Coaches do not have secret powers. Nor do they have some deep-seated knowledge of entrepreneurs‘ industries that could open the door to more success. Coaches are mere humans like you and me. However, good coaches can help you identify your blind spots.

Coaches have great detectors that can help us learn where and how we’re lying to ourselves. They’re trained to help people grow. While most successful people work hard, had some luck and are “self-made,” all of us live quite a long time on plateaus without a raise or growing. We also have blind spots. Many of us have entire areas of potential that we’ve never explored or pursued. A good coach can recognize and help you address that.

Take one of my newer clients, H.U., sales representative for solar panels in southern Germany. His business is growing and since he is retired from his former job, he is not in an urgent need of money but is profitable. Why would a guy like H. want to hire a coach?

Get an outside perspective

“I hired a coach because I want and need motivation. I want to push myself,“ H. says. „therefore I want an outside perspective and deep discussions. I want to learn from people who’ve helped run dozens of companies, not just one, like me. My coach has worked with hundreds of people over the past 19 years. It’s like hiring a secret weapon.”

Or S.V., consultant and coach, who says: “As a business owner, I’m motivated, but I don’t always make time for strategic thinking because I’m busy serving clients or working on ongoing tasks.

My coach helps me take a step back and think more strategically about my business and determine how I can best find and address my vision.

In one hour a week, I make significant progress on the strategies that I believe have a strong impact on the way I see my life and my work. It’s invaluable.”

A good coach will ask you questions

Often success is elusive or simply unfamiliar. Most people who experience success aren’t ready to slow down or relax because they’ve spent years building a company or a career and they habitually push themselves. A good coach can ask you questions that you wouldn’t think to ask yourself. For sure no one else would dare ask, such as:

• What do you really want?
• What’s most important to you?
• What is good in working so hard?
• What is bad in working so hard?
• When are you going to celebrate your success and how?
• What kind of legacy do you plan to leave?
• What kind of impact do you want to make on the world?

A lot of questions, related to 28 success areas in life and work, can also be found in my new book „TEMP-Coaching“ (German only for the time being). The book was written with my friend Jürgen Schimmel to give you the chance to step back and check what’s going on in your life. Working with the book you can get a picture of what is missing, should be dropped or can be strenghtened.

Beyond those questions, after any successful period, it’s important to take stock, re-evaluate and decide what’s important to focus on next. There is always another level of success just beyond the horizon that requires thought, decisions and actions that a coach can help you accelerate or think through. TEMP-Coaching will support you, too.

Athletes have relied on coaches for years to improve their games. If multi-million-dollar athletes rely on coaches to improve, why shouldn’t entrepreneurs?

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Post from Richard