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How to Coach the Uncoachable

No matter how good a coach is, there are always people in a team that are uncoachable. Uncoachable people are very difficult to deal with. These people can be easily identified because they have any of the following characteristics:
  • The person does not think that he has a problem. His behavior is working just fine for him so he has no interest in changing.
  • He is practicing the wrong strategy for the company.
  • He believes that his skills is not put to good use and feel that he is in the wrong job and a wrong company.
  • He thinks that everyone else is the problem. People like this are impossible to fix.
There are previously uncoachable people that have made a turn. They are those who initially resist coaching because they have their own criteria for a coach that they believe can help them grow and succeed. They want to know about three things:
  • Does the coach really care about them?
  • Can the coach be trusted?
  • Does the coach have something of value for them?
Coaching requires that a person expose his dreams and aspirations, his unfulfilled expectations, his hidden talents; make brave promises to himself; and following new ways of action that are risky. He will only do this if he trusts the coach. If the uncoachable person can see these criteria in the coach then, he will allow him to guide him. Effective coaching is a trait of a leader. For a coach to be effective, he must respect people and treat them accordingly so he can earn their trust. Coaching needs a lot of effort but the outcome is worth it. The keys to successful coaching requires the leader to be direct to show assertiveness; to be honest in order to inspire trust; and timely in conducting review. The coach must develop a real rapport with employees like understanding their strengths and weaknesses in order for him to be successful. The coach-leader can show respect to his team inside the organization by involving them in the problem-solving process rather than giving them his decision and telling people what to do. By asking their opinions, listening to their ideas, and using their inputs whenever possible, employees will feel that they are valued in the organization. But then, there are still people that remain unreceptive to coaching. If the employee refuses to be coached, the challenge of turning them around may not be worth the effort. The best way will be to transfer them to other jobs that are less critical if they have been with the organization for a long time. Keeping uncoachable people around can affect the credibility of the coach-leader and will make other employees think less of him and his ability to manage people. If that person is not willing to change his belief and see how he hinders the achievement of the organization’s goals, then the coach needs to give him up for good.

How Coaching Optimists vs. Pessimists Benefits a Company

Optimists and pessimists – every company have them, not just yours. They are there to keep the balance of ideas and personalities within your company. If you will only employ optimists, who will tell them about the disadvantages or the possible consequences of their actions? Who can help them prepare back up plans in case the original will go awry? That will be the pessimists.

Merriam Webster defines optimism as “a doctrine that this world is the best possible world” and “an inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome”. While pessimism is a state of mind in which one anticipates undesirable outcomes or believes that the evil or hardships in life outweigh the good or luxuries (Wikipedia.org). Simply put, optimist think of the positive result while pessimist think of the negative result. You can easily spot the optimists from the pessimists whenever you have a meeting and a brainstorming.

You don’t need to convince pessimists to become optimists – you have to learn to make use of their differing perceptions to come out with a great plan. Who can help you understand and coach these personalities? An expert business coach will assist you on how to lead them properly and effectively.

The University of Pennsylvania’s director of the Positive Psychology Center and author of the book “Learned Optimism” Martin Seligman’s research suggests that the one with the real observation of the circumstances is the pessimist and the one that can be more successful is the optimist because of his positive outlook.

Leaders should learn how to utilize the positive attitude of the optimists and gain insight of the possible problems through the contribution of the pessimists. With the guidance of a business coach, you can do the following:

The Pessimists

1. Hear what they have something to say about the subject be it a plan or a project.
2. Test their anxieties about a setback which they are thinking to be permanent.
3. Persuade them to classify the unfavorable events that they are thinking.
4. Give credit to them if they were able to help in achieving positive results.

The Optimists

1. Encourage their positive views on how to make a plan or project work.
2. Persuade them to analyze assumptions that resulted to a failure of a plan or project.
3. Help them accept accountability in case of failures.

You should let them know that you respect their differing opinions on issues. Do not show them that you are favoring the optimists over the pessimists or vice versa. Let them know that you cannot choose one without the other because they help you make smart decisions and effective strategies for the benefit of everyone in the company.

Through the help of a business coach, identify your employees’ strengths and build up their potentials because in doing so, you are honing their skills of becoming future problem-solvers, leaders, coaches, and team players. Who will then benefit in the end? You… and your company!

