3 ways a business coach can super-charge your success

Coaches aren’t just for athletes. They’re for top-performing business owners as well, and they can help you take your business to the next level.

At the end of 2017, the founders of a start-up sat facing each other across their boardroom table. They had built their business up to R100 million turnover. Things should have been great. Instead, they were facing bankruptcy.

But, like true entrepreneurs, they weren’t ready to admit defeat. Anything but. Instead, they sharpened their pencils and took a serious look at their business. It was time to make some changes.

One of those changes was working with a business coach. Today, that company is a R250-million business and growing.

“Working with a coach meant we needed to answer a lot of questions about our business that we had taken for granted. Saying everything out loud and explaining it to someone who doesn’t do what we do helped us spot our gaps and our problems, which gave us the tools to fix our business."

1. Coaches help you set goals – and stick to them

Normally, when you think of a coach, you think sports – the men and women who take potential and turn it into top-performing athletes.

Imagine if someone could take your passion for business and do the same? Business coaches and mentors do exactly that.

“Coaches see your potential, guide you and make sure you stick to the plan. Most importantly, they make sure key milestones are met and outstanding performance is

achieved.”

"Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success." Proverbs 15:22 (NLT)

2. Coaches focus you on the activities that drive results

There are five steps to a successful coaching relationship.

1. Identify the challenge. What needs to be changed? What are the problems that you or your business are facing?

2. Explore opportunities. What are the various solutions that could be implemented? Evaluate them.

3. Make a choice. When we’re faced with too many choices, we often make no choice at all. A coach will help you choose the path you need to take.

4. Take action. Create a plan that will help you achieve your goal.

5. Review outcomes. Your coach will review your progress regularly, keeping you on track.

“Coaching is all about taking a difficult, impossible task and breaking it down into bite-sized chunks. That’s how you get results.”

"Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others." Proverbs 12:15 (NLT)

3. Coaches are a valuable sounding board for new ideas

If Clayton could change one thing about his business journey, it would be to have used an expert business coach while he was building his business.

Why? Because entrepreneurs are always full of ideas, but that doesn’t mean they’re all good.

“We can’t always tell the difference between a great idea and something not worth doing. A coach who is just there for you and your business can give you the unvarnished truth and push you to evaluate things more critically.”

An impartial, world-class coach can truly challenge you to stress-test your ideas and how you think about your business.

The more you question why you’re doing something, the higher your chances are of focusing your energies and hustle in the right places.

Selecting the right coach

Coaching is based on trust, compatibility and working well together, so choose a coach that you’re comfortable with them – you’re going to be sharing a lot of personal business information with them.

Choosing a coach should be based on these 6 things:

1. You should trust them.

2. They should have some level of authority leading you to respect them and their opinions.

3. They should speak sense – even if you don’t always realise it in the moment.

4. They should have the ability to challenge you and your thinking.

5. They should ask you questions, making sure you’ve thought through everything in your business thoroughly.

6. They should encourage you when necessary.

"Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life." Proverbs 19:20 (NLT)