I spend the better part of my time coaching and speaking with entrepreneurs and the one thing I will often hear at the beginning of our time together is, “Jane I am working hard but for some reason my efforts do not seem to be producing the results I am looking for”. An entrepreneur’s life can often be solitary, one spends a lot of time with me, myself and I, and even though there are three people in one’s head it often feels like you are alone. Therefore, it is not difficult to become frustrated, disillusioned about the path one is on and some days question if it is all worth it.
Day in and day out we network to find and attract new clients, make money, and build our business all the while sometimes taking on tasks from as lofty a position as the CEO to other days being the janitor. Does any of what I am saying here resonate with you per chance and is the story getting old? I decided that the only way to change the tune that kept playing in my head was to take control and make it stop.
Might it be time for you to change the music as well? Is it time for you to step back and analyze what has been working to date and what has not? Entrepreneurs are an intelligent breed and we all know the definition of insanity, “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” but for some unknown reason, many times we are afraid to turn the music off for fear of the silence.
As business owners, we need to take time out to work ‘on’ our business and not just in it. The best way that I have found to do this is by working with a coach. Think of the role of the coach as similar to that of a personal trainer where they:
- Push you to achieve your goals
- Work to keep you focused and help you simplify today’s increasing world of complexity
- Hold you accountable
- Offer advice, scenarios to consider, act as a sounding board
- Do it all through a program personalized to your business model
Many people ask me what they should be looking for when determining which coach to work with. I offer up these seven tips to help you with your search.
- Look for a coach with a record of accomplishment – you do not need to be the first client they are going to cut their teeth on.
- Look for someone who understands your industry or profession – the comment I get on a regular basis from the financial advisors I coach with is; “do you know how nice it is not to have to spend the first forty-five minutes of our coaching time together explaining to you how our industry works.”
- Ask to have a complimentary strategy call with a prospective coach – this is important for you need to make sure the fit is right for the two of you to work together. I offer a sixty-minute complimentary coaching strategy call to everyone who expresses an interest in coaching with me. This is critical for both of us because not everyone is a good fit for a client and not every client is a good fit for a coach.
- Be wary of big promises in record time – if someone tells you they can turn your business around in one or two coaching sessions, with all due respect, I suggest you grab your credit card and run the other way. As I tell everyone who is looking into coaching with me, “I am not a silver bullet so if you are looking for one I am not the right coach for you” Coaching is a process.
- Ask to speak to a few of the coaches clients – learning what the firsthand experience is of a client who is working with a coach you are considering can be invaluable. Be sure to ask about what is working well and what is not.
- Google the person you are interviewing – check the online reviews or articles because in today’s day and age with social media if there is something that has occurred good or not so good it will most likely be out there for the world to see.
- Finally yet importantly trust your gut – if your initial reaction is that you do not think the person you are interviewing in right for you, they probably are not.
If the process to find the right coach seems that it might take a little time, it will but the trade off will be well worth it.
To Your Success!