What Is Business Coaching?

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 459.

Choose the best alternative to complete the sentences.

a) You (couldn`t/ may/should) help employees establish and achieve their goals.

b) Here are some principles you (musn`t/shouldn`t/could) follow as you navigate how to best support your people in reaching their objectives.

c) Employees (shouldn`t/ may/ must) understand the roles they play in company success, it will help them become engaged.

d) You (might/couldn`t/should) see your boss, he was looking for you the whole day.

e) Once a goal is set, a manager (could/should/mustn`t) ask the employee to explain how he plans to meet it.

f) Goal-setting (might not/should/must) be applied in our department.

g) If you want to head off any troubles early on you (could/ shouldn`t/ will) make an insurance as soon as possible.

h) If your employee encounters an unforeseen obstacle you (must/should/may) help him.

i) For goals to be meaningful and effective in motivating employees they (shouldn`t/must/may not) be realistic and challenging.

j) A manager (shouldn`t/must/ couldn`t) set tasks too difficult to accomplish.

Business Result

Reading Comprehension

Unit 15.Training.

Text 2. (Intermediate)

Business coaching is about making improvements and changes so that you and your business perform at a much higher level, continually growing. These areas of growth occur both on a personal level, the way you run your business and ultimately the profits you generate. Business coaching helps to get the most out of your time, resources and investments. Although business coaching is regularly used when companies aren't performing well, its also extremely beneficial when a company is successful to build on the success and take to an even high level.

The process of business coaching identifies areas for improvement, usually by asking many enquiry type questions so that clarity is first gained and then the most effective way forward is identified. A plan of action is then formulated ready for the business owner to put into practice on a consistent basis. Coaching is a process which is action-orientated. Its not for the coach to tell you what to do, instead the coach helps you to identify what to do.

During the business coaching, new skills may be introduced and existing ones developed, along with the providing of training, guidance, support and motivation. The overall goal of business coaching is always focused on enabling growth, efficient productivity and increasing profits in order to make the business more successful and the business owner more fulfilled.

Business coaching covers all the parts of running a successful business, such as leadership, achieving targets, sales, marketing, communication skills, planning, accountability, management, team building plus much more.

Although part of the business coaching may include some training, it is mainly focused on helping business people to realize potential and identify goals, while simultaneously providing the support that you and your organization will require to achieve them. The role of business coaching is to help you realize what you want to achieve, discover the best way to reach your goals and provide support and encouragement along the way.

The intention behind business coaching is to make your business effective and competitive and for you as a business person to feel successful. With the help of business coaching, you formulate a plan or strategy, identifying the steps required and start taking these steps to achieve the targets you have for your business.

You can benefit from business coaching is a variety of ways, from 1-2-1 coaching, workshops/seminars, group coaching, through to books/articles/blogs that take a coaching approach. Choosing the right option for you will depend on the investment you are willing to make, the changes/improvements required.

Mentoring is usually with some who has been there and done it, and shares their experience and advice with you. At times a business coach may include some mentoring in their process if they have some specific areas of expertise.

You've seen athletes huddling with a coach. They plan, strategise and discuss how to win the game and be their best. It's the same idea when working with your own business coach and is focused on your individual needs. As the coach is an outsider to your business, they offer an objective view and different perspectives.

This type of business coaching is a collaborative partnership, offering support, encouragement and a flexible structure so that you achieve more than you would on your own. It's a unique, ongoing relationship, focusing on you and what you most want. The approach is holistic in that it develops the whole person - emotionally, physically, intellectually and spiritually.

The role of the business coach is to keep the coaching focused on clearly defined goals, challenging thinking, beliefs and assumptions, offering constructive feedback and keeping you on track to do what is needed for success. The business owner when being coached is responsible for taking action, considering and finding ways to deal with potential obstacles, and reporting their progress.

Many people start out in business without a clue how hard it will be. Creativity and enthusiasm quickly vanish under swathes of paperwork and the excitement of running a company fast turns to hassle and tedium. Most people are unclear how to prioritise or keep focused and as a result work life balance disappears and frustration all too quickly turns to failure. Business coaching can help. The aim of business coaching is to help you develop successfully in the way that you want. Business coaching can teach the skills needed to grow your business, the ability to raise targets and focus time and attention on what really matters. You will get independent and objective advice to help you make decisions.

Business coaches can help you develop a vision for your business, help achieve clear goals to enable the company to flourish. This could include how to create a business plan, provide guidance or obtain outside funding, how to address meetings, network etc. You might want help with effective marketing and sales. You might want to work on a mission, a vision or an organisational structure. Maybe you need help developing and maintaining confidence, or interpersonal skills, time management skills or organisational skills? A highly qualified impartial advisor will focus on your strengths and weaknesses and help you make specific changes.

Business coaching can also help you keep control of your business and get the best out of your staff. You might want to improve overall performance, productivity or effectiveness. Do you need help developing and retaining key staff or addressing performance issues? What about team development to support and build the business?

You may feel your business is doing OK but a good business coach can focus on targets and help you raise them. A good coach can push you to do much more, in the same way as a personal trainer will force you beyond your comfort zone and a result will achieve more results than you would alone.

The coach can target specific areas to change and help you focus your time and attention on the really important issues. Goals need to be established and you need a clear road map of how to achieve them. Which are the most important goals for your company? Who should do what? What can you delegate? Which tasks must you absolutely do yourself to keep control?

Good business coaches will have worked with a variety of businesses, know what works well and what to avoid. Because the coach is independent and not emotionally attached him or she can analyse and give insights you may not have thought of.

It can be hard to make a big decision alone. You may talk about it beforehand with family, friends or colleagues, but ultimately it is your business and your decision. It can be lonely and challenging. Coaches can talk you through the process, and look at the whole process. In particular they can help you think outside the box and develop innovatively.

Many coaches follow what is known as the GROW model. The GROW model is applied to all forms of coaching, whether it be in a business or 'life' context. You book a series of sessions in which you work through the GROW model and continually review your progress towards achieving your goals.

G – goal. Your coach will ask you lots of questions to establish specifically what it is that you want to achieve.

R –reality. This will identify where you are right now in terms of meeting your goals, the progress you've made so far and any obstacles that might be getting in the way. For example, you may have made little progress because all time is taken up with paperwork, or you may need to take on help, or get rid of anyone who is not pulling their weight.

O –options. You will look at all the options open to you. Your coach will look at things that you could do, but not necessarily should do and look at issues in a way you had not thought of.

W - will or way forward. You turn your ideas into action points. You will agree with your coach what you will do and when you will do it by. This will be reviewed at your next session. Having clear action points will help you focus and the deadline of another coaching session will force you to do something about your action points.

Coaching is not for everyone, and it is not cheap, but with the right coach it can be money well spent and having a professional survey of your business can be very revealing.

http://www.duport.co.uk/advisor/office/business-coaching/business-coaching-benefits.php

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