Dr. Keith Barton

Reflections from a Business Coach Dr. Keith Barton

Why would anyone want to coach businessmen and women who may be tired of their corporate careers or may just want to turn their hobby into a business? Why would anyone want to be a coach? I've asked myself these and other questions many times when I left the "safe" world of being a therapist where the rules of engagement are well prescribed. It's safer in being the expert whose job it is to listen and help reassure folks that they are not losers, that there's meaning in their lives, that all they need is to have a passion for life. The world of coaching is a different arena where coach and client are equal and the coaches job is to "ask the right questions" to get his or her clients to engage in a plan of action that hopefully will change their lives. My coaching style is non-directive, whereby my executive clients discuss their current project assignments and managerial approaches to staff recruitment, development, and retention. I use the following strategies to optimize executive growth to:* Model executive development based on individual and company core values* Create a visionary approach to problem-solving* Establish accountability structures for change* Encourage risk-taking behaviors that foster competition and growth* Create new markets for your services and product Thus, coaching involves putting self aside and concentrating on the motivation of your client. The emphasis is on the relationship developed between coach and client where each participates in a process of change that holds the client's agenda using the expertise and experience of the coach. Whereas mentoring involves mirroring for your client what the skill might look like (intention), coaching offers a vision for your client that empowers and holds your client accountable. Success = accountability for change.