Why businesses use a business coach or consultant?
Every business has its own unique needs and requirements, but there are tangible benefits a coach can bring to a business . . . including yours!
In almost every business, there comes a time when the management team will need to look outside the organisation for external expertise as the skills or capacity internally becomes over stretched. This is particularly true for SME’s where owner/mangers are required to wear multiple “expert” hats and sometimes don’t possess the right skill level.
Reaching this point is usually associated with stressors such as operational, financial or even human. The initial response tends to be to overlook the addressing root cause and to focus on dealing with the immediate symptoms.
The question is sometimes asked, should we engage a business coach/consultant?
Whether it is to improve efficiencies, introduce new ways of thinking, overcome a deadlock, identify cost reductions or to solve a specific problem, external advice can help a business address a wide range of issues.
So if you have considered a coach/consultant but you are still unsure if it is the right decision, here is a short list of why and how you could benefit.
Access Specific Skills – The single most important reason why businesses use consultants (70%) is access to specific skills not available internally. An experienced consultant possesses special knowledge, skills and a variety of personal attributes. They are engaged to provide these special skills.
A New & Independent View – As a consultant is not a member of the business or family, they bring objectivity and detachment to the problems faced by the business. Because the consultant is not directly involved the views and opinions of the consultant can be accepted as unbiased.
Drive Change – Businesses need to undergo periodic changes to effectively manage different business stages. Consultants can conduct a business assessment, recommend changes to the organisational structure, make recommendations to change internal processes to maximize productivity, and help implement the changes. A consultant can be a catalyst for change. In the process of solving problems, the consultant will consider every means of affecting a proper solution.
Temporary Management – Businesses may find themselves short of expertise in a given area. Engaging a consultant can be less expensive in the long run than hiring new managers or employees.
Focus on the Core Business – Engaging a consultant frees up management to concentrate on the core business activities.
Easy to Replace – Consultants can be engaged and dismissed quite easily making them a good short-term asset. This allows the business to maintain the core business team and add additional skills for special projects.
Train Staff – A consultant can transfer skills to staff on a regular or one-off basis as required.
Sean Martyn, specialises in helping businesses and their teams improve performance and grow. For more information contact Sean on 02 6658 0775.
