Coaching should always be client-centricPosted by Nicole CoyneOn September 29, 2017

I was chatting with a business owner the other day and they commented that they were not too sure if their business goals would “fit” into the coaching model.

When you operate in the coaching world and you are continuously in the coaching mode it can be very easy to slip into a comfortable position and think that everyone around you absolutely, one hundred percent gets what coaching is all about.

When I heard this comment it was yet another reality check for me of how some people perceive coaching and how they believe it works. Here was a great opportunity to move out of coaching mode and shift into educator mode.

My response to this business owner was that it is not the responsibility of the business to fit into the coaching model. Firstly, because there isn’t just one coaching model. There are many techniques, tools and styles that can be used to coach businesses.

Secondly, and very importantly, it is the responsibility of the coach to identify which strategies would best suit that specific business’s needs at that particular time. The coaching would need to “fit” into the business.

A point that needs highlighting here, is that it’s not actually about the coach. It’s not what’s best for them or how they think your business should be operated. Coaching or the coach’s mindset should always be  client-centric, always putting the needs and goals of the client first.

Working with a coach can be hard work. The process will cause you to step outside of your comfort zone, challenge you and stretch your thinking in many ways, but the coaching process should always operate in a safe space and never force you to do something you don’t want to do. You are in charge of your own destiny, your own business and your own success. It is your choice, and your choice alone.