Standing on solid ground

During his first coaching call, the business coach drew up an action plan.

by Larry Gruenwald — 

Howard has been a health care practitioner for more than 10 years. Five years ago, he moved away from the Phoenix metropolitan area to a small town in northern Arizona. His business grew steadily for the first few years after his move, but then began to go downhill. Howard decided to reassess his business strategy to determine what, other than the economy itself, might be causing the decline in his business.

Through a networking event, Howard met a business coach whom he turned to for help in diagnosing the problems his business was facing. During his first coaching call, Howard and his coach drew up an action plan. Howard wrote out the details of the plan and appeared enthusiastic to begin implementing it. During the next coaching call, however, Howard revealed that he had dropped the plan because his business had come to a complete halt.

A few investigative questions revealed that Howard’s wife, Helen, did not support his business goals. She was not a part of his foundation and was, perhaps, even working against his efforts. Although it seemed unlikely, the coach suggested that Helen participate during the next coaching call. Both Howard and his coach were pleasantly surprised when she agreed.

As a result of her participation in the conversation, Helen discovered some baggage she had been carrying in the back of her mind for the entire 27 years of their marriage. These thoughts had been keeping her from being fully committed to the marriage and from supporting her husband’s work. Through the coaching process, she became willing to step into the role of Howard’s support and foundation, rather than acting as a roadblock.

Howard’s business is now continuing to expand as he takes steady and sustained action to accomplish all of his goals.

Larry Gruenwald is a certified business coach in Phoenix. formula2wealth.com or 480-767-6161.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 29, Number 2, Apr/May 2010.