more than the length.

Is executive coaching useful for founders (not just corporate executives)?

Yes. Founders often have the greatest leverage because the constraint is often the founder’s time, decision-making, and delegation systems.

Do I need coaching if I’m not “struggling”?

No. The best time to coach is often before problems become expensive. Coaching is a performance tool, not a remedial fix.

Next step (no pressure, just clarity)

If you want to explore executive coaching in Vancouver without making it a big commitment:

1. Start with the service overview:
   Executive Coaching in Vancouver
   https://coachingsuccess.ca/executive-coach

2. Then book a short call so we can map what outcomes matter most in your role:
   Schedule a complimentary 15-minute strategy call
   https://calendly.com/joelzimelstern1/15min

If you’re curious about why I coach the way I do, you can read my background here:
Why I became a business coach
https://coachingsuccess.ca/why-i-became-a-business-coach

Explore more Vancouver-focused leadership articles

Vancouver Business Hub: https://coachingsuccess.ca/vancouver-business-hub
Articles: https://coachingsuccess.ca/articles