Why coaching?
You don’t need another business book.
(or webinar, or podcast, or TED talk…)
Don’t confuse information and inspiration with progress.
When you’re feeling stuck, do you tend to reach for a new book? Find another podcast? Browse the latest TED talks?
There’s a better way.
Now, I like books. A lot. I read regularly. However, I need to remember the danger of learning replacing progress.
Let me illustrate:
Say you’re struggling with your team - you feel like you’re missing one another, you’re having trouble motivating some members, and are wondering about role fit for one or two people. So you pick up Patrick Lencioni’s The Six Types of Working Genius at the recommendation of a friend. After reading, you feel inspired and full of insight. You feel ready to lead your team with all your new insights. You feel like you’ve accomplished something!
But two weeks later, did anything change? There’s a good chance it didn’t. Why is that?
You know the answer: there’s an implementation gap.
“I know that we need to do” is not the same things as doing what we need to do.
You’ve probably seen this with the people you lead, and in your own life. A person knows something, is convinced of it and understands its importance. But, in the day to day, the impact is nonexistent. The example above is leadership, but the same could be said for multiple parts of your organization as well.
Business books (podcasts, etc.) can be very helpful - they give us new ways of thinking, new frameworks we can operate in. But, as they say, nothing changes if nothing changes.
So, how do you close the implementation gap? Two ways: strategy and consistent action.
Nothing changes if nothing changes.
Strategy is seeing how to implement a new framework.
You consider your goal and take the new ideas, the new framework, and you see how it helps you get there. You determine what success looks like, you set milestones, you plan critical actions, you rally the troops, and then...
You ignore all of the large white sticky notes, power point presentations, and whiteboard declarations and continue with business as usual.
Wait... no, that’s not what we want. But that is often what happens. What’s missing?
Yep, consistent action.
If the devil is in the details, then the magic is in the mundane.
Consistent action puts your strategy in contact with reality.
But this is the hard part. Simple, yes, but hard…
…especially if you’re already feeling like you’re spending every day catching up and fighting fires.
What got you here may not be what gets you there.
This is where your friendly neighborhood coach comes in. A good coach can help you with both strategy and consistent action, helping you make progress on the things that matter.
But, thinking of hiring a coach can seem unnecessary, even like a cop out.
“I’m a competent business owner. I got this far on my own. I should be able to just suck it up and get the work done.”
Two thoughts here:
What got you here may not be what gets you there.
Higher-level performers need coaches.
Take a famous athlete like LeBron James or whoever you want from the sport you like and the team you follow.
All aspects of the athletes training, lifestyle, nutrition, etc. are important in order for them to perform at a high level.
High-level athletes don’t manage all of that on their own. I doubt LeBron James is trying to stay up to date on the latest trends in strength and conditioning and writing his own workouts for the gym... but I bet one of his multiple coaches is.
Start making real progress on the things that matter today.
While you can definitely go at it alone, a coach can help you strategize and take consistent action towards your goal. When you’re stuck, when you’re stalled out, when you’re questioning — a coach helps you stay the course and consider strategic adjustments on the path to your goal.
Don’t get stuck in a cycle of inspiration and inaction.
Start making real progress on the things that matter today.
How do you want to take your business, your leadership, or your personal and professional thriving to another level?
I’d love to help you get there.
Ponder your potential… and try to not fall in the ocean