In its simplest form, business coaching is a partnership based on learning, self and professional-development, open communication, and mutual commitment. A great business coach enables you to form new habits which will help you to make more strategic business decisions, and ultimately align your goals and values with your actions. However, from an individual perspective, knowing exactly what to talk to your business coach about can be difficult. You may feel like you have so many areas to cover, you don’t even know where to start. But don’t despair. In this short guide we cover some of the most common areas within which a great business coach can help you develop and grow.
4 Key Areas to Focus On
1. Personal Mastery
→ Resilience and Stress management
We all encounter pressure and stressors every day in our working lives. Knowing how to best cope with stress and pressure and how to stay resilient is a non-negotiable skill to learn and master in modern work life. A business coach can guide you on how to stay calm and connected in the midst of turmoil, and how to prevent stress from derailing into something toxic for yourself and others.
→ Emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence involves the art of appropriately discerning and responding to others' emotions, effectively regulating one's own feelings, and possessing keen situational awareness. A skilled business coach can help you cultivate robust relationships and discern the optimal timing for engaging with individuals and discussing various topics
→ Identifying and Applying Strengths
Can you effectively identify and apply your unique strengths to your daily business scenarios and challenges? And just as importantly, can you recognize and amplify the strengths of your team and individual team members? Business coaching helps you to not only discover your own inherent talents but also to consciously bring those strengths into play in your everyday work. Furthermore, a strengths-focused business coach equips you with the tools to unearth and cultivate the strengths within your team, transforming individual potential into collective power.
2. Communication
→ Communication and Presentation Skills
Have you ever felt that your communication and presentation skills could use some polishing? Even the most seasoned communicators and presenters often find that these skills require continuous refinement, especially as they climb the corporate ladder. What constitutes great communication at one level does not necessarily translate to great communication at another. A skilled business coach can help you convey your message effectively and assertively.
→ Improved Self Confidence and Influencing Others
In today's professional landscape, carrying yourself with poise and self-confidence is pivotal for gaining influence. Without self-confidence, influence is simply unattainable. Effectively influencing others requires a fundamental belief in your own value and contributions, alongside with the conviction that your cause or project is truly worth following. If you frequently grapple with self-doubt or struggle to inspire others to embrace your ideas, this is a topic well worth exploring with a business coach.
3. Leadership
→ Leadership
There is a common saying: People do not leave companies; they leave bad leaders. Whether you're a seasoned C-suite executive or just starting your leadership journey, business coaching can sharpen your toolbox. You can get concrete tools on how to best engage, motivate, and empower your employees on a daily basis. Even if you're not a formal leader with direct reports, coaching can help you master the art of gaining followership. Everyone benefits from learning how to effectively lead and inspire others, whether you have the authority to "tell people what to do" or need to motivate them to follow through influence.
→ Improving the Company and Team Culture
Think about your company and team culture - are there areas of improvement? By contributing to an inclusive, engaging and psychological safe working environment, you will reap the benefits of a happier, more productive workforce. Talk to your business coach about strategies to improve team and company culture and help create a workplace of belonging, purpose and effectiveness.
→ Change Management
In today's world, everyone needs to learn how to best deal with change. Whether you are a manager guiding your team through transitions, or an individual experiencing change driven by external forces, mastering how to navigate, communicate, and act effectively amidst change is pivotal. A great business coach can teach you the essentials and help you find your way through change.
4. Strategic Execution & Vision
→ Planning & Prioritizing
Do you ever find yourself overwhelmed by an endless stream of duties and responsibilities? Does the crucial long-term strategy and vision for your work sometimes get overshadowed by the urgent need to simply tick off daily checklist items? If you're constantly caught in the whirlwind of day-to-day tasks, feeling that the bigger picture is slipping away, then a conversation about planning and prioritization with a business coach could be exactly what you need. They can help you gain the clarity and practical tools to effectively manage your workload, ensure vital strategic initiatives to stay on track, and ultimately reclaim control over your time and focus.
→ Strategic Thinking
Have you ever struggled with strategic thinking, or even wondered what it truly entails? The ability to take a holistic view of your projects, plot your team's next best steps, and steer your organization in the right direction, all while serving the overarching vision, is a pivotal skill in any organizational setting and at every level. A business coach can teach you the fundamentals of strategic thinking. You can then immediately apply these newfound skills in your daily work, and follow up with your coach to refine your approach and truly master this essential capability.
Conclusion
The prospect of engaging with a business coach may seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! Break down your coaching journey into key focus areas that you would like to concentrate your efforts on. Start with making a list of your top three areas of improvement, and continue expanding into more areas as your coaching journey unfolds. Curious to learn more about professional business coaching? Get in touch with the Session team to learn more about our coaching options.
