Becoming Who You Want To Be

While some people still think of coaches in only sports term, business coaching has become a sought after discipline. As a coach, mentor and trainer, I often support business owners and entrepreneurs in developing and achieving a greater vision for themselves. However, sometimes the terminology on the various roles is confusing so let’s do some clarifying.

Many small business owners are disappointed to find that they’ve simply created themselves a 24/7 job instead of the freedom they anticipated. This is often when they seek me out for coaching and/or mentoring. We work together to discover how to streamline systems and develop a perspective that will support their personal dreams.

I often recommend that business owners seek out the counsel of a mentor, a coach and a mastermind group. I’ll address mastermind groups in a future article, but know that they are a small group of like-minded, goal-oriented people who get together routinely, in person or by phone, to network and brainstorm steps to success. Most commonly, they meet no less than monthly, sometimes more frequently.

A mentor helps guide you on your business and personal path. Your personal path should be financially supported by your business and a mentor can take a broad, or macro, view of this vision. They should be able to introduce you to concepts and people that can enable your vision. They should also be well-established with many years of business experience and act as an example that you would like to follow. You will meet with them less frequently than you might with a coach.

A mentor will have conversations with you about important relationships and how you might improve them (your boss, your clients). They let you know what’s worked for them in the past and what has not. They can help you spot, from a distance, the potential pitfalls you might face in business. They can do all of this because of the experience they have and position they hold.

Coaching is much more specific and interactive, the micro-view of your path. A coach helps you set short-term goals, holds you accountable for achieving them and continues to “walk beside you”, helping you eliminate procrastination and stumbling blocks as you start moving towards your long-term vision. They meet with you frequently, at least two times per month and require a commitment of time from you, usually a minimum of several months.

When someone is acting as a trainer, they are charged with teaching you a specific skill. When I work with someone in a training role, I may be teaching them how to set up a website or Twitter account. However, always keep in mind that coaches and mentors often act as trainers part of the time.

Everyone needs that extra push some of the time from someone with greater life and business experience. Coaches and mentors are often involved in mastermind groups and/or have their own coach or mentor. By working with these goal-oriented leaders, you can increase your own chances of personal success. A coach will help you define what success means to you, in business and life, and help you steer your course to achieving it.