How difficult is the word “No” or “Enough” for you?
A few days ago I was talking to one of my clients about the fact that to be a good coach, trainer or manager you have to set your boundaries correctly.
While it’s simple to say it’s much more difficult to put into practice…I myself, up until a dozen years ago, used to exceed my coaching call time by sixty minutes on a recurring basis to try to give as much value as possible and prove to clients that I am indeed a good possible coach.
However, today I have managed to break the link between the time I spend with a customer and the value they receive.
Don’t get me wrong – I spend as much time as I need. Now I am able to get to the bottom of it in a short period of time. Years of coaching practice and more than 5,000 mentees, challenging business-building experiences in various industries help me quickly tap into my intuition and knowledge and give them back to the client in the form of questions or observations.
So the next time you’re working with a client, during which you feel tempted to advise; promise to help beyond your means or extend the meeting….
Think about it:
The value of working with a coach…
- …IS NOT dependent on how much time it devotes to you. It’s in how efficient a coach can be, helping you get the best possible results.
- …IS NOT in his/her readiness to hold your hand and do everything for you. Or rather, in his/her willingness to do what’s even more difficult: challenging you (on pre-established terms), and telling you what you need to hear to actually take action and get results.
- …IS NOT in how nice they will be and how they will once again agree to reschedule the appointment or extend it without compensation. Only in his/her willingness to ask “harder questions” and confront you with ineffective behavior patterns.
This is the real value. And when you start embracing this, not only will you enjoy your business and coaching role and your business clients will learn more from you, they will appreciate and value you more. (And they will most likely achieve much better results, too).
