Business coaching can be deceptively simple, because the mechanics are so straightforward.  The coach asks questions, you answer, you have a conversation and explore.  You come to decisions.

It’s not rocket science.

But when you dig below that, there’s a much deeper dynamic going on.  Here’s some of the major reasons why coaching is different from other conversations:

  • Your coach totally adopts your objectives and goals.  There are no others.
  • The coach has the freedom and initiative to ask some challenging questions, but in a way that helps you arrive at useful answers.
  • The coach doesn’t create internal blocks to progress, instead is working constantly to remove them.
  • Your coach maintains a sense of humor, lightness, and creativity.  This builds a “space” where discussions will make rapid progress, and where you’ll have enthusiasm for following through to the next step.

Primarily, though, you can think of a coach as your “second brain” – someone who will have a discussion with you which is confidential, challenging, and useful.  You can display a bit of weakness and uncertainty without getting pounced on, without hurting the relationship.

These days, that kind of conversation is quite rare.  Most business owners have a strong sense of being alone:  They’re expected to have all the answers, to show confidence, to never have doubts.

But of course we all have doubts and fears.  We’re human.

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