What Is Business Coaching?

Business Coaching is a business support service aimed at helping business owners plan, start and grow their businesses.

Organisational development, changes brought about by mergers and acquisitions as well as the need to provide key employees with support through a change of role or career are often catalysts, which inspire companies to seek Business Coaching.

Business Coaching that will focus on the individual can enhance morale, motivation and productivity and reduce staff turnover as individuals feel valued and connected with both small and large organisational changes.

Business Coaching programmes generally prove to be popular amongst employees as coaching achieves a balance between fulfilling organisational goals and objectives whilst taking into account the personal development needs of individual employees. It is a two way relationship with both the organisation and the employee gaining significant benefits.

There is also an increasing trend for individuals to take greater responsibility for their personal and professional development and even those who are employed in large organisations are no longer relying on employers to provide them with all of their career development needs.

Fortune 500 companies use Business Coaches for specific needs; such as: improving performance, or reducing the effects of job stress because it is more economical to, save or rebuild an employee, rather than hiring a replacement.

Process

In Business Coaching there is a process of inquiry, analysis, contemplation and resolution for the purposes of enhancing the business, the business leader and the employees to the ultimate success team.

Often the Business Coach will ask a series of questions, invite the clients to analyze the responses to these questions, determine the correct way forward and pursue a course of action beneficial to the goals of the client. The client can accept the outcome, reject it, or decide on a compromise.

A Business Coach will often take a multifaceted approach to helping a business improve. In some cases, a top down approach is needed; such as when a CEO is facing issues which are hindering the success of the company. In other cases, a Business Coach will work from the bottom up, working with each associate to better their own potential.

A Business Coach will facilitate the exploration of needs, motivations, desires, skills and thought processes to assist the individual in making real, lasting change.

They will use questioning techniques to facilitate the client's own thought processes in order to identify solutions and actions rather than take a wholly directive approach.

The Business Coach will support the client in setting appropriate goals and methods of assessing progress in relation to these goals. Encourage a commitment to action and the development of lasting personal growth and change. And encourage clients to continually improve competencies and to develop new developmental alliances where necessary to achieve their goals.

Business Success

Business Coaching can be applied to many business models. The Business Coach will be involved in the coaching of the owner as well as many of their employees, helping them to face challenges and to take actions so that they can create a more successful business.

Business Coaches work with their clients to guide them to excel in their business. The real success of the Business Coaching is to combine the business expertise of the coach to the needs of the business.

Coaching Is Not Mentoring or Consulting

Business Coaching is not business mentoring. Mentoring involves a developmental relationship between a more experienced mentor and a less experienced partner, and typically involves sharing of advice. A Business Coach can act as a mentor given that they have adequate expertise and experience.

Business Coaching is not consulting. Business consulting involves the provision of expert advice, usually on a one time basis and the plan is developed by the consultant after inquiry and given to the business.

In simple terms:

A Mentor will show you how it's done.

A Consultant will tell you what you should do.

A Business Coach will ask questions until you are doing what you need to be doing to increase the success of your business.

© James Chapman Find Out More About Business Coaching