Coaching is all the rage these days. Life coaches, executive coaches, and business coaches abound.
Is this hype really necessary? Or just a hoax threatening to scam you?
I think you can do without this hoopla and ignore the noise.
For example, a “life coach” is probably totally redundant for you. Here is why:
- You most likely have clear personal goals already. Why wouldn’t you? There is no reason to drift in life, and it would make no sense for you to not set and follow your aspirations. All the self-improvement books suggest it, and you’d be crazy not to do the obvious. Wouldn’t you?
- You’re likely fulfilled and content with your job. If this weren’t the case, you would have changed jobs a long time ago. It’s common sense to choose a good boss who supports your career.
- You know full well that self-discipline makes for a happy life, so you practice it. Obviously. Why wouldn’t everyone practice self-discipline?
- Stress, setbacks, and uncertainty are natural parts of life. Everybody knows that. You’ve experienced these your whole life and have plenty of practice handling them calmly. You don’t need a coach to teach you that, do you?
- Since you’re a good person who knows how to make friends, you have many around. They and the mentors you’ve chosen along the way already support you. Who needs a “paid friend”?
The idea of a business coach is similarly absurd. I don’t get how people get away with selling that stuff.
- Isn’t it obvious that what doesn’t grow dies? You must grow your business to sustain it. Of course, there are obstacles, but that is why you’re an entrepreneur. You like overcoming challenges—that’s why you chose to own a business. And frankly, that’s just your job.
- Yes, you need an aligned leadership team, but this is Management 101. Aligning your team daily after your morning coffee is part of your job.
- It’s common sense to hire accountable people and mentor them. What’s the big deal here? You do the obvious stuff and execution is a breeze. You’re running a business, not building rockets—in most cases.
- Of course, you can’t do everything yourself. Whatever you lack time or inclination for, delegate it. Write it down and let your team follow instructions. How hard can that be?
- Naturally, you can’t be like your competitors. No one wants to build a commodity business, and neither do you. That’s what differentiation strategies are for, and they’re all available in books ready to implement. What could a coach offer that isn’t already out there?
- Another triviality is that your business should make money. Really? Isn’t that why you started it in the first place?
- Profit is revenue minus costs, so you ensure the former exceeds the latter. No need for a guide to explain that. Growth requires investment, so you need enough cash left over—that’s why you created your secret sauce of unique activities. Elementary stuff.
- Too much to do? Nothing is simpler than sitting your team down and dividing up tasks. No reason to ever be overwhelmed. Your business is called a “company,” not a personal practice.
Glad I finally got all that obvious nonsense off my chest.
Of course, if you were to map out who owns what across your leadership team and how those roles evolve as you grow, a Function Ownership Chart™ might make that easier—but hey, you’ve already got that memorized, right?
Okay, one thing: You might consider a coach if you want to accelerate growth beyond your current knowledge. In that case, hiring a business guide who’s “been there, done that” might help.
Another situation might be if you desire an outside perspective. Some coaches bring ideas they’ve picked up from other companies they’ve tricked into hiring them. (This is what they excel at, by the way: getting paid for spreading ideas.)
They might also help you avoid costly mistakes their other clients made (while letting you make different ones and further educating themselves).
You might even benefit from defining your long-term goals in one place with something like a Vision & Strategy Map™, just to make sure your daily execution aligns with your bigger picture.
I hope I’ve put your mind at ease about coaching. Keep growing your business and stop getting distracted by the senseless coaching pandemic raging around you. If you won’t take my advice, feel free to explore Summit OS. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.
