Leading edge thinkers are thinking about BCS (Business Coaching Sessions). If the world is really about faster, cheaper, better, then BCSs are a perfect response to this question: How can I get more out of the increasingly limited time I have to invest in personal and professional development?
New lingo Human Capital Development replaces the traditional term of Human Resources, and as the new term implies, your ‘people assets’ need to be continuously developed in order to gain access to their highest potential. Skill sets must be updated every few months, as the idea of career path scheduling is increasingly accepted. Expert coaching produces individual high-performance, which is a direct result of better personal motivation and more self-confidence.
Often the only difference separating the Gold,
Silver, and Bronze medallists is 1/100th of
a second - and a little more self-confidence.
The BCS is the newest training and development methodology. Like so many other business terms (team player, etc.), the term coaching comes from the world of high-performance professional sports. The idea of working with a professional coach is something that top fortune 500 executives have made popular and indispensable in recent years.
Today, hiring coaches is practiced in all industries. Coaching stems from mentoring, which has its ancient roots in the concept of apprenticeship. Modern-day skills coaching can be simply stated as a education and training process where the participants focus only on their specific areas of desired improvement. BCSs use only a general structure, which allow individuals (or a team of individuals) to explore their particular educational and motivational needs in-depth, and to focus on specific 'how to do' and 'what to do' solutions for the real-life game of business.
The idea of the BCS is to create numerous winners, not just a superstar on two. Imagine having a team (business or sports) where all the members are top players. Does the term ‘you can't loose’ come to mind? If winning is the goal, then playing on a team full of winners must become the primary objective of your career development efforts.
You’ll need a good idea of your (and your organization’s) goals and objectives before coaching begins. The BCS doesn't work within the detailed structure of the traditional seminar and doesn't use workbooks or A/V equipment. It is a completely interactive learning experience, wherein the participants learn as much about themselves as they do about their business. The focus is on 'how to' information relating to very specific business situations within that organization. The unrestrained structure of a BCS enhances creativity and fosters more solutions-based thinking than does traditional business skills training.
The BCS coach must be an expert in two areas:
The discipline of the business subject (sales, marketing, leadership, etc.), and skilled at bringing out the very best of an individual or of a team of individuals.
There are six main (and immediate) benefits from a typical 1/2-day format Business Coaching Session:
1. A feeling of Personal Accomplishment and a rewarding time investment.
2. Many Exact Solutions (fresh 'how to' answers) for existing business challenges and other problem areas.
3. A healthy rise in Self-esteem and Confidence. (EID - Emotional Intelligence Development)
4. Personal Motivation to do better and to increase the effectiveness of all future efforts.
5. A Sense of Urgency to accomplish more and better quality results right away.
6. A terrific Sense of Belonging to a winning team. We all want that very much.
These immediate and measurable benefits are only a start to the empowerment you and your team will realize as you learn to work together better. The 1/2-day format is ideal for busy people who want what Dan Ackroyd's portrayal of an old TV character Sargent Joe Friday used to asked for: "Just the facts Ma'am?just the facts."
The BIG BONUS is that you will eventually capitalize on the elusive, compound power of synergy. Your life will never be the same after expert coaching. That's why the typical professional sports star has an average of five coaches. These serious professionals leave nothing to chance. ‘Covering all the bases’ is a great baseball term.
BCSs are quickly moving many organizations into new areas of high performance and are fast becoming the most popular and easily accessible form of personal and professional development.
Are you ready to leave the comfort of the known (traditional HR thinking on the structure of training and development) and embark on a new journey of self-discovery and high performance mastery? Your next step is to seek out your five professional coaches and get ready for mega success in our new millennium.
