Strategic coaching: how it can help you, and how you can help others

A good business flourishes thanks to strategic thinking, analytics, and a strong roadmap. Every company has one. It’s how they get from point A to point B. 

Over time, that strategy can change depending on how goalposts or objectives shift. This can be confusing for those who have stuck to a rigid pattern all of their working career. 

But flexibility is an important aspect of running a business. You need to be able to change with the times, seek out new ways of operating, and alter your viewpoint to suit the ever-evolving needs of your consumers.

A strategic coach can help with that. 

So, let’s take a look at who they are, what they do, and how you can become one, if you’re looking for a new direction in life. 

What Do Strategic Coaches Do?

Strategies are complex things. You need to consider every aspect of your business, make sure that everyone and everything is accounted for correctly, and that what you decide to do will be profitable in the long-run.

A strategy coach is there to help guide you to the best solution by assessing the needs of your business, and collaborating with you on developing a personalized action plan to get you to your goal.

These services are aimed towards the key decision makers in a business, for example, entrepreneurs, CEOs, and executive leaders. However, it is ultimately your decision who is privy to these conversations, and it may be beneficial for you to hear other viewpoints from managers and employees in your company.

Over the course of several coaching sessions, these experts will work through any existing plans you may have and optimize them. Strategic planning can take a long time to perfect, so patience is key. 

3 Types Of Strategy Coaching Services

Sometimes, you can know exactly where you require coaching, and can hire someone to focus on these few specific areas rather than trying to combat the entirety of your company. Here are a couple of examples where strategy coaches can specialize. 

1. Strategic Leadership Coaching

Similar to executive coaching, a strategic leadership coach works to perfect your abilities as a boss so that you can lead with confidence and be certain in your decision making once you are no longer being coached. Developing these transferable skills will not only help your company in terms of profitability, it will also create a better working environment for your employees.

It’s useful to know what type of leader you currently are and what sort of hierarchy your company operates with. This level of self-awareness will then allow you to create a better strategy moving forward, as you can work on using your strengths and mitigating your weaknesses. 

An added bonus of this style is that your strategic coach will impart useful skills that you can then use to help coach others. A more general coaching style of leadership lends itself to a self-sustaining cycle, whereby those you help coach go on to coach others. It fosters confidence, collaboration, and gives a greater sense of control to all those involved. 

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2. Strategic Business Coaching

When it comes to coaching business strategies, the aim is not only on growth and profitability, but also the impact on employees. Since your workers are the life-force of a business, the people who keep it churning and ticking from day to day, you need to make sure that they feel valued and satisfied in whatever strategy you implement. 

Business growth is the key aim of any company. But the definition of growth can mean different things to different people. For example:

1. Growth in profit through more sales and reduced business costs

2. Growth in the size of company and scale of production (e.g. employing more people or creating new locations overseas)

3. Growth in brand awareness and better marketing 

These various stages of growth come at different points in a business’ life-cycle, and require alternate strategies to make the most of them. A business coach can assist in identifying what growth means to you, and how best to act on achieving it. 

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3. Strategic Entrepreneurial Coaching

Starting a business can be a nerve wracking experience for even the most seasoned of professionals. Entrepreneurial coaches specialize in start-up companies, and can help you get past those first few milestones. 

A large part of entrepreneurial coaching is about changing and growing your mindset from that of an individual on a solo operation, to a successful business owner who delegates and works alongside people. It can be hard to let go of control when you’re a small business owner, but by freeing up your time and employing new people, you can focus on the things that matter most. 

Another aspect of the entrepreneurial coaching process is establishing a core set of values, and a consistent brand that will attract both customers and employees. Since you’ll be starting more or less from the ground up, you need to find a way to build trust and develop a strong message that resonates with people. This can be hard to do if you’ve never done it before, so working with a coach can alleviate some of that pressure. 

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What Does It Take To Be A Strategy Coach?

It may be that you’ve come to a crossroads in your career and are looking for a way to use your executive skills without the pressure of running a company. In that case, strategic or executive coaching may be the perfect profession to dive into. 

If you want to start offering coaching services, there are a few things you need to keep in mind beforehand.

Let’s take a look at what skills and qualifications you need, so you can be sure you’ll provide the best specialist advice possible.

• Certification. Even though the coaching market is currently unregulated, the proper certification will give you an edge over your competition. 

• Testimonials. Even without the appropriate certification, you may already have a track-record of providing valuable insight and advice to peers in your industry. Success stories and case studies of where you have proven yourself will give you a high level of credibility when looking for new customers. For example, coaching strategy providers Break Out Coaching and CMOE both have either dedicated spaces for testimonials, or quote them frequently on their home page.

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• Competency. You’re entering an industry that deals with millions, if not billions, of dollars. You need to have a high degree of competency, a level head, and realistic expectations. 

• Good interpersonal skills. You may find yourself having to talk down some wild and optimistic ideas that entrepreneurs suggest in favor of a more grounded approach. To avoid hurting feelings and getting yourself fired, a strong sense of diplomacy and good people-skills are required.

• Trustworthy. You will be involved in making some life-changing decisions, so people need to know they can trust you to get the job done. 

• Lateral/creative thinking. Every business comes with a unique set of challenges, and you may have to do a lot of problem-solving as you coach a CEO to success. Being able to think outside of the box and creatively expand on ideas already put forward by the executives hiring your services will make the process easier. 

• Examples of program designs. It can be hard to trust a testimonial without proof. By having an example of a program design or coaching model at the ready, clients can more confidently assess what you can do for them. This program can act as a template and be altered once coaching sessions begin.

Pros And Cons Of Strategic Coaching for Your Business

Strategy coaching can be an enormous asset to your business when used correctly. But, at the end of the day, it is an additional business cost, and not something to leap into blindly. By assessing the pros and cons, you can be sure that you’re making the right decision.

Final Thoughts

Locking in a good strategy is an excellent way to grow your business: that much is fact. Whether you want to implement a short-term plan to see quick, one-off development, or are looking for a major breakthrough and require a long-term strategy, hiring a coach is a fantastic way to make sure you’re making the best decisions. 

On the other side of the coin, if you’re confident in your industry knowledge and are looking to help out other aspiring entrepreneurs or businesses in need of advice, consider becoming a strategy coach. It’s all well and good finding information on the internet, but sometimes we need that one-on-one, face-to-face approach to really drive the lessons home. You could be someone’s missing link – the pivotal piece in the puzzle that takes them from just another “Average Joe with a dream” to the next big thing. 

Have you used a strategy coach before? Or is it an industry you’d be interested in exploring? Get in touch and let us know if and how they’ve helped you, or if you have any advice for someone wanting to enter the field.