There is a memorable and moving scene in the movie, Witness, when Harrison Fords character assists the Amish to raise a barn, seemingly from scratch. Literally, before our eyes, we see the framing being capably carpentered, and for that day, all rivalries are put aside, so a neighbors farm can become complete. Wed like to think thats the American Way, calling on and being called on to lend a helping hand; and perhaps, at one point in our history, it was more commonplace. But not today. In the 21st century most of us are loners, by comparison. We like self-help, and do-it-yourself stores like Home Depot and a zillion others, cater to this desire to take matters into our own hands, and to get results, without owing anybody else anything. But sometimes, we do need help, expert help, in the form of advice or technical or manual skills, and we just wont reach our goals without it. Recognizing this gap, between what we know and what we need, is a mark of maturity, especially in small businesses. One of the classes I conduct is called, Building Your Consulting Practice, and I make a point of saying that small businesses have the greatest need of assistance, but theyre the least likely to ask for it and to receive it. Ninety-plus percent of all consulting is done for large corporations, and not because they have oodles of money. Its because theyre open to receiving help and know what to do with it, once they get it. Perhaps one of the healthiest developments of the last few years has been the rise of business coaching. Coaching differs from consulting, inasmuch as it is performed, quite often by seasoned businesspeople that didnt go straight through school, earn an MBA, and then get hired by a major consulting firm, and from there, start tendering advice while still in their 20s. Coaches have often had to meet a payroll, sweat out a cash flow squeeze, and mortgage their houses to make do. Theyve rolled up their sleeves, and theyre willing to do the same, now, for their clients. Their emphasis is on implementation, not ideation and abstraction. Theyre not going from theory to practice, hoping theres a fit. Theyre going from successful practice to more practicethis time, at your site. But they are genuine experts, not peers. Here are the critical ways in which coaches are experts & why we need them: (1) They know more about mission-critical matters than their clients. (2) They know they know more; theyre not just pretending or posturing. (3) They know how to communicate what they know, succinctly. (4) They know how to learn even more, fast. (5) And they know what they dont know. Most small businesspeople are very effective at one thing. If theyre graphic designers, they may be tremendous at conceiving images, drawing or assembling them, doing color adjustments in the printing process, and so on. But they may not have a clue about sales and marketing. Their technical know-how will only get them so far. To reach the next level of profitability requires outside help. Recognizing this need is a sign of strength, not weakness, and it is the next step up! |
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