Some 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 is sometimes confused with Business Consulting however, they are different. A Business Coach asks relevant questions to discern key issue(s) faced by the person being coached. The goals are to uncover gaps, and discover methods leading to more success, and subjects that the client “may not know they don’t know”.
My coaching approach focuses on a single, important issue. Business owners and Managers face the challenges of delegation. Micromanaging the business can result in people trying to accomplish the same thing. The owner may end up doing their Manager’s job, their own, and getting involved in too many facets of the business. It takes a conscious effort to develop staff that can contribute independently to the business’s advantage. Letting go is difficult, and you may have to allow your people to learn from their mistakes.
One owner, I knew was very experienced in a specific market. He sold the business, then got the itch to start again a year later. He hired an experienced executive to take more responsibility for growing company. The owner, using a system he knew well, didn’t give his new executive time to get up to speed. A misunderstanding caused him to question that person’s capabilities. He made the mistake of letting an emotional response interfere with good business decisions.
I was asked to determine if the relationship could be salvaged. A start-up with big ideas could be destined for a few hiccups along the way. The Manager and I met several times. I determined he was overqualified to manage a start-up but had the “bones” to be a competent manager. I felt he had the experience and attitude to do the work. The owner had misjudged the situation and did not allow for a natural transition.
I worked with them for a few weeks, drawing 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 was ready to accept an offer for another role. He was unwilling to put up with such a dominant owner. It was obvious he needed to sit down with the owner to let him know he was leaving. This was more disaster recovery than coaching.
Business Coaches are typically report to a CEO or President. In this case, no amount of coaching could resolve the situation. Sometimes the “culture” is not a good fit. The Owner wanted things done his way and he lacked the patience and trust to be a good mentor. He wanted staff that aligned with his personality. I suggested the new Manager have a meeting with the Owner 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 kept in touch with the manager who assumed a new role with a more seasoned organization and relocated to Victoria. We have lunch every few weeks and he can easily see that the fit with his new company is much more amenable to his style. He was very entrepreneurial and could be destined to run his own business eventually. Sometimes, coaching sessions work out this way. However most contracts I undertake in Victoria are more typical of the normal coaching scenario.
I will address other Business Coaching examples I have been involved with in the next few blogs.
Call me at 250.580.5250 if you want to discuss Business Coaching on Vancouver Island