We’ve now become accustomed to hearing that different sports men and women, have coaches to help improve their game. Indeed, we think nothing of seeing the likes of Roger Federer or Serena Williams with their practice coaches before a game.
Even without thinking we can determine that having a sports coach is to help improve someone’s performance, or to iron out any areas that they are having with their game, so as to bring them as close to perfection as can be. Indeed, individuals like Roger Federer or Serena Williams employ a number of coaches, not only the ones we see them with on the practice court, but also for things with nutrition and wellbeing.
So given that we can see the benefits for sports men and women, why do we find it so difficult to see the benefits in coaches in helping businesses?
One reason is the fact that the term ‘Coach’ is not fully understood, and as a result is open to interpretation which causes confusion. So before I go any further let me give you my definition of a coach in a business context. “Business coaching is about developing bespoke processes that enables both individuals and businesses alike to achieve their full potential through partnership and collaboration”.
Business Coaching is not about Training which is about imparting new skills or knowledge, It’s not about Consultancy which is about external expertise in a particular area, it’s not about counselling which is about specialist activity into personal problems, and it’s not about Life Coaching which is about focusing on individual goals and aspirations. There is of course nothing wrong with these specific interventions, I mention them as they are the common areas that ‘coaching’ is often confused with.
Of course you can get coaches who have specific ‘niche’ areas within business, such as Marketing, Career, Branding etc. But they will all be about developing bespoke processes that enables both individuals and businesses alike to achieve their full potential through partnership and collaboration.
So if you engage with a coach for your business, you will be getting someone with specific skills and experience, who will be looking specifically at the required fundamentals needed that will make a difference, someone who is outcome focused, so that the business takes sustained action to help achieve rapid results.
They will in turn help the business to look at new skills and methods, which will help improve time efficiency and bring about sustained change and overall improvement.
A Business Coach can also be mirror that provides the unbiased feedback you need to help move a business forward. They provide someone to hold you accountable, and help develop your own self-confidence.
So going back to my opening statement, I hope you now can see that a Business Coach provides the focus, perspective and skills, to name but a few to help take a business forward, and should be seen as a valued asset to any business.