Source Link: http://psychology.about.com/od/profilesmz/p/martin-seligman.htm

A Business Coach’s Stress Management Approaches that Work

Are you able to manage your stress or are you feeling like you’re carrying the world on your shoulders and will pop a button any time now? Saying yes to the first question will be followed by “Are you doing it properly?” while saying yes to the latter will be followed by “Do you need help?” I am a business coach and I am here to help you.

Stress management refers to the psychotherapies and techniques used to control the level of stress in a person to improve his everyday performance.

Stress is a normal part of a person’s work life that can affect his emotional and physical health as well as hinder his productivity. It’s a given fact that you cannot control everything in your workplace and the frustrations cause the stress. There are several approaches for stress management including:

Acknowledging the signs of too much stress

When you feel overwhelmed by the work and responsibilities that were given to you, you will feel irritable and impatient with others. You will also lose confidence that will make you less effective and less productive. You will think that the job is not right for you because you no longer enjoyed doing it. When stress is already affecting your job performance and causes problems to your emotional and physical health – it is time to do something to control it.

Taking care of yourself

Take care of your emotional and physical health by addressing your needs. It does not have to be a total overhaul of your lifestyle. It can be small things that can make you happy, boost your energy, and make you more optimistic about life and work. When you feel better, you will be more resilient to stress and will not be easily overwhelmed.

Having a regular workout can help in relieving stress especially the cardio ones. Working out relaxes the mind and body, sharpens focus, lifts mood, and increases energy. Be wise with your food choices and get plenty of sleep.

Sharing your feelings with your family and friends can help unburden your stress. So make the most of your bonding time venting your frustrations to a good listener.

Organizing and prioritizing tasks

Make a balanced schedule for work and for personal life. Do not fit too many tasks in one day. Analyze your tasks by classifying the most important from the less important. You can eliminate the less important ones or place them at the bottom of your list. Tackle the important tasks first and the lesser ones last. Your day will be more pleasant if you were able to finish the difficult tasks early.

Take short breaks to recharge and clear your mind. Leave your desk if you can for lunch or for a walk. A change of scenery or a breath of fresh air can do wonders to your mind and body. You can also engage in a conversation with your fellow employees who are also on breaks. Talking to someone about topics that are not related to work can help reduce stress.

These are only some of the approaches that a business coach can help you with. If you are an entrepreneur who want to help your employees manage stress for better productivity and health, getting a business coach will be a good investment that you will never regret.

Source Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_management

A Business Coach’s Work-Life Balance Tips

Work-life balance refers to the daily effort of making time for other important aspects of life like self care, personal growth, family, friends, spirituality, and community participation aside from office work. Career people have been having difficulties in balancing work and family especially when companies demand more from their employees and business-focused entrepreneurs are bent on racing for success.

Due to the high cost of living as well as the instability of the economy, both parents are forced to work in order to support the needs of the family. Balancing home and work life became a challenge. To help you make sense of your hectic life, here are some work-life balance tips that are worth for you to follow.

Value yourself

Value yourself by prioritizing your health. You cannot help others if you are in no shape yourself. Make healthy boundaries when it comes to work and personal life. Remember that if something bad happened to you, who will take care of your family? Who will run your business?

Start by sending email or making a last phone call later. You don’t have to rush things especially if they are not that important. Take care of yourself first and your family before your business.

Stay fit and healthy

You have to exercise regularly to keep your body healthy and your mind sharp. Choose an activity that suits you like running with your dog, taking Pilates and yoga classes, lifting weights, playing tennis, etc. You don’t have to rush answering that last email because it will still be in your Inbox when you get back. Energize your mind by energizing your body.

Learn to say “No”

Face your own problems and let other people face theirs. If you used to solve other people’s problem before because you like the feeling of being trusted then, it’s time to stop and set boundaries. Find something else that will make you feel important and start with our family. If other people will approach you with their problems, tell them that they have the capacity to solve these on their own as you did yours.

Difficult things first, easy ones later

It is best to tackle difficult things first when you come to the office in the morning. Your mind and body are humming with energy after a good night sleep and a full, energy-boosting breakfast. Balance work and family by putting the hardest part of the day behind you so you can enjoy doing what you want for the rest of the day.

Unwind to recharge

Make it a habit to let go of the stressful things that had been bugging your mind the whole week by doing things that relaxes you. Have a picnic with your family, rent a DVD and watch movies at home, have a barbeque party with friends and relatives at the poolside, or go for a swim at the beach.

