Even a Business Coach Needs a Coach!

Three years of coffee, conversations and learning how to become a better business owner, coach and mentor.

Three years ago, I made one of the most worthwhile investments in myself and my business. I decided to get my own business coach.

Despite having over 20 years of experience in accounting and business management, I’ve learned that no matter how much experience you have, there’s always room to improve.

Running your own business brings plenty of challenges. There are decisions to make, people to manage, clients to look after and those moments when you wonder whether you’re actually heading in the right direction.

And sometimes, you just need someone to talk to!

Two coffees a month and plenty to talk about

Twice a month, I meet my coach at a local coffee shop. Nothing particularly formal, just a couple of coffees and an opportunity to talk through whatever is happening in my business.

Sometimes I arrive with a specific challenge. Other times, I’ve got several decisions going around in my head and need someone to help me make sense of them.

And occasionally, I just need someone to tell me I’m overthinking something!

What I’ve come to appreciate is having that dedicated time away from the office to reflect on what I’m doing and where I want to take my businesses.

It’s surprising how much clearer things can become when you sit down and talk them through with someone who isn’t involved in the day-to-day running of your business.

Running a business can be a lonely place

Even when you have a fantastic team around you, there are certain decisions and responsibilities that ultimately fall on your shoulders.

Should I employ another person? Am I charging enough? Am I spending my time on the right things? How can I improve the service I provide to clients?

Having someone outside the business who I can talk to openly has been incredibly valuable.

My coach doesn’t make decisions for me. Instead, he listens, challenges my thinking and asks questions that encourage me to look at situations from a different perspective.

He’s also there to hold me accountable.

It’s easy to leave a meeting with great intentions, only for the demands of running a business to take over. Knowing we’ll be meeting again in a couple of weeks certainly helps keep me focused!

Becoming a better business owner

One of the biggest changes over the past three years has been how I think about my role within Swan Saunders.

Like many business owners, I’ve spent years getting involved in almost everything.

But I’ve gradually realised that being involved in every decision isn’t necessarily the best use of my time.

My coaching sessions have helped me think more carefully about what I should be concentrating on, what I can delegate and how I can develop the people around me.

For me, the goal is to spend less time managing the day-to-day activities of the practice and more time doing what I genuinely enjoy: working closely with clients, understanding their businesses and helping them achieve their ambitions.

I’m still working on it, but having someone regularly challenge my thinking has made a real difference.

Even a coach needs coaching!

Perhaps one of the most valuable and unexpected benefits has been how receiving coaching myself has helped me become a better coach and mentor to others.

Through my own sessions, I’ve experienced first hand the difference it makes when someone genuinely listens, asks the right questions and gives you the space to work through your own challenges.

It’s taught me that coaching isn’t always about providing answers.

Sometimes it’s about helping someone look at a problem differently, challenging their assumptions or simply giving them the confidence to make a decision they’ve been putting off.

I’ve taken those experiences into my own coaching and mentoring work, as well as the conversations I have with my accountancy clients.

I’m now much more conscious of listening, understanding what someone is trying to achieve and helping them find solutions that work for them.

After all, every business owner is different, and what works for one person won’t necessarily work for another.

Investing in yourself

When we talk about investing in a business, we often think about software, equipment, marketing or employing more people.

But how often do we think about investing in ourselves?

As business owners, we’re responsible for making decisions that affect our employees, clients and sometimes our families.

Having someone who can challenge our thinking, provide a different perspective and hold us accountable can be incredibly valuable.

Three years on, those twice-monthly coffee shop meetings remain an important part of my working routine.

They’ve helped me develop as a business owner, become more confident in my decision-making and improve the way I coach and mentor others.

I spend much of my working life helping other business owners. Having someone who helps me become a better business owner, coach and mentor has been one of the most worthwhile investments I’ve made.

And after three years, I’m still learning.

Not to mention enjoying plenty of good coffee along the way!

Glenn’s Notebook – Business, life and everything in between.