Business coaching benefits in the corporate suite (4)

In the study of Genetics, the aspect of Biological Sciences that deal with inheritance, there are two major influences that are emphasised in what is produced as an offspring. The first is the Genotype, which is the “coded” internal template of what an individual potentially will become physically. The second is the Phenotype, which is the physical evidence of an external influence manifested in the individual. Both of these internal and external influences potentially create the pathway for the life that would be lived and experienced by the individual, as laid down by the inherited genes and moderated by the physical environment.

In the same way, every individual person and business or organisation has the potential to succeed, if provided the right internal and external environment for the unlocking of their potentials. In other words, there appears to be a ‘coded’ inherent potential to achieve or become something in every individual person and business or organisation. There must however be the right environment for this to happen. The implication is that the inherent abilities will always be impacted by the two factors of any environment – the internal environment and the external environment.

With specific regard to a business operating environment, the internal environment is that which can be controlled or influenced internally by the management and leadership team for instance. It can therefore be referred to as the sphere of influence. Such influences can be exerted internally for example through budgeting and cash flow management, personnel recruitment and management, business development techniques, products/service delivery systems, applied technologies etc.

The external environment on the other hand is the area over which little or no control can be exerted over a sustainable period of time. This is the area that Stephen Covey describes as the “Circle of Concern”. The potential influence and effects of the external environment must therefore be managed through adaptation. And just as plants and animals that would survive physical environmental factors must adapt or face extinction, so must the businesses that will continue to survive and thrive in and out of season adapt to the external operating environment. To give an example, you cannot prevent the rain from falling, but you can cover and protect yourself from the rain drops through proactive and intelligent actions.

The coaching philosophy of adaptation and management of both the internal and external environments that influence productivity and performance is based on personal inspiration.  This means that coaching inspires and empowers an individual to become more aware of his or her potentials. It thus facilitates transformational change and performance enhancement through capacity building. In this regard, coaching in any form supports the development of practical abilities to adapt to, and exploit the internal and external factors for sustainable impact.

This of course applies to individual lifestyle just as much as to business building, development and management, hence the power of business coaching to bring about desired changes and goal achievements through actionable thoughts and feelings. No matter the personal status of an individual or the state of any business, there are much bigger dreams to live out, and greater heights to attain ahead, as long as the knowledge is accessible.

The implication of this statement is that an understanding and apprehending of present and future greatness would compel a person to conceive bigger dreams to bring to birth and greater goals to achieve. This is what is called inspiration and separates true achievers from wishful thinkers and daydreamers.

The concept and context of personal, business, team and executive coaching, among others simply is that the solutions belong in the minds and hands of the client and not the coach. It therefore confers on the individual the responsibility and accountability for the setting of goals and the eventual evidence of the desired change(s) that compelled the coaching process. That is the reason why the baseline idea of coaching is that in life, each of us needs someone that would help us along the way and support us to achieve our life goals or dreams.

The business coach is that person that has taken it upon himself to be the trusted, confidential and non-judgmental sounding board and partner in setting important goals and achieving desired business and personal outcomes. There will therefore be the moments when the coach has to provide encouragement when there seems to be the faltering of steps. That is the time that the coach will need to step forward and inspire the client to greater performance, simply because there is the belief and confidence in the ability and capacity of the client to perform excellently.

For an experienced coach that has possibly gone through what the client is currently going through, there is a great sense of confidence and assurance that the coach can tap deep into his knowledge bank to provide some insights on achieving desired outcomes. By sharing of his experiences and knowledge, the coach will be best positioned to refocus the client each time and stay the course in facilitating goal achievement. You can read more about the transformational power of coaching and register for wealth coaching at www.ceedcoaching.com.

Emmanuel Imevbore