If you’ve been in business any amount of time, chances are you’ve heard of business coaching. You’ve probably even been marketed to with promises of making you more profitable, efficient, happier, and better looking. Unfortunately, most business coaches are coaching and consulting in areas where they’ve never even been successful themselves. If you wanted to lose some weight, would you hire an out of shape overweight personal trainer? So, is business coaching a scam or waste of money? Not if you hire the right one for your unique situation. Here are five reasons to consider working with a business coach.
Outside perspective
The truth is, we’re often too close to see clearly what’s really going on. It’s unnatural to criticize our own decisions. Obviously we think what we’re doing is the best way, or we wouldn’t be doing it. We tend to be defensive of our actions and decisions, and why not? We need certainty in our lives to avoid going insane. An outside perspective can help us recognize what we can’t seem to see ourselves.
Different background and experience
You’ve heard it said that we don’t know what we don’t know. True, but let me take it a step further. I don’t want you to even believe everything that you do know. We believe what we know because our beliefs of what’s true comes directly from our background and experience in life thus far. Sanity requires certainty, but our certainty is our truth, not the truth. Working with someone who comes from a different background and has experienced a life different than ours, has the very real potential to open new doors and expand what’s possible.
Accountability
Sometimes all we’re lacking is a little accountability. As business leaders we’ve been taught to hold our teams accountable, but who’s holding us accountable? Most answer this question by proclaiming to hold themselves accountable. Perhaps, but are we really? And are we really holding ourselves accountable to the right things and high enough standards? Being a business leader comes with tremendous responsibility, so I won’t suggest many who are leading organizations or teams lack accountability; but I can confidently say that having an accountability partner without our own biases and defensiveness makes a huge difference. It’s a lot easier to skip the gym when you’re going alone. It’s not so easy when you’re meeting someone at 6:00am. The same is true with business coaching.
Skills
We get into business or a leadership role because we’re really good at something. But, unfortunately, we can’t be good at everything. This is why smart leaders surround themselves with other smart people who have entirely different sets of background, experience, and skills. We can’t be good at everything. I know – I’ve tried. But we can be really good at something, and smart enough to fill in the gaps with others who compliment us. Business coaching and consulting is a great way to expand upon this without being limited to internal resources.
The most successful athletes & business leaders have a coach
Tiger Woods used a number of swing coaches since turning pro. Michael Jordan was coached. Famous and prominent business leaders such as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, and Eric Schmidt all capitalized on the benefits of having a business coach. If Tiger Woods needs a coach to hit a golf ball that wins Majors, and Michael Jordan needs a coach to play championship level basketball, what argument is there for us to go at it alone?
Mike Voories is the President & CEO of Business Resources One, a talent acquisition, training, coaching, and consulting firm that helps business leaders gain an unfair competitive advantage. For more information visit: https://BusinessResourcesOne.com
