Unless you are one of the lucky ones who know it all and simply have it all figured out, your career can likely benefit from a business coach. I have always relied on mentors as coaches, but as I got older and my career plot thickened, I began to invest in professional development just like people invest in physical health with a fitness trainer. Hiring a business coach allows you to invest in a subject matter expert to kick start your motivation, give you tools to improve your skills, and to open your professional-self up to fresh and new ideas.
The Coaching Process
If you are going to invest in a business coach, let your guard down and be brutally honest with yourself and with your coach. Be as vulnerable as you can stand to be. Maybe you are great at the work but you struggle in sales; you might be great with people but you struggle with budgets and planning; still, others would rather work alone when the job calls for strong team skills. And of course, we could all use some help with how to thrive in a COVID-19 remote work environment. A good coach will be able to see your strengths and help you maximize results. But it is equally and critically important to focus on what you want and need to improve upon and to honestly self-assess.
My favorite thing is to be in a meeting or on a video call with a coaching client when he or she says, “Oh my gosh Nick, I have never thought about that before!” That simple anecdote is where the good stuff is. Business coaching spurs fresh ideas to improve your current situation, it challenges your practices and when done right, it helps you find ways to be more effective without working harder.
One example is having the same conversations and meetings you are having now, but approaching those conversations differently than you do now. The right coach asks why not, and if so, works with you to surgically discuss how to get you there.
Who Can Benefit from a Business Coach?
Three categories of professionals can benefit from professional business coaching: First, professionals or aspiring professionals stuck in a rut, and for whatever reasons, you are not where you want to be. Second, those well on their way looking to improve and enhance existing skill sets. And the third category, like so many in the workforce, is a combination of a professional doing well, but struggling with certain aspects of the job and looking to improve.
Business Coach in California
If you are curious about what business coaching can do for your professional development, schedule a consultation with us at Nick Warner Consulting. We’re passionate about hearing our clients’ stories, asking probing questions, and seeing the light bulb turn on as they discover answers and solutions to the problems they’ve been experiencing.
Photo by Hunters Race on Unsplash (7/30/2020)
