So you're wondering - What's all this hype about coaching? What exactly is it and how can it help me? Great question! The term coaching in general stems from the sporting world. Sports teams and the athletes alike found that in order to bring about the highest degree of performance in a sports team and its individual athletes, they needed to be coached. Coaching in the sports realm has helped in many positive and wonderful ways. In a nut shell it equipped the coach with precise skill sets to help hone in on athletes strengths & identify weaknesses. It allowed the coach to than assess the situation and provide clear cut strategies and solutions to help create greater improvement in all aspects of the athletes. Team applications were also a major benefit to the team as a whole. Decision-making became easier, overall team performance increased and the motivation of all the team's members involved, catapulted Shervin Mirhashemi .
Nowadays no sports team would survive without the help and support of a good coach. In the business world, why should it be any different? Coaching is now being recognized as a vital and very powerful business performance tool. Just like sports, business is extremely competitive. There are millions of people who are competing and looking to win over the same customers as you. To be a great success and create the wealth you truly desire, it is imperative that you learn how to create a unique identity for yourself and learn how to effectively differentiate you and your business from the vast competition.
Most of the very same principles that apply to creating a well rounded athlete, also apply to creating a well rounded business, executive and entrepreneur. Like successful athletes, a business person who's interested in becoming the best of the best, must also hone in on their strengths, have their weaknesses identified and know exactly what they should be doing to bring about their desired results. The business coach will implement business applications which will contribute to your financial benefits, as well as significant intangible benefits. If I were to ask you what you thought were the three things that people wanted most in their lives, what would they be?
They are; more money, more time & more fulfillment.
You probably guessed it, right?
It shouldn't be surprising to see that most people often desire the same things as you and me. A qualified coach knows precisely how to turn these dreams & desires into very real realities. A good coach will work with you to isolate and overcome obstacles, sets realistic and achievable goals & create action plans that bring about solid & expected results.
What Business Coaching is not:
Business coaching is not the same as business consultancy or training - In consultancy and training, the client will get answers. Now, you're thinking, "that's what I need!" - Yes, I know, it can be quite alluring to think that a consultant will give you all the answers - But that's not how it really works - These answers are merely the experiences and opinions of the consultant or trainer. Although this may have worked for them and possibly a few others with whom they've consulted or trained with, but it will not and cannot work for all.
With a coach, the answers come from you! Now, at first glance, this may not seem to be as attractive, compared to the consultant's approach, but please stay with me for a moment. Ok, so now you're saying to yourself, "Hey, if I already have the answers in me, I wouldn't need help!" If that's what you're thinking, I applaud you for questioning my authority, but think again. The reality of it all is that the answers are in fact already in you - They are obviously not apparent to you now, but they are certainly there. I'm not talking metaphysics here or even tapping slightly into spirituality. The fact of the matter is this; in your life and in all of your experiences; past, present and future, no one brought or can bring about the correct answers or pave the proper path better than you can!
Yes, we can certainly take someone's advice, but like gambling, it's a risk we take - Sometimes we win and we often lose. The coach's primary objective however, besides getting you results, is to bring out the correct answers by asking the right questions. Coaching is not telling people what to do although there are times when advice is acceptable; mostly, it is helping them clarify their own vision, while being in control of their own experience. It is helping them evaluate what they are doing now in their business, while making sure to maintain the accuracy of their goals, desires, values and intentions. It gives a client new choices that inevitably leads to change. Coaching helps a client, by breaking beyond mental blocks of what they thought was possible and shows them that almost anything is possible when you have a clear vision (map to success), develop the proper mind set & learn to take the right action on a consistent basis.
Coaching works as a partnership between the coach and the client. It is a level playing field where coach and client are quite able to effortlessly create massive results in the quickest turn-a-round time possible.
So how exactly does the coaching model work?
The coach utilizes powerful tools that help to get to the core of the client. When a client comes to a coach, the client often has a goal in mind - Sometimes they don't - When they do, the coach will ask a client a variety of questions to help bring out the values tied to a particular goal/s. If it's a new goal the client has, the session may be directed one precise way. There are often times when the coach may encounter a situation, where their client presents them with a very old and warn out goal -One that the client just never seemed to be able to bring to fruition. Under these circumstances, the coach may go in a completely different direction. It may be the direction where the coach uses their skill set of asking empowering questions. By asking well thought out questions, the coach will often uncover something that may have very well been holding this client back from achieving that goal and sometimes many other things.
When a client has no goal in mind, the coach has many wonderful ways of tapping into a client's dormant creative side. One of the many methods a coach may use, is something called a high energy think tank. A think tank is a well prepared brain storming session, where past experiences and future desires may be used to create new ideas and thought patterns. Its two minds working in synch, working towards a solution, each generating optimum levels of creativity, which often leads to extraordinary results.
How much is a Business Coach?
Like any worthwhile service, the level of quality and the quantity you receive should always exceed the price you pay. Does this mean that business coaching is inexpensive? No! It means that your return on investment is well worth the price you pay. How does a 500% Return On Investment sound? In depth Studies have shown that the Return On Investment that you can expect from being coached even exceeds 500%. This means that a client will, on average, receive more than five times more out of being coached than you paid to be coached.