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,

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 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.

32

What’s a Business Coach & Why Would I Want One?