Coaching Takes on New Meaning in the Business World
By Kathy Baker

The traditional notion of ‘coaching’ in the sports arena has found new expression in the business world. More & more, businesses are taking advantage of the expert services of Business Coaches to help bring out the ‘best’ in their people, investing in their development, satisfaction & loyalty, while lifting business performance & profits.

Jonathan Wells, National Sales Manager for a young, fast growing sporting goods company, talks about the role that Business Coaching has played in the recent rapid development of his own career & in his company’s investment in grooming him for his next move within the company.

In recognition of the growth phase facing the company, General Manager Tom Dennis, identified Jonathan, with his promising potential to develop & grow further, & his company track record, as an ideal candidate for Business Coaching.

According to Jonathan, ‘we operate in a very competitive industry, with a great deal of interaction with very senior people in the companies we deal with. Together with the demands of managing teams of people to their best performance levels, the challenge was to ensure that I was ready to take on a more senior role in the very near future. Business Coaching was presented to me as an opportunity to better myself & to prepare me for my next move within my company.’

Challenging old ways & ‘creating new ways of being’ … Jonathan continued ‘From day one, my transition was enormous. My Business Coach challenged me to ‘challenge’ myself in the way I did things – to challenge my old ways of being … & create new ways of being …

‘I am a high-energy person that has always reacted with emotion & drive to situations & challenges. Business Coaching helped me immensely. I learned the value of slowing down & listening & thinking before reacting. I am now calmer & listen a lot more & just take it all in. I now reflect & decide the best course of action.

‘I started to peel away those things that were not relevant. I got clear about my focus & my priorities.

‘Before, I was out there doing it all myself. I was not allowing people to evolve & develop. I realised that I was restricting my team,’ Jonathan said.

Coaching Analogy
My Business Coach’s words made sense to me … she said – ‘Jonathan, you yourself are a coach – you have to sit on the sidelines & view what is going on & how everyone in your team is doing. Watch them play & see how they do. Guide them & coach them. If you do it for them, they will never know what they are doing wrong. You have to allow them to learn from their own experiences – their successes as well as their failures ….’

‘Where I have ‘let go’ with the people in my team, it has forced them to be more pro-active, interactive & involved in the ‘bigger picture’. I have seen them grow. It has forced them to go & do things on their own ‘steam’ sooner rather than later. They are empowered to do it themselves & that is so positive’, he said.

The Benefits – Qualitative & Quantitative Jonathan concludes ‘the qualitative benefits are undeniable. I have had a great deal of very positive feedback from senior managers & peers, as well as my family.

‘I have also learned the value of making ‘time’ for myself, which I now know to be vitally important. For example, I now go running during my lunchtime break, which I never made time for before.

‘I can also definitely say that the benefits are indeed quantifiable. This has resulted in increased sales, simply because my team is empowered to go out there & seize the opportunities as they arise – rather than waiting for information or permission to go ahead & take action.

The Coach’s Perspective
According to Kathy Baker, Principal of ALL Interactive Solutions, ‘Jonathan has grown in leaps & bounds during the Business Coaching process. He keenly takes from each coaching session three or four very tangible positive actions to implement & put into action. In the few short months I have worked with Jonathan, his commitment is testament to what he has achieved to date. It is so great to see his development & progress.

‘As with each coaching assignment, we individually tailor the program to suit the individual. In this instance, we incorporated:
• Looking at the individual as part of the Team. Also identifying the Captain of the Team
• Calmness under pressure
• Accountability within an organisational context
• Personal Power
• Emotional Intelligence
• Level of Perception/Self Awareness

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With an extensive background in business strategy consulting, marketing, business development & communications, Kathy Baker operates her own business providing Business Coaching & Personal Coaching services to a diverse range of clients, in a variety of industry sectors & business sizes. She is also a member of The Coaches Consortium & PRIA.

Kathy Baker is Founder & Principal of All Interactive Solutions & Kathy Baker & Associates
http://www.allinteractivesolutions.com
Email: allinteractivesolutions@getresponse.com
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