Unlike business consulting, business coaching empowers the client to solve their own problems and seize upon their unique opportunities. Business coaching is about asking the right questions, not forcing canned answers. In fact, business coaching is not about telling the client what to do or even how to do it...that's an arrogant and dis-empowering approach.
As the owner, YOU are the expert in your business, your vision, dreams, lifestyle goals, and the dangers and opportunities facing your business...nobody else is such an expert or should be. Therefore, never give up the responsibility for or control of your business and/or life to someone else. Again, you are the expert in YOUR life and business so stay in charge.
But don't we business owners all have problems and challenges? Yes! But it's never the problems facing you that are the real problems...it's the fact that most entrepreneurs simply don't take the time nor have the right approach to tackle their problems or seize their opportunities. A combination of busyness and denial prevents them from facing reality and mapping out changes.
Typically, we business owners are too close to the situation and it’s hard to see basic truths and the big picture. We are stuck in the trenches and it's challenging to be objective. As such, business coaching is about helping owners, executives and managers to face reality and accept the truth. Without being grounded in the truth, you are standing on quicksand, and there can be no real progress or improvement.
An effective coaching process helps you to discover where you are, where you want to go, and how to get there. Furthermore, with an on-going and objective review and accountability process, you truly stay on track to achieve your most desired outcomes. Why is business coaching so effective? Questions and accountability. A mind cannot ignore a question and real accountability drives lasting change in mindset and behavior.
For example, try this simple business coaching test to open up your mind and eyes to new approaches to running your business. Today, if you had to fire yourself as the owner and pay someone else a very significant salary to lead your company, what would you expect of them and from them? How would that job description read? What traits and qualities would you look for in your replacement? What priorities would you insist they focus on? What low-value tasks would you insist they avoid? What big-time goals would you want them to achieve? Would you want them to be more of a leader or doer? Review your telling answers very carefully.
Whatever job description, set of priorities, and guidelines you would develop for someone else to effectively lead and run your business, why not consider adopting the very same for yourself starting today. For greater success and personal freedom, fire your "old" self and hire the "new" self...a more effective and strategic business leader.
As you can see, business coaching involves putting the client front and center in problem/opportunity identification and solution clarification. Done right, coaching helps you get clarity of direction and outcome. To do this, The Growth Coach uses a proven, on-going, and guaranteed coaching & accountability process to provide you with the discipline and structure to wrestle with the right questions so you can properly think about, focus on, and plan out the strategic changes YOU want to make to improve your business and personal life.
To learn more about our coaching process, click here. To locate a coach near you, click here.
Daniel M. Murphy
President, Founder & Business Coach
The Growth Coach
Business Coaching Franchise System
Certified Business Coaches throughout North America