"The intense work we did early on led to success in some tricky navigation around obstacles and resulted in precisely achieving the goals I set out to accomplish... every coaching session boosts my confidence in my own resourcefulness and ability to focus on what's really important...and I am grateful for his sense of humor and for not letting me take myself too seriously." |
Coaching for Business Owners
Why does it matter?
Life in a privately held business is challenging, to say the least. As the business evolves, the skills needed to lead the business also change. The beginning of a company's life is marked by heavy experimentation and trial-and-error learning as the business model is developed through hands-on work by the owner, who becomes the expert on all aspects of the operation of the business.
After reaching stability, the focus shifts to scalability and growth. Eventually the business expands to the point where the expert-owner can no longer manage the business without help from other people. Successfully managing the transition to getting work done through others is a critical skill to master. This is one factor that can severely hamper or rapidly accelerate an organizations' ability to grow.
Running a business also requires significant effort, especially at startup. For some owners, the intensive time commitment required to launch the business never ended, and the owner feels trapped by the business, even though the resources might be available to make different choices. The difficulty is in figuring out how to make the transition to living a balanced, rewarding life; which is why the business was started in the first place.
What will it do for me?
Coaching for Business Owners is a one-on-one program designed to free business owners from the tyranny of their businesses through accomplishing one or more of the following objectives:
- Develop and maximize your capacity to lead by mastering:
- meaningful vision creation
- communication
- inspiring trust and commitment to action
- creativity
- focusing and prioritizing skills
- Leverage your leadership strengths and neutralize the impact of limitations
- Create a plan for fulfilling your business legacy
- Create better balance between work and the rest of your life
- Create a strategy to prepare the organization for your eventual exit from the business, including:
- A leadership transition plan for the organization
- A "What's next" plan for life after the business
How does it work?
At the heart of Coaching for Business Owners is a radically different learning process. Instead of focusing on good ideas and intentions as the outcome of learning, my approach focuses on converting good ideas and intentions into ability, as demonstrated by real results. This is accomplished by inserting learning practices into activities that are already on the calendar. As a result, busy owners get twice the value from their time through doing real work and real learning at the same time.
The program is paced over twelve months. It starts with an orientation to the process and a personal history interview. Subsequent meetings are conducted by telephone or in-person.
What is included?
- Up to four hours of coaching per month during the first six months; up to two hours of coaching per month during the final six months.
- Between the scheduled meetings, short phone calls and email contact are included, so that help is available when needed.
- Full access to all of the WondraGroup tools and processes, as needed to support the successful completion of the program.
- Periodic homework assignments to support the learning process throughout the program.
- Two assessments are available as part of the program - a 360 Degree Feedback Survey and an Emotional Capability Profile.
What are possible outcomes?
- You improved your ability to grow the business through developing your leadership skills.
- Leadership limitations that constrict business growth are remedied.
- You adjusted your own role to reflect what you are good at and what you enjoy doing.
- You have improved clarity when making difficult business choices.
- You are on the path toward fulfilling your business legacy.
- Your life priorities are back in balance with your work.
- You are confident that you and your organization are well-prepared for your eventual exit from the business, according to the timing you choose.
- You learned practices to continue personal development after the conclusion of the program.
Contact me if you would like further information about this or other programs.
