Mentoring and Coaching

Clients frequently ask me if there is a difference between mentoring and coaching. I think we sometimes get caught up in definitions rather than focusing on our goals. When I facilitate trainings we talk about helping employees excel through both mentoring and coaching.

I've found that mentoring and coaching can both be used to help build people up. Mentoring is a relationship where we lead by example and coaching is a partnership where we work with someone to help them succeed.

In both cases it is the other person who benefits from being allowed to explore and apply their own talents and abilities. Our job is to make their path easier by allowing them to grow.

Regards,

Guy
Business Coaching

Leadership Versus Management

A business owner asked me whether he should be concerned about leadership before management or how the two interact. We worked together to find an approach that would work for him. From my experience, it's helpful to develop a coherent strategy that builds leaders and then managers based on their interests. In this way companies can hire and staff positions based on what people really excel at.

Leadership development refers to building on people's existing strengths to help them become leaders based on their innate talents and abilities. Management development applies to building the skills necessary to address certain tasks.

My clients have told me that management is about trying to control everyday events while leadership is about helping people and organizations grow. When I work with organizations I stress the importance of creating a foundation that helps build leaders prior to putting management guidelines into effect. This approach gets rid of the headaches related to trying to compartmentalize leadership and management because it creates a continuum, a unified vision for the organization.

The idea is that if one focuses on building an environment that encourages people to be leaders they will naturally be more motivated to perform well in all areas that apply to their jobs.

Regards,

Guy
Business Coaching

Employee Engagement or Morale

I received a question from a business owner who was wondering whether it was more important to focus on employee engagement or morale in these tough economic times. What I've found and my clients have put into practice is an approach that builds a foundation that allows the business to both engage and build morale in its workforce. The key point for owner and managers to think about is what they want their workplace to look like. Consider the following points as you build an engaged and productive workforce.

1. Are you promoting open two-way communication?
2. Are your employees asked to excel based on their talents or are they dropped into positions?
3. Are employees regularly and genuinely praised?
4. Do your managers delegate effectively and spot talent regularly?
5. Do you have a methodology in place for helping people work together?
6. Do you have a system in place for people to develop and achieve goals?

How you answer these questions will give you an idea whether your workplace is building a foundation for success or otherwise. If you already do all six of these points then you are probably running a company that benefits from high employee morale and engagement.

When we build a well considered foundation we reap the rewards in the long run.

Regards,

Guy

Business Coaching

Your Plan for Success

Many well-intentioned business owners launch their enterprises and just let things happen to their business, positive and negative. There are some things that we can do to chart the course of our companies and that will bring some order to our already busy lives. It begins with some basic planning. Answer the following questions and you will find yourself better equipped to lead your company toward greater success.

1. What are my companies strengths?

2. What areas could use improvements?

3. What systems do I already have in place to make improvements?

4. What systems do I have to develop to make improvements?

5. What is the mission of my company?

6. What are my top three goals that fit with my mission?

7. How do I make sure I meet my top goals?

8. Where do I see my company in one, five, ten years?

These questions will help you understand and clarify what makes your business tick. When we understand what our strengths and areas for improvement we can then begin the process of systematically planning for success.

Regards,

Guy Farmer
Unconventional Training

What Makes a Great Leader?

During the course of the trainings I facilitate, executives and managers often ask me what are the characteristics of a great leader. The answer is quite straight forward but it is one that is often overlooked: Great leaders inspire. This brief but broad statement can create dynamic growth, increase staff morale, improve productivity, reduce conflict and create meaningful benefits for any business willing to invest the time in creating inspirational leaders.

Many leaders can get results from employees but do they inspire those employees to improve every day, reaching higher and higher? The following are ten key concepts that can help your company build inspirational leaders. Please take a moment to reflect on whether the leaders in your business possess these qualities.

