Given the challenging economy, now is not the time for business owners to be super heroes or lone rangers. Now is not the time to be isolated, alone, and pretending to have all the answers. It's OK, end the superman or superwoman charade. This is your virtual business coach here and you can relax and be yourself. You don't need to put up a false front for me or anyone else. In fact, please put away your super hero cape and tights, stop speeding around like a bullet, and stop trying to leap tall buildings in a single bound. You are exhausting yourself, your employees and probably your family.
Now more than ever, you need to be strong enough to ask for help. Ask and you shall receive...help. Let go of your ego. No owner has all the answers and everything worked out. Well all need additional help and support, your friendly business coach (me) included. Besides, better solutions always come from a diversity of ideas...not just your ideas. Ask for help and then listen to the advice and wisdom of others. I sure have.
Recently, the small business owners I have talked to that are doing well, including my business coaches, have made the best of the recession. They have embraced the economic challenge and used the wake-up call to think differently, act differently, and yes, to seek help. More and more small business owners and self-employed professionals are turning to business coaching in these challenging times and I am so happy for them. Every business owner deserves a coach. If Tiger Woods can have several coaches to help him attain and maintain his peak performance, surely you can have one coach.
Our Growth Coach business coaches throughout North America are busier than ever helping small business owners achieve greater success and balance in their lives. These owners, mainly out of fear of loss, came to our coaches to seek help and get their ships in shape to weather the choppy economic waters. They woke up to the reality of needing some more objectivity and accountability in their lives. Because of our powerful marketing system, the majority of Growth Coach clients come to us via strong endorsement from CPAs, bankers, attorneys, financial planners, Chamber leaders, etc. These advisors care deeply about their clients and want them to get some needed business coaching assistance.
However, what troubles me are all the small business owners who have not yet embraced business coaching or other types of assistance. They are still trying to be super heroes and do it themselves. They do not realize what got them to where they are now is no longer sufficient to get them to where they want to go. Unless they grow as owners, the business will not grow. They need to grow their knowledge, mindsets, habits and skills to survive and thrive. Now is the time to ask for and receive help. Here are some suggestions:
1. Hire a business coach with a proven business coaching process. A business coach should not tell you what to do or how to do it...that is not an empowering and effective process. They should simply hold up a mirror to your world so you can see for yourself what is broken. You simply want an objective coach who will help you discover for yourself what you need to change. They will then help hold you accountable for making those changes. They will challenge you, stretch your mindset and assumptions, and help you recognize and overcome your limiting beliefs and behaviors holding you back. Click here to find a business coach near you.
2. Next best thing to business coaching, is to join a mastermind group of other business owners so you can discuss your challenges, opportunities, fears, doubts, etc. To get a different perspective and share best practices and avoid worst practices. You want a group where you can be yourself and speak the truth. No room for mind games and pretending. Check out your Chamber of Commerce for CEO Roundtables, the Entrepreneurs' Organization (www.eonetwork.org), or start your own mastermind group of 6-9 business owners and meet once a month or once a quarter to help each other.
3. Read books from proven business leaders and owners to gain inspiration and wisdom. Also, listen to educational CDs while you are driving around. I like and highly recommend www.nightingale.com. As John Wooden, the great UCLA basketball coach said, "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."
4. Assemble your team of advisors (CPA, banker, attorney, financial planner, consultant, etc.) in one room at the same time and ask them for help. Pick their brains. Ask for advice and suggestions to battle the recession. If they are unwilling to roll up their sleeves and truly help your business, get new advisors.
5. Ask your employees for help. Ask them, "If you were the owner or CEO for this company, how would you increase our revenues, decrease our costs, and improve our operations?" Stop trying to have all the answers. Stop being a lone wolf. The strength of the wolf is the pack. Ask your pack for help...and then listen.
Whether in good times or bad, you should be receptive to asking for help. But in challenging times, more is at stake. Go ahead and pull the large S off your chest. You don't need to be super business owner any longer, you simply need to be a more strategic and effective business owner. That's a much easier burden to carry. Again, put away your super hero cape and tights.
Daniel M. Murphy
President, Founder & Business Coach
The Growth Coach
Business Coaching Franchise System