The first time I saw the line “business coach” in the annual budget, I promptly removed it because I did not see the value for our organization. Shortly thereafter I was introduced to the right coach with the right system. Since then, I’ve used 2 coaches and today I devote 100% of my professional time to coaching other leadership teams.
Despite my tremendously positive experience with business coaching, there are times when an organization may not see enough benefit from a coach. Here are 5 organizational attributes that I look for when evaluating if I can provide enough value to a leadership team:
1. One Person Accountable
The organization has 1 person accountable for running the day-to-day business and that person’s top 5 roles are essentially this:
If you have a visionary leader, simply asking them to take on these roles will rarely work; it’s just not in their DNA to perform that role for the long term. For long-term success, the visionary leader must delegate accountability for the day-to-day business to another person who is gets, wants, and has the capacity to do each of the above roles.
2. One System
You have 1 system, 1 way for managing all the moving parts of your business.
You cannot run a business effectively using 2 or more different operating philosophies, methods, languages, etc. People will be confused; you must chose one.
3. You are 80% Strong
You are measurably strong in 6 Key Components of the business, but you don’t need to be 100% strong.
4. One “Right” Person Owns Long-Term Planning
You don’t need a coach every week, but every 90 days you do need 1 trusted individual that can own all aspects of your long-term planning. The “Right” person 1) has the ability to create the context before the team engages in discussion, 2) is willing to “Enter the Danger” to get down to the root cause of an issue, even if it’s painful at times, 3) should understand and possess the tools to build team health. This list goes on, but the “Right” person will not only get the job done, but will also propel your team forward.
5. Satisfied Owner
The business owner has received everything they want out of their organization. This could be profit, more time away, less frustration, etc.
If all five attributes exist in your organization, it’s questionable whether the cost and time spent with a business coach will add enough value to the organization. However, if your organization does not have all 5 attributes there is likely high value in finding the right coach. Some coaches will also teach you a system that you can learn so that you do not become co-dependent on the coach. As with anything, there are many coaches and systems in the market place. Your organization may not need a coach for a long duration while others might need one for eternity. Do your homework and if you need a coach, get one.
As my coach taught me, the absence of the right business coach is likely costing you hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. Just take 1 aspect of the above… what if 1 person is wrong for your organization? Likely costing the organization $30,000 to $300,000 per year…and that is only one change.
If you would like to explore a coach and system in a low pressure environment, I’m glad to share my time. The above 5 organizational attributes are core principals found within the system that I implement called the Entrepreneurial Operating System®. To connect with me message me erik@achievedvision.com- You will always receive a response within 24 hours, usually same day.
Despite my tremendously positive experience with business coaching, there are times when an organization may not see enough benefit from a coach. Here are 5 organizational attributes that I look for when evaluating if I can provide enough value to a leadership team:
1. One Person Accountable
The organization has 1 person accountable for running the day-to-day business and that person’s top 5 roles are essentially this:
- Lead, Manage & Hold Accountable
- Business Plan Execution / P&L Results
- Integrating Major Functions
- Resolving Cross-Functional Issues
- Communication Across the Organization
If you have a visionary leader, simply asking them to take on these roles will rarely work; it’s just not in their DNA to perform that role for the long term. For long-term success, the visionary leader must delegate accountability for the day-to-day business to another person who is gets, wants, and has the capacity to do each of the above roles.
2. One System
You have 1 system, 1 way for managing all the moving parts of your business.
You cannot run a business effectively using 2 or more different operating philosophies, methods, languages, etc. People will be confused; you must chose one.
3. You are 80% Strong
You are measurably strong in 6 Key Components of the business, but you don’t need to be 100% strong.
- Vision – More than 80% of the people know exactly where you are going with the organization and how you will get it there.
- People – More than 80% of the people possess your Core Values and perform roles that they get, want and have the capacity to do.
- Data – More than 80% of the people are accountable for a number that drives your financial future.
- Issues – More than 80% of people are in 1 weekly meeting spending time solving issues and not just discussing issues. They are great at setting up issues and knocking them down for the long-term.
- Process – More than 80% of people are aware of your Core Processes, which are documented and followed religiously.
- Traction – More than 80% of people have at least 1 goal for the quarter that will further the company’s Vision. They are in a weekly departmental meeting that provides time for great short-term planning: connecting with each other, reporting, follow through, issue identification and solution.
4. One “Right” Person Owns Long-Term Planning
You don’t need a coach every week, but every 90 days you do need 1 trusted individual that can own all aspects of your long-term planning. The “Right” person 1) has the ability to create the context before the team engages in discussion, 2) is willing to “Enter the Danger” to get down to the root cause of an issue, even if it’s painful at times, 3) should understand and possess the tools to build team health. This list goes on, but the “Right” person will not only get the job done, but will also propel your team forward.
5. Satisfied Owner
The business owner has received everything they want out of their organization. This could be profit, more time away, less frustration, etc.
If all five attributes exist in your organization, it’s questionable whether the cost and time spent with a business coach will add enough value to the organization. However, if your organization does not have all 5 attributes there is likely high value in finding the right coach. Some coaches will also teach you a system that you can learn so that you do not become co-dependent on the coach. As with anything, there are many coaches and systems in the market place. Your organization may not need a coach for a long duration while others might need one for eternity. Do your homework and if you need a coach, get one.
As my coach taught me, the absence of the right business coach is likely costing you hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. Just take 1 aspect of the above… what if 1 person is wrong for your organization? Likely costing the organization $30,000 to $300,000 per year…and that is only one change.
If you would like to explore a coach and system in a low pressure environment, I’m glad to share my time. The above 5 organizational attributes are core principals found within the system that I implement called the Entrepreneurial Operating System®. To connect with me message me erik@achievedvision.com- You will always receive a response within 24 hours, usually same day.
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