So, every great sportsman (and woman!) has a coach right? The person that helps them to define their goals, achieve those goals and keeps them accountable and motivated along their journey.
The athlete and coach will meet at least weekly, often much more, where they will go through what’s gone well and what needs working on next. The coach is an objective pair of eyes, critiquing the performance and techniques of the athlete and guiding them towards achieving their goals. They will work together on the athlete’s strengths, utilising these to enhance their performance and then analyse the weaknesses, what training or steps does the athlete need to take in order to better their performance?
Well… this is the same for a business coach, they support business owners in defining their goals (both personal and for their business), help them to achieve those goals (by showing them the tactics and techniques they need), keep them accountable (checking in at regular weekly or bi-weekly 1-2-1 sessions) and finally help to keep motivation up! We only do things consistently and well if we enjoy what we’re doing, so part of a coach’s role is support you in bringing fun and enjoyment back into what you do.
Business, like sport, is hard going at times – we need someone to support us through the tough times as well as celebrate the wins!
Great, we hear you cry, but what does this look like for me?!
Often a coach/client relationship will start when a business owner realises the need for support, this can look very different from business to business:
- A business has plateaued, it’s not losing money, but profits aren’t increasing either
- An individual working all the hours under the sun and it never seems to get any better, who knows they need support but not how to get it
- Someone who can’t see an end in sight, perhaps wanting to plan what the future looks like – will the business be sold on, will it be passed on to a family member, will you take an advisory/board role and build a team to make this possible
- A business owner feels they are lacking in a fundamental area such as sales, marketing, training, team building, time management or finances
- An entrepreneurial individual has created a business out of realising a need in the market or has a skill that is profitable but doesn’t yet have the knowledge to turn this into a successful business
Wherever the journey starts, once you have a coach by your side the aim is to have a more enjoyable, profitable business that can deliver on its goals so that you can make your personal goals and dreams possible.