1. Lets staff have maximum responsibility.

2. Does not micromanage.

3. Supervises when asked to by staff.

4. Educates when staff requests.

5. Not driven by power and control.

6. Open to ideas brought forth by employees.

7. Flexibility and willingness to try new things.

8. Employees strive to achieve more and are inspired by you.

9. Employees praise you genuinely.

10. People smile for real in your workplace.

Many companies encourage and build leaders who embody all these qualities. They reap the rewards that come from leadership that inspires. Once leaders possess and use these skills on a daily basis it doesn't matter what challenge or issue arises, they have built a foundation that will handle any situation. Are you an inspirational leader?

Regards,

Guy Farmer
Unconventional Training

Building Leaders

Business owners direct what kind of leaders their organization creates. The leaders we produce will in turn affect our operational efficacy as well as staff morale and productivity. Take a moment to assess what leadership means in your organization by answering the following questions.

1. What model do your leaders base their leadership style on?

2. How do staff members view your leaders?

3. What are the key skills a leader should possess?

4. How do the leaders in your business motivate their employees?

5. What leadership areas do you need to strengthen?

6. Are your leaders proactive or reactive?

7. What is staff morale like in your company?

8. Do your leaders make your life easier or harder?

These eight areas will give you an idea of what your leadership looks like. Take some time to carefully think about these questions and it will provide you a starting point for creating a vision that will guide the leaders in your organization.

Regards,

Guy Farmer
Unconventional Training

Investing in Employees to Make More Money

Many companies have found that, when they invest in their employees in the form of salary, benefits or training, they get greater performance from them and make more money. While this is a simple concept, many companies ignore it due to "real world concerns." Business owners and managers have to balance the profits of the company with the benefits to employees. Traditionally, we are taught that we should maximize profits and then think of everything else later. Gradually, companies are starting to realize that some investment up front can pay off big in the long run.

This approach requires a new way of thinking. We shift from profit-centered to employee-centered thinking in order to build the foundation for success. The way this works is that we literally build a workplace that celebrates employee success and performance as an end of its own, not as a way to make more money. When we focus first on our employees we start building the framework for a new, successful workplace.

There are many ways to start doing this but one of the most straight-forward is to ask yourself the following questions:

1. What would my workplace look like if my workers were genuinely happy?
2. What would my business look like if everyone had complete support for growth?
3. How would happier employees benefit my company?
4. What would my retention rates look like if my employees were consistently happy?
5. What would my profits look like if I had a happy and motivated workforce?
6. What motivates my employees (besides money)?
7. What do my employees think of me as an owner/manager/supervisor.

When you start asking these questions you open the door to restructuring your company to be an employee-centered workplace. Imagine how your company would benefit from having a contented workforce. The next phase is planning and implementing the initiatives that arise from the conversations you will have based on the questions you have asked yourself. Any business can begin this process, it just takes the will and commitment of everyone from the top down.

Regards,

Guy
I help businesses build stronger employees.

Your Vision for Success

Success starts with a vision. Think about it this way: If you wake up in the morning anticipating problems and failure how is your day going to go? The same thing holds true for business success. If you start with a vision that is success-based it will tend to move your business in that direction. Think about the following next time you are developing a vision.

1. What is the core reason for your business to exist?

2. What are the principles that guide your business?

3. What are the key products/services your business does better than any other?

4. How do you want prospective customers to see you?

5. What are you truly committed to providing for your customers?

Once you have the answers to these introductory questions you can begin formulating a vision statement. This type of statement guides what you will do in the future, it is a conceptual framework that will underlie everything you do. It provides a foundation for the rest of the planning that will follow.

Clear visions help businesses achieve what they really want and gets rid of the clutter that gets in the way of success.

Regards,

Guy
I help businesses create a vision.

The Secret to Success

My clients frequently ask me how to achieve explosive success. There's really no secret to it, you can actually create success by taking purposeful action today. Try using the following practical approach to achieve success in your business. Make sure to follow the process in the order presented.

• Name one specific thing you would like to succeed at in your business. Give it a specific and clear name and write it down. This is your goal.
• Decide by when you will achieve this goal and write down the date.
  
• Brainstorm ideas that will help you reach this goal. Write your ideas down and decide on a date by when you will achieve each one.
  
