Coaching in 2012

By Geoff Dodds

The imminence of the Olympics brings to mind the importance of great coaching to a high performing athlete. I can't think of a sport where, in order to perform at world class levels, coaching is not a vital part of the mix. And yet most companies send their best people out into highly competitive market places to compete against the best in the world, without the benefit of coaching. Imagine what a difference good coaching can make to the performance of business developers, especially in the current challenging environment.

And when it comes to brands, the stakes are even higher. Many companies do little to define what's special about their brand. If they do, they tend to employ expensive consultants to help them scratch their heads, come up with a neat brand idea and recommend what needs to change. Sometimes that works. Often the change is difficult.

The brand coach takes a different approach. In coaching, responsibility for thinking and acting rests firmly with the coachee. The role of the coach is to ask the right questions and provide the right challenge. And when it comes to implementation, coaching puts the onus for action on the client. So the actions are right for them in their situation. Much more appropriate and effective.

Coaching may just be the least used, most powerful tool in the branding and business development toolkits.

Geoff Dodds is a brand consultant and coach, specialising in helping service organisations compete.
www.geoffdodds.com