Businesses that do not have a business coach is because they often believe it to be a costly relationship, one they feel they cannot afford. The truth is, this is one relationship that they CANNOT DO without. Whether the venture is small or big, it is the Entrepreneur’s vision that drives the business, makes them stretch, take the leap to push towards success. No doubt, both time & blunders have sharpened their intuition and managing skills. Their mistakes have been their biggest mentor. But what if they could have accelerated the learning curve without the expense of the mistakes they made?
Providentially, there is now a service, where business owners can receive counselling customised to their needs that will help them find answers to the challenges they encounter as they guide their organization to success – Coaching for Business. Business coaches come armed with priceless experience and expertise, offer an objective view while making their clients accountable.
They enable companies to achieve their short-term goals effectively while helping them build up competencies and capabilities to achieve their long-term vision.
A common misconception is that coaching for business is only for entrepreneurs who are struggling or faltering in businesses. While Business Coaches are adept at getting faltering businesses back on track, there is a wide assortment of different scenarios where coaches can assist business owners.
Business Coaches acting as business mentors offer great support to new businesses, advising executives and owners as they go through the procedure of establishing their business, defining the mission and goals, and commencing both long-term and short-term strategies. They are equally adept at assisting business owners who have hit a plateau and challenged to scale their growth. Along with improving the operations and driving growth, coaches lighten the Entrepreneur’s load, making their journey a lot more enjoyable.
“If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day.
If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.”
A business coach is not a consultant. They do not do the work for their clients. Instead, they keep the entrepreneurs focused on the results and prompt them to keep to their commitments. To draw a quick parallel, just as a football coach, does not run laps of the field for his/ her team, a business coach does not work in the business, rather on the business. The coach monitors and measures the progress that a businessperson may avoid recording if he//she is in a solitary state. When the journey is transparent, it makes the person in charge more accountable.
After getting alignment on where an entrepreneur might want wishes to take his/her business, a business coach helps design techniques that will enable the business to edge closer to its goal.
A business coach provokes the entrepreneur to think out of the box, extend his/ her limits. Every entrepreneur dreams big, however bouncing ideas off an objective person with expertise, gives one significant insight and clarity. Somebody with an extraordinary, yet demonstrated, fortitude for the technique will push the entrepreneur harder while simultaneously keeping him/her on course.
“It’s not important where you are now,
as long as you’re sure about where you’re going.”
A coach addresses all areas of the business needed to ensure the client’s focus on overall development. Perhaps the element that keeps one focused is the need to be accountable to someone. That someone for an entrepreneur is the Business Coach. The coach becomes the accountability accomplice, assisting them to overcome obstacles to cross the finish line.
The business environment persistently changes more. In response, the key challenges inevitably change. Hence, one needs to adapt & change how one manages the business on an ongoing basis.
Managing change is never easy. If one wishes to stay in the race, they need to be open to seeking help along the way.
Technology is a consistent and ever-increasing part of any venture today. It is also the fastest-changing component of the business environment. It can be hard to keep up. It is critical for enabling companies to communicate effectively with their workers & clients; improve operational efficiency and thus, gain a competitive advantage. Coaches come armed with strategies to enable the successful adoption of apt technology.
In the formative years of the business, the Entrepreneur has to wear multiple hats. Right from marketing, sales, finance, HR to procurement. It is no surprise that their thoughts often get muddled. Coaches provide an impartial perspective to see the unseen adding clarity; to clarify the vision. A seasoned business coach who has insight on branding, marketing strategy, and tactics help grow sales and prevent them from expending efforts on what does not work.
Coaches help improve management and leadership skills. As a business develops, the entrepreneur moves away from the front-line to the more noteworthy and prominent administrative side. Business Coaches help clients tackle troublesome business issues. Thus, readying the establishment early on, to inculcate the ability to face the unavoidable executive storms that lie ahead.
It might come as a surprise to know that even some of the world’s most renowned entrepreneurs and business visionaries have turned to business coaches at some point to help them meet their objectives including but not limited to the Reliance Group, Tata Group of Hospitality, Amazon India, Hindustan Unilever and DLF – among organizations; and Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey – among individual visionaries. From entrepreneurs to athletes to famous personalities, coaching is an asset that all of them swear by, not just to help one achieve goals but to help one formulate a plan for success going forward.
The biggest mistake one can make as an entrepreneur is thinking that they know everything. The best plan of success is knowing when to pull in an expert. To quote Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, “everybody needs a coach”.
Running a business, small or large, can far too often feel like fumbling around in the dark hoping you find what you are looking for. In this analogy, though, a business coach serves as your flashlight.
