One of the distinctions that sets coaching apart from other
types of consulting is that coaching specifically addresses
the client's sense of who they are in the world, and helps
the client make life choices that are aligned with their personal
values. In my opinion, there tends to be a split in the psyche
of America between personal and career development. If you
look in the index of your local telephone company's Yellow
Pages ™ you can easily find "Business Services"
and "Counseling Services." In my local directory,
I notice that the business advertisements use a lot of words
like, "strategies," "leadership," and
"business planning." The counseling listings include,
"addictions," "crisis," and "mental
health." All of those services are valuable, but where
does the over-worked owner of an independent business, who
is getting burnt out, and rarely gets time with loved ones,
go for support? What about the sole-proprietor in a specialized
service industry, like an alternative health practitioner,
who is just starting to grow their business and wants to do
so in a way that honors their belief system? What kind of
support is going to best suit them?
It seems that many of the business consultants are geared
towards the needs of larger, more corporate companies. In
general, consultants are the resource one might use to learn
how to set up and run a business or to delegate specific tasks
to, such as webmasters, accountants, and the like. Counselors
on the other hand, are the resource one might use for changing
behaviors and healing personal issues. The small business
owner may not need help managing a large executive staff,
nor have terribly difficult personal problems for which they
need to receive therapy. But that doesn't mean that they don't
need personal support as they go about making the changes
necessary to have a successful and profitable business. One
of the beautiful things about coaching is that it addresses
the client as whole and complete person. Life coaching may
include the development of practical business skills, but
it also includes the development of the person who is creating
the business. Coaching is not just concerned with what a person
does, but coaching enhances who a person is being while they're
going about the tasks of daily life. It's personal empowerment
in action.
According to the Small Business Bureau's report, Small Business
Economic Indicators for 2002 "Small firms represent about
99 percent of employers, employ about half of the private
sector workforce and are responsible for about two thirds
to three quarters of the net new jobs." They are the
creative pulse of America. Ignited by the spark of wanting
to make a difference in the world, and the desire to live
a life of freedom, entrepreneurs start off passionately. However,
the creativity that motivates a small business owner to go
into business in the first place often gets dampened as the
daily administration of the business takes over. There is
so much to do: formulating the business, structuring the business
plan, implementing the plan, and still trying to maintain
a life. What started as a quest for freedom and the ability
to control one's destiny, has now become a chore of monotonous practicalities and financial struggle,
leaving the business owner with even less freedom then before
they started. At what point does the business fail? Maybe
the business owner just finally gives up and quits. Is it
that the owner didn't have a viable idea? Did they not try
hard enough? Tough times? It would be presumptuous to second
guess why so many new businesses close, but the small business
owner would be wise to gather as much personal support as
they can to keep themselves energized and on-target. The American
Dream is possible, but it doesn't come easy.
As a coach, I love to work with entrepreneurs. There is a
special magic in the creativity that inspires someone to begin
their own business. A business can truly become a "calling,"
as the owner walks a path that leads to spiritual growth and
provides benefit to the community. I admire people who create
meaningful lives, and are willing to face the challenges that
come with following their inspiration. Some challenges however,
can intensify to the level that they become "spiritual
wake-up calls." When a business has gone flat, profits
are non-existent, and the business owner's personal life has
diminished, I believe it's time to stop and revaluate before
the business goes into a fatal downward spiral. At this point
I think it's imperative to work with the business owner directly.
If the owner isn't happy, if their energy is low, they're
not going to be in a creative solution-oriented state of mind.
This is going to have a negative effect on everyone around
them, both at work and at home. Albert Einstein said that
solutions to problems cannot be found at the same level of
energy that created them. Simply "trying harder,"
or "doing more" may not only be impossible, it may
be ineffective as well. For the most positive results, it is essential for the business owner
to revitalize their health, relationships, and to feel inspired
again.
Inspiration, "in spirit," is the revitalizing flow
of new energy, awareness, and ideas. Like a breath of fresh
air, inspiration allows us to feel alive. When I am coaching
a client, I inquire deeply into what is most inspiring to
them. Through a process of questions, self-inquiry, and sometimes
professional assessments, my clients begin to remember who
they really are and to get their priorities back in order.
We might discuss their values, life purpose, or simply what
it is that they want to create. What I find is that people
respond more creatively and roductively in business when they
are first taking care of themselves. Inspiration and motivation
go hand in hand. There is a natural tendency to want to take
action when one has the rush of creative renewal. That is
the perfect time to set business and personal goals, especially
within the context of the client's stated priorities, and who they want to be in the world, beyond any
experience of what they have done (or not done) thus far.
Having a renewed sense of purpose and commitment is vital
to moving forward again, but that does not mean it will go
unchallenged. Here is where coaching is especially valuable.
For new results to occur there has to be a well-conceived
plan and follow-through on implementing the plan. There is
a natural tendency to repeat old patterns. Change does not
usually come from insight alone. In my opinion, that's why
a lot of self-help techniques and seminars don't work. Lasting
change is an internal process that results from direct experience,
and really "getting it" for one's self. There are
slow and fast ways to integrate transformative learning, but
the change must be internalized for it to work. As a coach,
I walk my clients through the process of implementing the
changes they want to make. And although it doesn't make challenges
any less likely to occur, coaching increases the self-mastery
of the client and helps them align their decisions and actions
to their stated goals. Over time, things get smoother. Choices
become clearer. The small business owner is supported and
empowered to make professionally savvy decisions, sourced
from an intuitive knowing about what is right for them, instead
of acting and reacting unconsciously to circumstances. Immediately,
the client is living from their values on a daily basis, resulting
in personal satisfaction at the end of the day. The split
between personal and career development begins to mend.
Since I'm a coach, I will end with a question: What would
the world be like if everyone felt personally fulfilled in
their work, satisfied from being recognized for their gifts
and talents, and also had abundant quality time with their
loved ones? Do you think the world would be different? Would
your life be different? If anyone has the power to create
a paradigm shift in the balance between personal life and
work, it's America's small business owners-and that change
needs to begin with the owners themselves. A professional
coach can help you keep your sense of self while you journey
on the path that leads to your success.
Jaya Schillinger "The Turnaround Queen" at
http://www.InspirationInc.com
is a certified life coach & small business consultant
with over 20 years of business ownership & management
experience in the fields of personal development, health, and beauty.
