It can be tempting to see business coaches as oracles; experts who immediately know the answers people are searching for and can summon valuable pieces of information out of nowhere to get them back on the right track.
But it doesn’t work like that.
Like any good business, coaches have to constantly re-examine, reflect and refine what we’re doing and exactly how we’re helping our clients. So, how do I do that?
Keeping my clients motivated between sessions
The Covid lockdown gave me an opportunity to have a good look at how I was operating as a business coach. I was having success with clients, their outcomes were good and my feedback was glowing.
But it occurred to me that many of my clients saw the process we were going through together as being cerebral, not always practical for them. In coaching sessions, they would respond positively, we would draw up a plan together and they would leave the session engaged, motivated and inspired.
For some clients that motivation wore off and actions we had agreed on were lost as the client grappled with the day-to-day realities of running a business.
To stop that from happening, I decided to add more weapons to my arsenal, I couldn’t just rely on being a good coach or on my background and experience to get clients to where they needed to be.
What I certainly didn’t want was to become a franchise coach, but I did want tools and processes that would support my clients on their individual and often personal journey. I needed a system – and that’s where Beverlee Rasmussen entered my life.
Your business is the sum of many moving parts
Beverlee is a business coach and consultant who has developed a coaching methodology called Systems Business Coaching® (SBC®). It’s designed to help business owners achieve long-lasting growth and success by improving their organisational systems and processes.
It allows you to treat your business as one big system with interconnected parts. By improving those parts and how they work together, the business as a whole becomes more efficient, effective – and profitable.
My clients tell me I’m quick to understand what the issues holding them back are, even if they can’t articulate them clearly themselves. I’m always grateful for positive feedback and I know that ability comes through experience and the life I’ve had.
But my insight can only take a client so far. Most business owners need cold, hard practical steps to get them to the next level, which is what SBC® provides.
Off the peg solutions don’t work
I don’t do ‘off the shelf’ coaching, every business that comes to me for help is unique, with its own set of challenges and goals. That’s why I take a personalised approach to my coaching, working closely with clients to develop bespoke solutions tailored to their specific needs.
SBC® allows me to work that way by concentrating on:
- Understanding the relationships between different parts of a business and how they impact each other.
- Focusing on continuous improvement and change for the better.
- Building a culture of accountability and empowerment.
- Developing effective communication and collaboration practices.
SBC® essentially boils down running a business into five key areas:
💷 Finance: tracking incomings and outgoings, getting profitable, staying out of debt and allowing small business owners to pay themselves a realistic salary.
👫Team: how to lead them, working out how much to pay them, monitoring their work and hiring and firing.
🛒Marketing: understanding how to promote your business and the best channels to do that on.
📈 Operations: systems and strategy. How do you work?
🎯 Leadership: what is the small business owner’s vision?What promise do they make to their customers? And how do they set and achieve goals?
How to achieve your goals
Normally, people will find they are better at some of these areas than others. As a coach, I can tackle the issues behind that, be it limiting beliefs, practical issues or lack of knowledge and experience.
The system is a direct route to getting something done, but for some people it can be difficult to bring in a system they can stick to. My role as a coach is to check and challenge the issues around that.
Coaching only works by working with the current situation and developing a plan that addresses your specific challenges and helps you achieve your goals. This will include a thorough assessment of your business processes, and may involve implementing new systems or tools, optimising your existing processes or improving your communication and leadership skills.
Your coach works with you every step of the way to ensure the successful implementation or your unique plan. This includes ongoing coaching and support to help you and your team adapt to the changes and make the most of the new systems or processes. The end goal is to help you build a sustainable and successful business that meets your needs and exceeds your expectations.
If this sounds like a strategy you’d like to follow – you’ll just have to have a conversation with me to find out more!
Bayo Igoh owns Bigoh Coaching and you can contact him on 07947 447012 or at bayo@bigohcoaching.com.
