The ABC of your coaching practice

The classic children's stories end with the statement ‘And they lived happily ever after. However, we know better that an occasion like the commitment to marriage is the starting of a stream of hard work to make the endeavour a success.

Similar is true for an entrepreneur who launches a business. After finishing my coach training, it was time to test my learning in the cold light of day. As a certified professional coach, I was out in the open where I could experience the highs and lows of being a ‘solopreneur’.

Here are a few of my key learning over the past year of launching my business of professional coaching.

Action – Business is all about taking action. If one knows where one wants to go to, the action steps become easier. Otherwise one may keep roaming in the dark or worse stumble. Hence, a coach needs to find a rhythm to their own planning and action cycle. It could be daily, weekly or monthly. It is better to take action even if one has not planned it and then course correct.

What is the one thing you have never done before that can help your business today?

Believe – The belief of the person at the helm in their own capabilities to deliver and how they show up during the day is of paramount importance in determining the outcome of the business endeavours. Here it means to believe in both as a coach and an entrepreneur and shun the noises around which are not supportive. It is helpful to find a support mechanism in friends or family who also provide authentic feedback.

What if one has not succeeded yet? What needs to be done to course correct to success?

Coaching – It is important to keep coaching and get better at it. The coach gains confidence as they see the beneficial impact of coaching on a regular basis. It also might give additional business through referrals and word-of-mouth publicity. The coach gets better with continuous learning, networking with fellow coaches and keeping abreast with the latest research in the field.

Equally important is for the coach to have their own coach. As a ‘solopreneur’, it helps to clear their own thoughts and take concrete action steps and achieve the desired results in business.

What is the agenda to take to your coach to help you improve and move towards self-mastery?