What is a Business Coach?

As an experienced business coach in Kildare, this is a question I am often asked. So, I entered the question in Google to see the response – “What is a Business Coach?”. Below are some of the results I received:

• A business coach will assist and guide the business owner in running a business by helping them clarify the vision of their business and how it fits in with their personal goals
• A business coach is a professional mentor who supports, educates and motivates business owners
• Business coaching helps set direction and provide feedback, tools, guidance and perspective

As you can see, there are many different definitions out there!

What does a Business Coach do?

• A business coach will help you with your vision, goals, and strategic plan
• They are also a sounding board for your ideas and concerns. Your business coach will also be there to hold you accountable as you work through the process of becoming more successful in your business
• A good coach will help you develop clarity about what success looks like for you

They help you make sure that everything that needs to happen within your company is happening so that it can reach its full potential. In addition to working on the big picture items such as strategy, they can also assist with more tactical items such as marketing or hiring new employees’

Is Business Coaching for Me?

Like other businesses, I attend many networking meetings and when delivering my 60 second pitch, I use the following phrase to describe what I do:

“I help business people identify their own solutions to business or personal issues that are affecting their business.”

My tagline is “Coaching brings, clarity enables action”

Perhaps the best way to really illustrate how a business coach can help you is to provide you with examples.

Here are the top 5 themes I have come across over the last 12 months:

• 1. We need to revise/put a strategic plan together. Can you help us review the business and build this plan
• 2. Can you help me figure out what I want going forward (I’ve taken the business to a certain stage; I’ve lost sight of where I was going or the horizon has changed)
• 3. I need Time and Space to think. (I am a business owner, I have an issue in the company, it’s a lonely place, I need a thinking partner)
• 4. We have some relationship issues within our team, can you help us with our team dynamics and relationships?
• 5. I’m a new leader in an organisation. It’s a big change. Can you help me through this transition?

Let’s look at each of them in more detail:

1. We need to revise/put a strategic plan together. Can you help us review the business and build this plan?

This request usually comes from businesses who are looking to the future and want to figure out where they are going and where they want to do.

I typically begin by taking a look at where it is they want to get to (vision and mission) and then complete a review of their business under multiple headings using my SOPFSIS framework.

Arising out of this, we put a plan together that is designed to help them get to where they want to be. This process works for all business sizes.

2. Can you help me figure out what I want going forward. I’ve taken the business to a certain stage; I’ve lost sight of where I was going or the horizon has changed.

This enquiry has increased in frequency over the last year. It typically comes from business owners who have been trading for a while.

Many of them are in their 50’s, their business has grown to a certain point and the owner is often reflecting on what it is they now want and where they want to go?

Is this you? Will business coaching like this help you?

3. I need time and space to think. (I am a business owner, I have an issue in the business, it’s a lonely place, I need a thinking partner).

This coaching engagement is often from sole traders or senior leaders.

I often hear “it’s lonely at the top” and indeed it can be.

The client doesn’t want to bring the issue home to their partner. They may not have anybody in work (a trusted colleague) that they can speak with, and they find working with a business coach in a non-judgmental objective environment (where they can take the time and space to think through an issue with someone who has no skin in the game) really helpful.

4. We have some relationship issues with our team, can you help us with our team dynamics and relationships?

During one-on-one coaching sessions, it is often emerges with business leaders that there are problems or issues within their team and a lot of these are relational type issues.

The discussions regularly lead to workshops and group coaching on team dynamics and conflict management

5. I’m a new leader in an organisation. It’s a big change. Can you help me through this transition?

There has been significant demand for business coaching in this space in the last year. Employees have been promoted to management positions and they find the transition from being one of the team to leading and managing the team quite a challenge. The opportunity to work with a coach and discuss these issues and how to go about addressing them comes up a lot.

When you’re looking for a business coach, it’s important to find someone who will be a good fit for your needs.

You should choose someone who has experienced some success in their industry and can help guide you through similar challenges.

It’s also important to make sure that this person has the knowledge and expertise required to provide effective coaching.

Conclusion:

I hope this has given you a flavour of the type of issues that I, as a professional business coach in Co. Kildare, can help my clients with. If any of these resonate with you, why not book a FREE 30 minute business coaching consultation and let’s discuss how I can help you. www.calendly.com/tedwalsh/30min