Business Coaching

Basics of Business Coaching

"Thinking and Doing"

Business Coaching brings better thinking into the equation.

Business today hire people for their ability to think. A program improving individual performance and team interaction should be welcomed.
Improving thinking and interpersonal communication are an important aspect of our approach.

Often this takes the form of working with a senior executive or business owner. In the course of business analysis and reccomendations worked on together, leadership techniques are acquired. Leadership coaching is one of many areas of personal growth used by coaches. Among the top ones you will see:

• Executive Coaching
• Leadership Coaching
• Performance Coaching
• Skills Coaching
• Career Coaching
• Team Facilitation
• Work Shadowing

All of these have self improvement aspects. These are the ones in the Business Coaching domain. Other ones are listed under our "Coaching in General" on the "Key Concepts" menu to the left.

What is the value of improving team thinking and communication. Increasing the agility of the mind. Having a mind with more capacity, more energy, more ideas. What is that worth when you are pitted against the minds of your competition. When you and your team players are in leadership rolls. What if they 'thought' better than those outsider the company. If 10% of your people improved. What would that be worth today? If their leadership influenced others and that was carried on, what would that be worth over time.

The beauty of this is it will become a part of what you do, as a leader. You will continue turning out leaders well after the coaching engagements have run their course.

What if that was part of your company culture. Add the consultancy business knowledge into the mix.

That is Business Coaching in its most balanced form.

Business Coaching is making Your Business more successful.

The heart of business coaching is really a form of consulting. It is the business expertise of the coach that makes it Business Coaching.

The types of business expertiese can vary as in consulting. It is not alwyas the strength of the coach meeting your exact situation that is important. Although it might be critial in certain types of engagements. Business Coaching is not the same as consulting. A Business Coach is knowledgable in getting you to see your business in a different light. This is the true value of Business Coaching. Unlike consultants, businessc coaches let you drive. In some sense, the coach sees the business through your eyes. Unlike a consultant that comes in, tells you what to do and moves on. Business Coaching can be a tremendous value in getting the most out of the consultants in your firm. Every business coach who comes from consulting wishes they had known coaching methods from the beginning. It is very powerful. Yet minimally invasive and even enjoyable.

Business coaching that does more consulting will usually spend more time with you. Often needing more on-site interaction. Some of the best value from business coaching is when you take full charge of driving the improvements gained during the coaching engagement. Using the business coach as a true coach.

Coaching engagements and style details are covered on our "About Engagemetns" menu to the left.

Business Coaching can take many forms.

Above we illustrate what we believe the balance of consulting and coaching should be. Across the industry you will find varying degrees of balance. Among the different forms you will find:

• A well balanced practice.
  You will find a variety of business specialties as well as coaching methods.
  
• Primary focus on Business Consulting.
  These are consultants who realize the benefits of the coaching method.
  
• Minimal Business Consulting with primary focus on pure coaching.
  Varying types of business backgrounds who prefer to emphasize the benefits derived from coaching.
  
• Consulting firms that provide a Coaching service.
  Many consulting firms recognize the growing popularity of coaching.
• Coaching firms that train their coaches in standard business practices.
  Often a franchise. Giving opportuity to people to be trained in business and coaching.

Business Coaching is a broad category. It is your responsibility to review the options and select a style that resonates with your business needs and culture.