Clear your head by letting go of previous beliefs that do not help anymore and open yourself for new opportunities. A business coach can help in attaining a work-life balance by offering perspective, helping you get into action, giving validation, and providing options.

Source Link: http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryw/g/balance.htm

What to Look for When Hiring a Business Coach

Business coaching is now popular to both big and small companies that many business coaching firms have surfaced offering their expertise. Once considered a luxury that only corporate executives from big companies could afford, business coaching industry in the United States now totals to 37, 000 firms based on IBISWorld.

Business coaching is not cheap so it will be beneficial for your company to choose one that is qualified and the right fit for your expectations. With thousands of firms to choose from, it will be tough to assess every one of them. Business coaching has no tangible coaching credentials and no certification process thus, anyone can start a business of coaching people. But do you know what to look for when hiring a business coach?

When hunting for a business coach, one must consider the following factors:

The Success Rate

It is important that you know the success rate of the business coach by asking about his previous clients and how did help them achieved their objectives. You should also ask him how much he earned coaching executives and employees. This is your way of determining if he really knows anything about business development as he was able to earn that much.

A coach from a barely surviving firm is someone that you should avoid hiring because he was not able to address the problems within his own firm. How can he resolve yours?

The Length of Experience

Avoid first-timers. Never let other people practice on your company. Look for a minimum of three years experience when hiring a business coach which is long enough for him to build on his reputation and skills. This is to ensure that he or she had encountered all problems and issues that a company faces in the course of three years and gained knowledge in every coaching mistakes encountered along the way.

The Credible References

You will be entrusting yourself and your company to the hands of a business coach thus, a thorough background check should be conducted. Your business coach prospect should be able to convince previous clients to call you to serve as references for his success in achieving results in their own companies. You should also check the authenticity of these companies by googling their information and calling them back on their offices for further questions. At least three credible references would be fair enough to establish.


The Framework for Coaching

A good coach follows an effective system of coaching. He can present it to you during the interview. Avoid business coach applicants who have no clear framework of how they go about coaching because they are not good for you.

The Advanced Learning

You don’t want somebody to teach you obsolete techniques right? So look for a business coach who has the drive for continuous learning. Do not base your judgment on what school he graduated from but how he was able to continue educating himself to keep his knowledge up-to-date. This is to ensure that he can give you the guidance that your company needs.

Source Link: http://success.com/article/how-to-hire-a-business-coach

What Went Wrong: Redefining Strategies Through Business Coaching

Your business has been doing great these past few years: clients poured in and financial report showed a steady increase and then BAM! Something happened and your business keeps on falling and falling and you desperately look for something to hold on to, to stop the plunge that will lead to the death of your once-thriving company. What went wrong? You will ask yourself this question. The answer may be staring at you unblinkingly behind the mirror and you are just too stubborn to acknowledge it. It is time to redefine your strategies.

Accept the fact that the business environment is changing with globalization and technology. In order to survive, a company needs to redefine its core strategy or find a new one. It is a challenge that every leader must think about thoroughly. A leader must not give way to pressure and be tempted in trying for a new market, massive corporate innovation or major acquisitions without making a feasibility study. This is where a good business coach comes in.

An experienced business coach can help you do an inventory of your company’s current capabilities and strengths. You may have untapped hidden assets that can help you survive even during major business changes like unused customer insights, underestimated business platforms and underutilized capabilities. You don’t need to go on unknown territory yet, check what you have first.

Here are three strategies that can help you make your business get back on its feet:

Focus on new services that you can provide

Learn what the customers are looking for when they call or visit your office. These are potential services that you can provide which do not require a major revamp of your existing business. Recognizing the potential for a vast market is a great way of rising from the ashes of failure. Consulting a business coach will keep the wheel in motion towards the right direction.

Change the geographic target

You may be running your business focusing on customers within your area. Maybe it’s time to widen your geographic target by offering your product and services to other areas too! Make use of the data in the Internet and with the help of a business coach, you can analyze them and devise a plan on how to go about the expansion of your geographic target.

Capture the interest of the right age group

You may be labeling your product generically that you were not able to capture the interest of the right age group. Sometimes, people ignore products when they cannot comprehend on where it will be used. They may see its pictures but if it does not look familiar, they will just skip it and move on to something that they know. It is important that you label your products and services as simple as possible. When you have finally zoomed in on your right age group then that’s the time to intensify your marketing campaign.

Getting the services of a business coach in redefining your strategies is a worthy investment which you will surely appreciate once the sales indicator is climbing up again.