Kehorne has been using a business coach for a while now – here are the perspectives from two members of the management team about why it might be time to think about using one in your business.
Kehorne MD – David, discusses his experience using a business coach.
“I was not sure about having a business coach initially, as it felt like an ‘expense’ and not an ‘investment’. I quickly came to realise that what you can get will help you to change your mindset, focus on what you want to achieve and also give you the tools and tactics to be able to achieve your goals for your business.
I think the most important part for me was that a lot of what I already thought was validated – and we were able to structure it in a way that meant that it was not a series of random ideas, but a cohesive plan that was doable. Putting the structures and processes in place to do that made a big difference to the business.
How I look at the business now is completely different to 2 years ago, and I now get the sense that I am working ON the business and not IN the business, without that nagging sense of guilt that I should be doing some actual ‘work’.
Your coach becomes an advisor/confidante/teacher/friend as well as an experienced business person that has been through what you are going through. He or she should be able to give you an impartial view as they are not involved in the day to day machinations of your business, so are able to help you to see past the baggage and see things for what they really are. Good or Bad.
By having a regular meeting with them you are held to account and forced to put yourself (mentally at least) above the business and look at it as a complete entity.
My business is now in much better shape now, and we have a much clearer growth mindset, that only works when you have access to an external voice that you trust. So should you get a business coach? Yes, but make sure it is the right one”.
Senior Project Manager, Paul has been working with David since 2009 and shares a similar perspective.
“Perhaps I should go back to the beginning…..
I’ve been networking for a while and there are always a few business coaches around but I didn’t really seriously consider getting one until …. I had a chat with Sally Hindmarch who, when I asked her if she had a coach she told me that she had not just one, but a business coach and a personal coach. I have a great regard for Sally and what she knows and the lessons she has learnt so she talks, and I listen.
I went back to Kehorne and discussed this with David, who had a coach before but perhaps hadn’t really connected. Finding a coach that fits that bill is really important, and spending some time with them to see if they can deliver what you are looking for is key. You will be spending a lot of time with them and taking some pretty direct criticism from them no doubt so choosing someone you respect as a person and as a business person is essential.
At Kehorne we had a core team of three, who generally made decisions together. When we thought we had decided on a particular coach (Ash Taylor) he actually suggested that he work with us all at first because any decision that David made was inevitably going to be discussed by the rest of the group, so best to get a consensus before moving forward.
This is how we worked for some considerable time until Ash started to work with David alone. This occurred because of the massive changes that had by that point been made in the way the company operated and in how it was being run.
From my perspective Ash changed David from someone who was working “in” the business to someone who was working “on” the business. This was so good to see as David was really becoming a manager and decision maker in the business. It involved bringing more people into so that capacity was increased and it gave him time to actually “think” about how we were operating. We slowly became more organised and focused.
Whilst I don’t think this process ever really stops, because things happen in life that change the direction of travel – Covid for instance – so the old saying that “if you stand still in reality you are moving backwards” holds true. So forever onwards!
I do think that a coach is a position that needs to be reflected on, because whilst your coach may be perfect for the current situation, your needs can change as your company does”.
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