The importance of having a business coach and mentor.

We all have a choice, go it alone or seek out an experienced guide to help you shortcut our journey.

Running any business is a task full of challenges and frustrations. One day you may be focussed on one area, the next day you are dragged into another area that needs your attention and all of the time you are reacting to challenges as they arise. It is a 24x7 job that probably leaves you with little or no personal or family time.

This is a common situation for business owners and what makes it more challenging is that you are forced to do it on your own. Stress levels rise and your health is at risk and all of the time there is an alternative but because you are at the coalface you cannot stand back and make strategic decisions that could have a dramatic effect on your wellbeing. There is help and support available in the form of a business mentor and all that it takes is for you to do is to change your mindset. Experience tells me that business owners are afraid to ask for help or see it as a cost instead of an investment and so plough on regardless of the pressure they are putting themselves and their loved ones under. So my question to you is - will you take that first step to change the rest of your life or will you carry on regardless?

You can have a business coach come on board as a part time consultant or you can have one full time so you can track your long-term progress. But what is the business coaching process and how does it work? There are several questions regarding this, especially because of the confusing titles and more corporate designations business coaches are given now.

The following is a brief synopsis of what a business coach does and the importance of having an experienced coach. From my experience, I have offered a few insights into the benefits of having a business coach and what may happen if you try to go it alone.

What Is a Business Coach? An Overview

A business coach is, quite simply, a mentor you can rely on to help you make the appropriate business decisions. This is a figure who will be able to guide you while making important and complex business decisions and is someone who offers support and confidence in the daunting world of business. The following are some of the concerns and questions one may have about hiring a business coach.

● Who should use a business coach/mentor?

● The importance of confidentiality?

● The importance of an experienced advisor?

● What to look for when hiring a business coach/mentor?

● Detailed monitoring and evaluation methods

Who Should Use a Business Coach/Mentor?

No rule dictates who should and should not get a business coach. If you are in the cut-throat world of business, it might be helpful to have an experienced coach or mentor to turn to. A coach will be able to provide even the most experienced executive with a different perspective and is a useful sounding board for important decisions.

While organisations are turning to business coaches for specific workshops and sessions, one can also have a business coach come on board on a freelance basis for specific situations and projects.

However, no matter in what situation you hire a business coach, it is important to be open to their guidance.

The Importance of Confidentiality?

The business coaching process also places importance on confidentiality. This probably does not need much explanation, but anybody who has ventured into any kind of business may have understood how competitive it can be. In my experience, confidentiality is the key to building trust.

This is why it is important to have complete faith in the business coach. You need to be confident enough to confide in the coach without fear. You can rely on part time coaches even though they may have multiple engagements with different companies. (1)

(1) https://www.emccglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/119.pdf

The Importance of an Experienced Advisor?

Again, this is something I imagine does not require too much explanation. Why would you want to take advice from somebody who has only academic experience? A survey conducted by Harvard Business Review found that 65% of the coaches who had been interviewed also stressed on the importance of experience in different fields. (2)

(2)https://hbr.org/2009/01/what-can-coaches-do-for-you

What to Look for When Hiring a Business Coach/Mentor?

The first thing is to ensure that whoever is going to be coached should be open to the process and should be comfortable with the coach. If you are picking a coach for another executive, I would suggest letting them choose the coach since they would know what works for them best.

The second thing is that you should assess the competence of the coach by asking them about their methodology. All good business coach have a defined methodology. Coaches may have different approaches, but you need to be clear about what theirs will be so there are no confusions later.

(3)https://coachfederation.org/

(4)https://www.associationforcoaching.com/

(5) https://emccuk.org/Public/Accreditation/Accreditation.aspx

Detailed Monitoring and Evaluation Methods

So far we have spoken about the importance of business coaching, but how does one assess whether the coaching is even effective. This ties in with the point I made earlier about a clear methodology.

A coach needs to have a clear methodology because this means that they will be able to provide you with a detailed plan, no matter how bare the bones of your existing one.

This plan will be based on your needs as well as the approach the business coach will be taking. Taking these factors into consideration, the coach should be able to set achievable goals that you will be able to work towards. This road map will take you to your desired outcome.

O

f course, the map will keep changing depending on the immediate needs and the unpredictability of the market. But the basic structure should more or less be maintained.

I would also suggest conducting an evaluation in the middle of your coaching process and compare the current conditions with the conditions before the coaching process began. Similarly, an evaluation at the end of the coaching process will allow you to compare outcomes.

Benefits of a Business Coach

There are spectacular benefits to a good business coach, many of which may have already become clear from the description above. The following are some of the other benefits of a business coach that I would like to present for your benefit. (6)

(6)

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/top-10-benefits-mentoring-25779.html