Overview

Business coaching is about people, as people run businesses. The choices they make about the big decisions and the small will have a dramatic impact on their individual performance, that of their team and their businesses success.

The objective of Business Coaching is to improve the performance of both by focusing on the individual and then the team. The pursuit of excellence through a process of continuous review and improvement.

So what’s the difference between a Life Coach and a Business Coach? A business coach will also know something about life! Together with Business Coaches and Sports Coaches, they undergo similar training and they may use many of the same methods and techniques (e.g. NLP) none-the-less they must be expert in their field of endeavour.

Think about what a Sports Coach has to do. A good example is when the innovation from wooden to fibreglass poles created a revolution in pole vaulting. The flexibility of fibreglass presented the potential for a step level improvement in performance. However to achieve the order of magnitude increase in height pole vaulters had to learn a completely new set of techniques. Some made it, some didn’t. Training and coaching is what made the difference. The sports coaches had to understand the new techniques and figure out how to help their athletes overcome the challenge and excel with their new-found skill.

Business Coaching also works in an environment of major change. For example, when innovations like Lean (Manufacturing), KanBan or BPR (business process re-engineering) became popular with their promises of improved performance and competitive edge, they were not simple ‘bolt-ons’ but required an order of magnitude change in the way things are done (by people).  

Behaviour change, education and training, combined with practical application and experience, can help make this possible. A Business Coach with the right knowledge and wisdom can help develop an organisation through the maze of change.

In the current economic climate, survival is not enough. MDO’s know instinctively that their businesses must find new ways to adapt and grow. Finding ways to consolidate and secure the business in order to increase revenues, widen margins and boost profits.  

Our capabilities

The ibd approach to Business Coaching starts at the top, working closely with the MDO and through them with their management team and staff, on a Business Development Programme (BDP).  The free ibd Business Review is a great way to establish priorities. Independently run Staff Surveys and Customer Surveys (a GAP analysis) are best practice methods for finding out what your staff and customers really think about your company. These collectively represent a sound basis for a focused programme of improvements.    

A wise philosopher once said “…All the resources you will ever need are in your relationships…” A relationship with an ibd Business Coach gives you access to the widest possible range of resources and opportunity for success.