Athletes use Coaches. Why Wouldn’t You ?
2 February 2015ATHLETES USE COACHES TO BECOME THE BEST AT WHAT THEY DO
Often, we can be taken aback when a successful businessperson admits to having had a business coach or mentor to support and guide them. This contradicts our usual assumption that they did it alone. Successful athletes use coaches to underpin and ensure success. Building a business requires the same energy, focus and attention.
Do we admire Andy Murray any less because he had a coach to help him become one of the world’s best tennis players? I think not. We can see that Andy concentrates on his sport just as a business owner applies him/herself to building a successful company. If you have a talent for something, you do what you can to nurture it. You find the best support you can. You’ll invest endless amounts of time, energy and money into becoming the best at what you do.
Murray has been supported by some of the world’s best tennis coaches – Miles Maclagan, Brad Gilbert, Ivan Lendl, to name a few.
Despite his insistence that last year’s move to his female coach, Mauresmo, was the best choice for him, after his meltdown yesterday during the Australian Open final against Djokovic, today he may be regretting his choice. Or he may be reminding himself that he is now at a different stage in his career and arguably still needs something different that Lendl just could not provide.
A long or short-term relationship?
The relationship between you and your business or sports coach is entirely dependent on the stage you and your company are at. While there is a time your coach’s experience is relevant and useful, there will always come a time when your requirements change. Your relationship between coach and client should always ensure that you elicit something new and fresh from the relationship.
Business Coaching is on the rise
It is promising to see that business coaching is increasing in the UK. In fact 20% of SMEs are now using business coaching as part of their growth strategy. In one international study, 79% of medium and large businesses in the United Kingdom reported using coaching of some type to support their high growth ambitions.
Choosing the Right Coach
Engaging the right coach is key to ensuring success. Your coach must be someone who has a good understanding of your business or sport, ideally with experience in your sector. Most importantly, they must be someone whom you can trust. Trust is key to enabling you to confide very personal information about you and your business to your chosen coach.
Jean Talbot is a Business Coach and Adviser to Directors and management teams of small companies. Jean specialises in planning, process improvement and managing change for SMEs. If you are struggling to determine how to grow and improve your business, call on 07795810639 or email jean@lamplighterassociates.com. Let’s see if we can work together to determine your direction and ensure you are succeeding in your business.