Many clients have a different perception of what Business Coaching is. They may have met a Business Coach at an event or were recommended by an associate. The concept of Business Coaching can be juxtaposed with Business Consulting however they are quite different.
A Business Coach will ask relevant questions to determine the key issue(s) faced by the Owner or Manager. This approach aims for a resolution that could include overcoming known gaps, discerning what’s needed for more success and things the client may not know they don’t know.
My coaching approach is to surround the most important issue. One of the things business owners face is delegation. Micro managing the business often leads to two members trying to do the same thing. The owner may end up doing their Manager’s job, their own and getting involved in all facets of the business. It takes conscious effort to develop staff that can become significant players in the business and be an advantage to the owner. Letting go is difficult and sometimes you have to allow your people to make mistakes along the way.
In one case we worked with, the owner, experienced in the business, sells it to another and then gets the itch to start again a couple years later. Three months in, he hires an experienced executive to take more responsibility as it grows. The problem started when the owner, used to systems he knew well did not understand or have confidence in the skillset of the person he had hired to manage the new company. One mistake made by the new Manager caused him to question the Manager. He made a fatal mistake of letting his emotional response interfere with good business decisions.
I was asked to determine if the relationship could be salvaged. I assumed that the small start-up with big ideas was likely destined for a few hiccups along the way. The Manager and I met several times and I determined he was over qualified to manage a start-up but had the experience to become a competent Manager. I would have hired him based on his experience and attitude. The owner had misjudged the situation.
I worked with him for several weeks and had to draw the conclusion that irreparable damage had been done. Once the new Manager trusted me, he confided that he was already interviewing for other positions and ready to accept another position. He was not willing to put up with such a dominant owner. It eventually was obvious that he needed to sit down with the owner to let him know he was leaving.
Business Coaches are hired by the company and report to a CEO or Owner. In this case, no amount of coaching could resolve the situation. Sometimes the “culture” is not a good fit with a new hire. The Owner wanted things done his way and he lacked the personality to be a good mentor and wanted staff that marched to his drum beat. I suggested he have a straight forward meeting with the Manager about the issues. This is not the way most Business Coaching Sessions go however, in this case time was critical.
Unfortunately, they parted ways. I keep in touch with the Manager who assumed a new role with another larger organization and relocated to Victoria. We have lunch when I am in town and he can easily see that the fit with his new company is much more amenable to his style. He was very entrepreneurial and would be destined to run his own business eventually. Sometimes, coaching sessions work out this way, however most Business Coaching contracts I have undertaken in Nanaimo, Victoria or Kelowna are more typical of the coaching scenario.
I address other Business Coaching examples I have been involved with in Nanaimo in the next few blogs.
Call me at 250.580.5250 if you want to discuss Business Coaching on Vancouver Island