Some people say they don’t need a business coach because they have friends and family who support and motivate them. Friends and relatives may be helpful, but we can’t rely on them to support what’s best for us because they often lack the objectivity needed to guide us.
The supportive people in our lives want the best for us, but they are often invested in themselves, and in us just as we are. When you reach out to your bestie to vent over the challenges in your business, she will be there to listen, comfort, and commiserate. Most won’t challenge your slanted version of events.
That is what a business coach is for – to focus on you and your goals and guide you to the results you desire. Friends and family accept you as you are. A coach helps you take a look in the mirror and create the reflection you desire. Coaches can do and say things friends and family often can’t. I don’t want to make people feel uncomfortable, but I know there is no change without resistance. Surrounding yourself with advisors you can trust is smart business. It allows you to move forward with confidence and focus on what is important.
Friends generally respond to us from their personal experience. For example, someone who has a hard time standing up for herself at work, might encourage you to grin and bear it. Another might discourage you from implementing a new marketing strategy because it was something he tried and failed. On the other hand, friends or family may encourage you to take on risks that they won’t accept, like getting a business loan or investing in expensive technology.
Coaching – Talk to Someone Who Understands Your Business
A coach guides business owners and executives to discern and diagnose specific and systemic business issues that inhibit profitable growth. A coach will help you look at every corner of your business to find the root cause for why things are stuck. Your coach should help you set direction, and provide feedback, tools, guidance, and perspective.
Coaching is typically a personal one-on-one experience in which the client is the expert. Through guidance and inquiry, the client will move out of their comfort zones and into the direction of their stated goals. The coach will help the business leader identify their internal obstacles and learn how to manage and overcome them.
Coaching is not consulting. A coach will help clients discover their own answers. A consultant has the answers. Coaching is not therapy. A coach helps you define and achieve your future goals. A therapist helps diagnose and treat mental health issues.
Knowing You Need Help is the First Step
Consider hiring a coach if you are having trouble setting and achieving business goals; need a trustworthy confidant who actually knows their industry; or are a new business owner who wants to accelerate their success and avoid startup pitfalls.
Getting to the top and staying there is hard. It requires more than most will ever realize, that’s why top business owners and executives no longer go it alone. They find someone they trust with proven experience, and they go on the journey together.
The kind of help you seek will vary depending on the age and stage of your business. However, whether your business is in year one or year 10, you deserve a trusted partner who supports you and your business goals. Contact me for a complimentary consultation and let’s discuss the possibilities. Or use the appointment scheduler on my homepage and pick a time that works for you.
