Chalk drawing of coaching words and figures.

Coachable, Committed, and Willing to Change

by Tim King
Let me tell you a story about Sam. Sam owns a community gym and is passionate about helping people reach their fitness and body image goals. His gym is the kind where local moms meet for Saturday morning yoga or spin class, retirees go during the week to stay active, and local school athletes do their off-season conditioning. Sam’s gym helps 40-60 members reach their fitness goals. He loves his gym but wants to help more people. How will he find the time? He feels stuck, stagnant, and powerless.

The local Chamber of Commerce, of which Sam is a member, has a guest speaker at every meeting. Speakers talk about sales, leadership techniques, and marketing. It’s all good stuff, and Sam has a notebook of skills to try. On this day, the speaker talks to the group about business and personal goal setting, time management, and accountability. Sam thinks accountability, to whom? That’s different. The speaker tells the group about regularly meeting with a business coach one-on-one. Someone experienced in business that can help hold you accountable and help you achieve your life and business goals.

The speaker asks the group, “Are you coachable?” Sam watches as heads begin to nod. “Are you committed?” Again, nodding heads. “Are you ready to make a change?” Now, his head is nodding, too. The speaker says, “For all of you nodding your heads, raise your hands. I’ll come around the room and set a time to meet with each of you one-on-one.”

Call me Coach

They talk about Sam’s goals, his dreams of helping more people in other communities, and how he sometimes feels powerless against his crazy schedule. How can he ever free up enough time to help more people? “First,” Coach says, “let’s get you matched up with a personal business coach to help you take control of your schedule and get you out of the rut.”

Fast forward two years. Sam owns four community gyms and serves 160-200 clients a year. He’s delegated to the point that he works about 30 hours a week and donates 10 hours a week to help train strength and conditioning at two local high schools.

Sam stands in front of the group at the local Chamber of Commerce meeting this time. He says, “Today, I want to introduce you to someone I didn’t know I needed in my life. This person helped me take my dreams and make them a reality. They challenged me. It hurt at times. It wasn’t easy. But change and achieving dreams rarely are. This person has become a confidant, a sounding board, an accountability partner, and even a friend. I would like to introduce you to Coach. I’m confident that if you are growth-oriented and willing to grow, Coach can help you. Coach changed my life; now it’s your turn.”

Workshops and seminars work for a while, but working one-on-one with a coach is the best way to provide personalized attention and accountability. As a matter of fact, in a recent survey, those who completed 12 months or more of coaching by Southwestern Consulting reported a 46 percent increase in income, 58 percent improvement in time management, 44 percent improvement in productivity, and 49 percent improvement in vision and goal setting. We have coached over 21,000 people worldwide, just like Sam. The names change. The goals, dreams, skills, and challenges differ, but hiring a personal business coach is worthwhile if you are Coachable, Committed, and Willing to Change. Take that step, invest in your growth, and reach your goals… just like Sam.