In 1996, as I stepped away from the corporate world to start Market Viewpoint, I knew I had a ton of business knowledge.
I had worked for several companies in a variety of positions. I had many managers – with many personality types. And I had worked for both privately and publicly held firms. I saw the differences in management styles, execution and production expectations, and how every decision anyone made impacted bottom line results.
I knew a lot.
I’ll bet you know a lot too! About the industry you work in, the company you work for, about your job and the opportunities that lie ahead. You also probably know a lot about the people who work for you, how to help them manage their job responsibilities, and how to help them succeed along with you.
You also know about your dreams and how you would really like to contribute to making a difference. Either to your current company and job – or perhaps elsewhere in the world.
But do you know all you need to know? Do You Know What You Don’t Know?
In every interaction you have with family, co-workers, and strangers, every job you hold, and any volunteer activity – no matter how much you know – there is always so much more you don’t know.
I knew I wanted to create a market research company that specialized in mystery shopping. I had a toolbox of ideas to use to start a company. Quickly, however, it became apparent that there were just as many things I needed to learn about being a business owner.
First was admitting I needed help. And for me, as a business startup, I found that assistance in my local SCORE office. It was there that value of mentoring and coaching revealed its worth to me.
After being guided by some incredibly talented and knowledgeable former business executives and owners, I knew that I never would be without a coach or mentor again. And for 20 plus years, I have always had a ‘guide’ by my side showing me what I don’t know.
You may be thinking, I’m not trying to start a company, Angela, I just want to do the job I am doing to the best of my ability – helping myself to grow into the next opportunity. And to help others do the same.
So, what does this have to do with you?
Everything!
Some people have Agnosiophobia – the fear of not knowing. That isn’t necessarily what I am talking about here, although it can come into play. What most of us have is just plain old lack of understanding. We aren’t afraid of what we don’t know. We just don’t know what we don’t know.
The most talented people in the world recognize this trait. That is why athletes have trainers, vocalists have voice coaches, and how most of the successful people in the news have mentors.
These well-known, and many not so well-known, people just want to be good at what they do – and recognize that others need to guide them along the way.
None of this is out of reach for you!
A business coach can change attitude and cooperation in your workplace by:
- Building Confidence
- Teaching you or your staff to work with many personality types
- Providing a panoramic perspective – objective view – new strategies & solutions
- Being another set of eyes – ‘seeing’ what you don’t know you don’t know
- Prioritizing risks & opportunities
When you have confidence, know how to work with others, understand the big view and can prioritize, you can easily:
- Create focus
- Clearly set goals
- Have accountability
- Brainstorm new and unique ideas
- Develop a platform for smarter planning
- Encourage personal development
Business coaching is appropriate for any sized business and any industry. Having a support system to help individuals to see what they can’t see creates a supportive, growth-oriented environment.
I encourage you to try to step back to see the big picture of where you are personally and within your company. Do the same for your staff. Acknowledge what you do know – and recognize what you don’t know. Then find the right coach or mentor to assist you in getting to know as much as you need to know!
If you liked this article and want more information about coaching for individuals or groups, join the Market Viewpoint community by clicking here.
Contact me today to schedule a free coaching consultation. I’ll tell you what you don’t know about how it works – and make you feel comfortable about it!