Peter Drucker believes “The best way to predict the future is to create it”
But that’s easier said than done, especially when you have reached a point where you are turning around in circles, face conflicting priorities, or don’t quite know where to start or which course of action will bring you closer to your goal. What you need is a fresh objective look and a new direction from an outside source…
Since the time of Aristotle teaching Alexander the Great all the way to the present, where you’ll find Warren Buffet tutoring Bill Gates, mentoring has been a powerful way to inspire people and help them grow. Mentoring is a long-term exchange based on close personal relationships, and therefore not always available to everyone. But there is also a powerful, functional and action-based method that achieves similar results short term. Over the past couple of years coaching has become an increasingly important tool to improve the performance of professionals and businesses.
The power of coaching
“If you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” In this statement, Henry Ford captures the essence of what coaching sets out to accomplish. Coaching helps people to achieve their full potential, encourages them to leap into the unknown and helps them find out what it takes to reach their goals. It helps to effectively deal with the external roadblocks, brings forth your best strategic thinking and inspires you to stay on course. But even more important, coaching helps people recognise their internal obstacles, the self-limiting beliefs, fears and worries, and shows them how they can transform their behaviour through understanding and by getting clarity.
Business and Executive Coaching increases the awareness of the influences that impact ones performance (positively and negatively), helps manage pressure and demands and provides direction.
Coaching affects people and the bottom line
It used to be only in connection with sports, that amazing success stories of coaches and their top performers came to light. In the past decade that has changed considerably with businesses recognising the impact coaching has on the leadership skills of their executives and the overall performance. An indication of just how important coaching has become in today’s business environment is seen in this remark from Eric Schmidt, Google’s former CEO, who commented in Fortune Magazine ”Getting a coach was the best advice I ever got”.
Coaching actually works. In their 2013 Annual Executive Coaching Survey, Sherpa evaluated the responses from business leaders in 53 countries. One of the questions asked was “How effective is executive coaching?” 60% described results as “excellent”, and close to 40% described results as “good”. That builds on the results of the 2009 ICF Global Coaching Client Study. In it, increased productivity measures included “Improved work performance” (70%), “Improved business management” (61%) and “Increased self confidence” (80%)
What are the results of successful coaching? With a limitless capacity for growth on all levels, you’ll see higher commitment, increased performance and a better life-work balance.
