The top performing, best athletes in the world whether in individual or team sports all have coaches. If world class athletes need coaches, maybe you need one or more as well. Unsure? Here are six reasons you need a business coach.
1. Improve Performance
The primary reason why people get coaches is to improve their performance. Usually, there is a specific area in mind. Where do you want to improve? Do you want to be a better speaker? Manager? Leader? Writer?
A coach can help, but not necessarily in all areas. This is why professional sports teams employ multiple coaches. The different coaches each specialize on a particular position. As a business owner you are a utility infielder. You play multiple roles. Thus, you might need multiple coaches. The same coach who helps you work on management or leadership may not be who you select to improve your speaking or writing.
If using multiple coaches sounds like a lot, pick the area where you can benefit the most from coaching. Focus on that area until you are satisfied.
2. Receive Objective Feedback
If you are the company owner, you are the boss. As the boss, you have power over your team. No matter how honest you think your team is, you will always wonder if they are telling you what you want to hear, not what you need to hear.
Remember the emperor with no clothes? No one wanted to be real with the emperor. A coach is real with you. Coaches give you honest feedback and honest evaluations. They give you feedback you need without fearing how you will take it.
3. Gain Knowledge
Coaches often have experience you lack. You can benefit from their experience. A coach can help you avoid paying tuition to the school of hard knocks. Moreover, a coach will know techniques and tricks that can up your game. Why learn things the hard way if you can learn another way?
4. Be Accountable
Coaches hold you accountable. They give you someone to answer to. When you are accountable to someone, you get more done. You complete the hard tasks that are necessary, but unpleasant. It becomes more difficult to procrastinate.
5. Get a Sounding Board
It is hard to run a contracting business. You are on your own. You are the king of the island and expected to have all of the answers. You do not want to show uncertainty even when you are unsure of your direction. A coach gives you someone to bounce ideas off of, someone to offer guidance in turbulent times.
6. Gain Positive Reinforcement
Another function for coaches is giving positive reinforcement when you are on the right track. When you are doing the right thing, but the results are slow to arrive, a coach will keep you focused and steady.
Finding Coaches
The best source of business coaching in HVAC is the industry’s business alliances. In fact, business alliances provide contractors with a whole team of coaches. While you still may seek specialized coaching outside of an alliance, an alliance can usually fulfill most of the coaching roles. Moreover, the coaches in business alliances have special trade related expertise that local business coaches likely lack.
Coaching can also come from peers. One of the great benefits of a business alliance is the interaction with peer contractors from around the country. You may still be the king of your own island, but the business alliance connects you with the kings of other islands.
Finally, if the alliance operates a buying group (and most do), shifting your purchases to the preferred providers in the buying group will likely more than cover the cost of alliance membership.
The first step in becoming involved with a business alliance is joining the Service Roundtable at $50 a month. Learn more at www.ServiceRoundtable.com. For a complementary pass to attend a one-day Success Day Seminar, call 877.262.3341 and ask for Stephanie or Theresa.