C oaching in business?! We’ve all heard of a coach, in terms of a football team, an Olympic athlete, or a golfer. But for a business owner? at’s a new one! “Besides, I’m doing well in my business. What can a business coach do for me?” ink about the top athletes in the world. What separates the elite individuals and teams from the good? Certainly the element of God-given talent is a factor. However, think about those many athletes who have amazing giſts, but lack the desire, the goals, the knowledge, the belief or the discipline to excel. In addition to possessing all six of these characteristics, the athlete or team must have an exceptional plan coupled with exceptional execution to have any hope for a championship win. When athletes are interviewed aſter a noteworthy victory or championship, to who do they many times give credit? Usually they give credit to: one or both parents, God, their teammates, and/or their coach. Michael Jordan never won an NBA championship until Phil Jackson became head coach of the Chicago Bulls. Tiger Woods credits his father (his first coach) and two other coaches for helping him to be the top golfer in the world. First, understand the “WHY”! Just like a sports coach, the business coach helps the business owner create, reinvigorate or crystallize a vision of what is going to be and WHY that destination is so important. en it’s time to assess the current competencies, skills and assets available to deploy, as well as the obstacles and challenges that must be overcome. A detailed plan is the outcome. Our focus is on the five fundamental building blocks of a successful business: 1.Sales 2.Marketing and advertising 3.Team building and recruitment 4.Systems and business development 5.Customer service Now the fun starts. e execution of that plan is an iterative process involving conditioning (acquiring the knowledge and skills needed), disciplined focus, passion, drive, assignments, accountability, mid-course corrections, teamwork, motivation, re-planning, victory celebrations, belief and persistence. All are guided by the coach, who has become a confidant for the business owner, working on attitude and leadership development, as well as negative self-talk. " A Business Coach serves business owners similarly to how an Athletic Coach serves athletes " 31 What’s a Business Coach & Why Would I Want One? What’s a Business Coach & Why Would I Want One? Raw Business // Issue 7 // June 2009
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Coaching in business?! We’ve all heard of a coach, in terms of a football team, an Olympic athlete, or a golfer. But for
a business owner? �at’s a new one! “Besides, I’m doing well in my business. What can a business coach do for me?”
�ink about the top athletes in the world. What separates
the elite individuals and teams from the good? Certainly
the element of God-given talent is a factor. However, think
about those many athletes who have amazing gi�s, but
lack the desire, the goals, the knowledge, the belief or the
discipline to excel. In addition to possessing all six of these
characteristics, the athlete or team must have an exceptional
plan coupled with exceptional execution to have any hope
for a championship win.
When athletes are interviewed a�er a noteworthy victory
or championship, to who do they many times give credit?
Usually they give credit to: one or both parents, God, their
teammates, and/or their coach. Michael Jordan never won
an NBA championship until Phil Jackson became head
coach of the Chicago Bulls. Tiger Woods credits his father
(his �rst coach) and two other coaches for helping him to be
the top golfer in the world.
First, understand the “WHY”! Just like a sports coach, the
business coach helps the business owner create, reinvigorate
or crystallize a vision of what is going to be and WHY that
destination is so important. �en it’s time to assess the
current competencies, skills and assets available to deploy, as
well as the obstacles and challenges that must be overcome.
A detailed plan is the outcome. Our focus is on the �ve
fundamental building blocks of a successful business:
1.Sales2.Marketing and advertising3.Team building and recruitment4.Systems and business development5.Customer service
Now the fun starts. �e execution of that plan is an
iterative process involving conditioning (acquiring the
knowledge and skills needed), disciplined focus, passion,
belief and persistence. All are guided by the coach, who
has become a con�dant for the business owner, working
on attitude and leadership development, as well as negative
self-talk.
" A Business Coach serves business owners similarly to how an Athletic Coach serves athletes "
31
What’s a Business Coach & Why Would I Want One?
