What makes a good business coach?

While entering a batch of business cards into my system (I seem to collect over 40 cards a month!), I found a link to this article (in French) about Martine Deschamps of Syneraction Management, a family business transition coach (link to website):

Qualities to look for in a great business coach
(or qualities necessary to be a great business coach) :

• The coach understands what it means to lead and manage a business
• The coach listens, is curious and asks alot of questions
• The coach is human, dynamic and available
• The coach has a great capacity to analyze and make calls
• The coach is diplomatic to temper the discussions
• The coach has an open mind and can collaborate on the human and business level
• The coach is humble, (s)he does not for him but to help
• The coach has leadership and can influence
• The coach aims for the autonomy of the future leaders (s)he coaches
• The coach leverages his/her contacts to add value for his/her clients.
• The coach researches and knows a significant amount of relevant about the industry of his/her clients

I like to think that I aim to live these principles, and I certainly look for these characteristics in the business coaches that I hire to help me win at my Big Game...

What do you think? Am I living up to these standards, in your experience of me?

To get the desired result, ask the right question

This is a prime time of the season to be thinking about changing one's results through resolutions... Questions are a powerful way to focus the mind in space, and in time, towards action.

When I have an idea of a situation to change, the vision of this idea has links to either the past, or the future. This is because the change is linked to either correcting the past, or creating something new in the future that does not exist now.

If I want to change my results through action around my idea, how I phrase the questions I ask myself, becomes crucial:

• "Why?" forces me to look at the past, to justify my past results, and to wish things were different. I cannot change the past, so the only answer to this question is an excuse, a reason or a justification. That's why "Why?" questions put me (as I ask myself the question) on the defensive, on an adversarial relationship with the truth.
  
  
• "How?" projects me into the future, forcing me to evaluate several paths or options. This complication here is that there can be many outcomes, all with varying degrees of possibility. This strategizing can overwhelm, cause me to hesitate in taking action, and therefore lose my motivation to move.
  
  
• "What?" is the question that gets me to focus on the present, forcing me to make a choice, right now, step by step. "What?" is a powerful question, where action is the only answer.

Therefore, once a "resolution" is stated, avoid focusing on "Why?" (justification) or "How?" (endless strategizing), and instead focus on the most powerful question:

What step can I take right now to move me forward towards the change I want to make?

By focusing on the step to take in the present, the strategy for the next step will appear, one step at a time, and I don't have to worry about "how" I am going to succeed in transforming my resolution into reality...

Happy Holidays!

Ode to a pen

Here's an hilarious customer comment thread on Amazon regarding a simple pen...

But why did they file it under "Electronics"?

(How would you describe what you offer with a similar level of imagination?)

Found on the web

Two thought-provoking points of view that I found on the web today:

Start at the beginning

Jermaine Dupri, an award-winning record producer, wonders why young adults want to short-cut their way to success instead of starting at the start...

link to article


The Story of Stuff

An enlightening and empassioned presentation by Annie Leonard, about our consumer-driven culture. A must see, especially at this time of year where celebrate the birth of Christ by worshipping the god of Visa.

www.storyofstuff.com