Professional Development

By Tom Field

Executive Summary:

We seem to have more business coaches than ever before; what’s your take?

That coach

I’m waiting at the counter of one of my favorite local coffee spots for my always-perfect latte (RND in Roanoke’s Wasena community), and I’m looking over the collection of business cards nicely arranged on the counter top.

Note to retailers and local merchants: your collections of local magazines and local business cards and event flyers ARE consumed and appreciated by your patrons. Keep up the practice! In fact, we get calls at the FRONT office asking where to pick up a copy, and we mention your shops all the time.

So, back to these business cards. Amongst the real estate agents, insurance agents, yoga and wellness practitioners, and house painters, there’s another profession I see with increasing frequency.

Business (and personal) coaches. And related consultants.

I would love to know whom, amongst our readers and patrons, utilize business coaches. For yourself or your employees or teams. I’m also intrigued whether that relationship formed by a coach approaching you or if one was referred to you or if you sought one out. Then, if it was indeed your proactive quest (versus reactive), how did you make your determination on which coach to call?

For me, I admit I would be reluctant to engage a coach in the 20’s age bracket. I’d be hesitant to respond to a coach with no experience with entrepreneurs. I’d be unlikely to consider a coach who hasn’t worked with or is familiar with other professionals I know. I’d be disinclined to meet with a coach whose philosophies are completely opposed to mine.

But do know what? I would throw ALL of those parameters out the window if I crossed paths with a potential coach who was one or all of those characteristics—but possessing a clientele with undeniable uber success.

That’s right. Introduce me to that 22 year-old-corporateexecutive-trainer-persimmon-herbal-tea-sipping-deathmetal-tattoo-sporting-militant-atheist-slum-dwellerfrom-Camden-New-Jersey. If her clients are ones who have scored bigly… I’m all ears.

We looked at coaches a good while back in the FRONT (prior to the big explosion of them). Maybe it’s time to revisit that profession? As we consider that, what’s your take? Let me know at tfield@vbfront.com.

Do you use a business coach? Tell me about it. tfield@vbFRONT.com

We profiled coaches way back in October 2009