What’s a Business Coach & Why Would I Want One? Raw Business // Issue 7 // June 2009
Business coaching has become mainstream across America
as multitudes of business owners and executives are
embracing the value provided by a business coach.
“As a $100 million business, second only to the IT industry
in its North American growth rate, coaching is the latest,
must-have lifestyle and business accessory – the solution to
both workplace under-achievement and premature stress
burnout.” (Vive, Summer 2000)
“�e Executive and Business coaching industry is growing
by about 40% a year.” (!e Economist, November, 2003)
The difference between Business Coaching and Corporate / Executive & Life Coaching...
Getting results from working with a business coach is about
being open to three areas that you will probably need to
change:
Awareness: A business coach will raise your level of
awareness. �ey will teach you the strategies you need to
get even better results from your business. �ey will teach
you how to increase pro�tability and cash "ow through
better �nancial mastery, how to market and sell better, how
to manage your time professionally and how to recruit and
manage your team better.
Ownership: Knowing what to do is only 20% of the equation.
Taking full and personal ownership is the next 30% towards
making the changes you need to. “�e buck stops with you.”
“Knowing and not doing is not doing.” You have to open up
and take ownership to change.
Accountability: Who are you really accountable to for the
success of your business? It’s not your bank manager or your
accountant nor really your spouse. Most business owners
are only accountable to themselves and usually collude,
deny or delude themselves at some level. Your business
coach’s main role is to help hold you accountable for doing
the things that you have committed to do. �is is the 50%
of the equation that will help get you the results you have
chosen. You can acquire all the knowledge that you need
and take as much ownership as you want BUT without that
accountability most people, ultimately, don’t do what they
need to do to change.
I’m already successful
A common question that I am asked is: “What could you
teach me about my business? I’ve been in business for
years and I’ve done well.” My reply: “Absolutely nothing.”
If you have built your business successfully then you are
unquestionably the expert in your �eld. �ere is nothing
I can teach you – about your business. What I can do is
give you a completely objective view of your business from
an outside perspective. I will work with you to enable you
to tap into the knowledge and experience gained from
working with thousands of businesses. I will introduce you
to a way of thinking about your business that will change
the way you approach things, enabling you to increase your
horizons and take your business to the next level.
Let’s look at the sports analogy again. �ere is no denying
that Tiger Woods is an immensely talented golfer. Would
his raw talent alone have made him successful? Almost
certainly. Yet it was Butch Harmon, his coach, who was able
to recognize the full extent of that potential. He had the
knowledge of how to tap into it and had the skills to enable
Tiger to realize his potential to the fullest. You see, Tiger
can’t see his own swing!
It’s exactly the same in business. Many business owners
have made it on their own talent and are running pro�table
businesses as a result. But the germane question is: “What
is your TRUE potential and that of your business?” �at’s
why business coaching is so important. It’s the key that can
unlock the potential in both you and your business. You
cannot see your own swing! Nor can I can see my own
swing. �at is why I have a business coach.
Your business coach won’t tell you what to do. Your coach
won’t do the work for you. He/she will study your swing.
By asking you questions and drawing on your unique
knowledge and skills, and mentoring you where there are
gaps, you will be coached to achieve that true potential
within. You will be given the knowledge, the tools, the vision
and the motivation to take both you and your business to the
next level, and to ultimately enjoy the �nancial and lifestyle
bene�ts that come with it.
Jim Rohn’s quote, “Don’t wish life was easier. Get better!”
says it all. Business is simple, people are complicated.
Changing your business can be the easy part. Changing
yourself and your team can be the greatest hurdle. Having a
business coach helps you maintain your motivation, re�ne
your skills, gain constructive feedback and attain constant
improvement in your business – just like an athletic coach.
What is YOUR true potential?
Andy Gwynn is a business owner, business coach, property investor, author and professional speaker, who has coached hundreds of business owners to make more money, work less and build and sell businesses.