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Business-coaching services grow in demand
CNY Business Journal (1996+), May 07, 2004 by Garcia, Max
SYRACUSE - Think that coaches are just for your kids? Think again. An increasing number of professionals are turning to business coaches for more than just a pep-talk.
"People are waking up to the fact they need someone to help them he the best they can be," says Michael McDonald, part-owner of Pathfinders CTS, Inc., a coaching service based in Liverpool.
The number of business coaches in Central New York is hard to pinpoint partly due to the fact that anyone can claim coaching credentials. But industry leaders agree that the number of people soliciting coaching services has increased over the past few years. Coaches work with clients to generate client-based solutions to problems. The mantra: generic recipes for success don't work, say the coaches.
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"It's a jack-of-all-trades," says McDonald. "It's being a little bit of a cheerleader and a devil's advocate."
Currently, there are no state or federal regulations that require a business coach to have a license. Certification programs and professional associations exist but regulated standards have yet to be established.
Almost all business coaches do, however, adhere to the philosophy that coaching is anything but a scripted formula. Whether an individual is looking to increase sales, have more free time away from work, or improve leadership skills, a business coach will tap into personal issues.
"We took at the whole person, no matter what they come to us for," says McDonald. By addressing and then playing off of an individual's personal strengths and weaknesses, coaches help clients succeed in a professional setting.
Paul Hoagland, president and CEO of the Syracuse-based company AWC Business Coaches, is quick to distinguish his profession from that of a business consultant. "We are cheaper and provide better results," he says. "We would never pretend to know more about your business than you would." Hoagland, head of the Central New York region of his business, has expanded the company nationwide and has coaches in all regions of the United States.
Hoagland traditionally marketed his coaching services to national corporations. Now, recognizing a potential for growth, he is also targeting small-to-medium-size businesses. The competition to succeed in any industry is fierce, says Hoagland. "It helps to have a business coach in your comer," he adds.
Ron Bildstein, owner of Picturestone Promotions, couldn't agree more. After starting his Solvay-based advertising firm 18 months ago, he became interested in getting an outsider's input as to how he could increase sales. Now, every other Wednesday, Bildstein picks up the phone and talks with his business coach for 45 minutes. His coach's way of active listening "is invaluable to getting to know myself better in a sales situation," says Bildstein.
His coach, Steve Reiter of Reiter Coaching, has been doing this job for the past seven years in Syracuse. A coach makes you realize that you aren't alone, says Reiter. "You end up knowing your client better than anyone else," he says. Reiter, like most business coaches, recognizes the importance of developing personal issues in addition to workspecific issues. "If personal stuff is distracting them from doing work, it needs to be looked at, handled, and moved on with," he notes.
Barbara Walton, president of the International Coach Federation (ICF), is aware of the personal issues that business coaches confront. The ICF, a non-profit organization based in Washington D.C., advocates for certification of business coaches. Some states including Colorado, Texas, Arizona, and Colorado - have tried to push the business-coaching profession under the label of a psychological service, which would make it fall under mental-health legislation. The ICF, with 7,300 active members and a newsletter circulation of 19,000, is working hard to keep the coaching industry self-regulated. Through certification programs, says Walton, the ICF is setting the highest standards for coaches worldwide.
Copyright Central New York Business Journal May 07, 2004
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved
