Last June Fast Company published an interesting article by Jim Bolt about the surge in popularity for executive coaches. He noted that in 2004, 56% of the companies surveyed said that executive coaching would be a major learning method they would emphasize. In a 2006 follow-up survey, 51% said the use of coaching had actually increased.
You can hire a life coach to help you with just about anything under the sun -- improving your relationships, losing weight, or reaching your full potential as a person. Most often businesses enlist coaches to help their managers and executives develop their leadership skills.
Small business owners could make particularly effective use of a coach. As a small business owner you have to wear so many hats that it's often impossible to look beyond day-to-day operations and think about where you want to drive the business long-term. I also think small business owners are often good at one aspect of their business, marketing or sales for example, but lack other skills. A coach can help you think about your business from a different perspective, keep you on track to reach your business goals, or help you improve skills that are not your forte.
A web search turned up lots of sites that offer professional coaching services. Check out the International Coaching Federation for information about coaching as a tool and what you should look for in a coach. They also offer a coach referral service. Coaching.com, which is a Ken Blanchard organization, also looked interesting. Coach Source was referenced in the Fast Company article. It claims to be the world's most experienced leadership coaching company. If you're not sure hiring a coach is for you, talk to other business owners. Chances are one of them has worked with a professional coach and can help you weed through the pros and cons.
If you decide to hire a coach, Bolt's article makes a number of suggestions for getting the most out of the relationship. If you've worked with a coach, leave a comment and let me know how it worked for you.
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I've known for some time about personal coaches for people with ADHD (they're way too expensive!), but I hadn't thought about having personal coaches for business people. It does make sense, though.
ReplyDeleteI can see hiring a "coach" for business reasons, but I cannot see hiring one for help with life. Shouldn't everyone find their own way? Plus, who says that what the coach suggests is the right way to live your life? What is good for one person is not necessarily good for the next.
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