What are the best practices for working with a small business coach?

As a business coach, the key to a successful relationship is ??????????. No coaching relationship should be started after just one meeting. I have at least three touchpoints to determine if prospective clients are a good fit prior formally engaging with a client. A good coach can easily share contacts you can reach out to, however, "references" are typically handpicked by the coach so your intuition after a few meetings usually is the best marker. Additionally, agreeing on clear goals with your coach is also important so that the engagement is SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound)!

In my experience, it is very important to find a good rapport with a business coach. A good coach is an active listener, empathetic and cares about the personal and professional growth of the client and his or her desired outcomes. Indeed, it is advisable to do one’s research, get referrals and review the testimonials to get a sense of a coach’s track record with clients. It is also important to find a coach who understands a client’s industry and exhibits a depth of knowledge and life experience.

Créer un lien avec un coach est la deuxième question à se poser après avoir regardé les références. Est ce que je me sens bien avec? Est ce qu’en sortant d’une séance, je me sens mieux Sont les deux questions qui aident à identifier si c’est le bon pour toi

Choosing the right small business coach is critical for a successful coaching relationship. Beyond evaluating their credentials and experience, connecting with them on a personal level is essential. Coaching often explores deep, personal aspects of business and life, making it vital to work with someone whose values and interests align with yours. This allows for open communication, trust, and more productive engagement. While a coach's abilities and experience are important, their capacity to understand and relate to your unique challenges and aspirations is most important. A coach who shares common ground can transform the process from a professional engagement into a powerful partnership that propels your business forward.

Choosing the right coach is crucial for a fruitful coaching relationship, especially for small business owners. The ideal coach is not just a guide but someone you genuinely trust and enjoy working with. As coaching often delves into both the intricacies of your business and aspects of your personal life, having a coach you resonate with makes the journey more effective and enjoyable.

Your business coach is like a "non-equity partner," fully committed to your success. Many times, you will share ideas that you don't share with anyone else in your business precisely because we're not "in it"; i.e. about bringing in a new partner, replacing a key position, promoting or firing, acquisition, etc. Once the trust from item #1 is there, let it all out, we will help you to clearly weigh all options.

Another thing to note is that, your coach is an unbiased third party. It's imperative to be as honest with your requests and issues so they can assist you as it is most likely a strategy session or a short project for a goal for your business.

Working with a small business coach requires openness and honesty beyond the usual vendor/client dynamic. The ideal coach views your success as their own, much like an equity holder would. This symbiotic relationship means that the business's achievements under coaching reflect on the coach's effectiveness. Therefore, fostering an environment of transparent communication and trust is essential. Being candid about challenges, aspirations, and operational realities allows the coach to tailor their guidance more effectively. Over time, this foundation of openness not only strengthens the coach-client bond but also drives tangible results, enhancing the business's growth and the coach's impact.

Vulnerability is power. Your coach isn’t there to judge but to guide. The more transparent you are about your struggles, fears, and blind spots, the more precise their guidance can be. A coaching relationship thrives when both sides operate with radical candor. If you hide the real issues, you won’t get real results. Success lies in creating a safe space where you can show up authentically and explore what truly matters.

Coaches can help with setting SMART goals, but don't be intimidated if this process takes time. As a third-party observer, a good business coach will also take your existing systems and processes into account. If these need to be streamlined first, the initial focus will be on establishing a quantifiable vision and associated objectives followed by planning and implementing the required changes to the processes and strategy. Setting SMART goals and achieving them hinges heavily on data-driven strategies and processes and associated pre-work.

Ensure you have scheduled times in your calendar for check-ins and progress analysis. Even a lack of progress can be a sign of what your business needs and maybe you are not ready for the next step up but a better foundation

Goals should be more than boxes to tick; they must be aligned with your core values. Engage your coach to help refine these goals, ensuring they are not only SMART but also deeply connected to your “why.” Tracking isn’t just about metrics but about measuring alignment—are your actions reflecting your intentions? Consistent tracking coupled with reflective adjustments creates a disciplined path that leads to exponential growth. Think - FAST - Frequently discussed, Achievable, Specific and Time bound. That works as well as SMART

Discovery usually takes around 3 sessions to build trust, identify goals, constraints, bounce ideas about paths forward, and find a mutual fit. Part of what I look for in my prospect is their willingness to work and adapt. I expect them to read the module and do a short homework before we meet and then hold them accountable for following up on their action plan. Just meeting an hour per week is not enough. Every 3 months we do a "stop and reassess" to measure progress and fine tune the flight plan.

The best part of working with a coach is being able to get feedback and different perspective. Sometimes you go into a coaching relationship with a certain expectation of what you want when they can actually uncover blind spots and provide you with guidance on things you may have not thought about yet. Your coach brings a whole host of experience that will be valuable to you -- don't shoot yourself in the foot by selecting a coach that is just like you. Pick one with diversified experience.

Have realistic expectations about a coach. Lots of people see coaches as a quick way to get dramatic improvements. Unfortunately, lots of coaches perpetuate this mentality. While there are some quick wins you may nail down, changing behavior and seeing success is a process. You have to plan for that. Similar to getting a fitness coach, you can’t go for a few sessions and expect to drop a ton of weight and get fit, even if you see some short term gains. Conversely, you also need to recognize when the value of your coach has reached its limit. At some point, you will hit a threshold where that individual no longer is adding value. That doesn’t mean you abandon coaching, but it may be time for a new coach.