• Prioritize your ideas from most important to least - from most critical to least urgent.
• Pick one idea to work on. Work on it to completion.
• Evaluate whether you need to do more to achieve your original goal. If so, begin the process again, if not, you have completed your goal.
• Lather, rinse, repeat. Continue the process by moving to the next goal you would like to achieve.

This approach sounds simplistic to some people but it works because it encourages business people to systematically identify their goals and do specific things to achieve them. Follow these steps repeatedly and, over time, and you will be building a habit that leads to success.

Regards,

Guy
I help business people succeed.

Moving Your Business Forward

Many of my clients talk with me about how to move their business forward. The basic answer is that you get to move your business in any direction you want to. You may not be able to do everything you want all at once but you can actively strive to reach any goal that you set for your business. Think of the following concepts as you consider the changes your organization faces.

• Clearly define what it is you want to achieve. This is your goal.
  
• Identify two or three specific things you can do to achieve your clear goal.
• Pick one task that you will do to move toward achieving your goal.
• Complete the task and move to the next.
• Evaluate your progress and make adjustments accordingly.
  

Many business people take on too much thinking that they have to resolve everything at once. This leads to burnout and disillusionment. I talk to clients about keeping things manageable. Take on one thing at once, complete it and move to the next item.

These steps can also be used to create a strategic plan. A strategic plan is basically a set of goals and our description of how we will achieve them. Above all, give yourself permission to not take on everything at once. A deliberate, methodical approach will give you the breathing room to make clearer decisions about the future of your business.

Regards,

Guy
I help business people succeed.

Take Action Today

Often, the difference between those who stagnate and those who succeed is action. Taking deliberate action each day helps focus our goals and motivates us to achieve real results. Think about the following as you work toward your business goals.

• Brainstorm goals you want to achieve in your business.
• Pick one to work on.
• Make a list of possible tasks.
• Pick a task that makes sense to you to start working on.
• Set a deadline for when you will accomplish the task.
• Monitor your progress.
• Go on to the next task.

When you have completed one goal you can then move on to the next. The idea is to build up momentum by taking action consistently and repeatedly. Getting in the habit of doing things rather than thinking things will help you create success.

Regards,

Guy Farmer
Business Coaching

What Are Your Company Values?

We often go into business and forget to take the time at the beginning to define our corporate values. Values are the guiding principles that direct how we will conduct business and how our customers and the world in general will view our company. Think about the following points:

1. What is the reason for your company's existence?
2. In what ways does it help the world?
3. What would you like to hear people say about your company?
4. How do we treat our people?
5. How doe we treat our customers?
6. What are the guiding principles that affect everything we do?

When you have thought carefully and codified the answers to this question you can begin the process of defining the values of your company.

Values will help you create a coherent presence in the business world. They will broadcast to others who you are and attract a clientele that values the same things you do. It will also help you create a business based on a solid foundation of values.

Regards,

Guy Farmer
Business Coaching

Are You Using Your Employee's Brainpower?

As owners, executives and managers we often are so busy that we forget a cardinal rule of managing people: Identify their strengths and build on them. Many of the innovations that occur in businesses come to fruition because a smart manager knew how to use the brain power of his or her employee. It is helpful to remember that many of the future innovations and ideas in our business could very well come from our employees. Set the tone for your organization by thinking of the following ideas:

1. Identify the things your employees do well.
2. Identify the tasks your employees enjoy doing.
3. Listen carefully and often to glean information from your staff.
4. Set up mechanisms to help your employees talk freely with you.
5. Create a workplace where communication flows in all directions.
6. Let your employees know and reward them for their creativity.

When you open yourself to the brainpower your employees possess you open the door to creating greater success and dynamism in your company.

Regards,

Guy Farmer
Business Coaching

Communication Training

Businesses sometimes neglect promoting clear communication in the workplace and then endure the negative effects: decreased morale, botched assignments and confused employees. A business coach helps you clearly say what you want and insure that others understand too. Communication training helps you:

• Talk less and get better results.
• Build your skills so you can read employees better.
• Get what you want out of employees.
• Solicit valuable feedback from employees.
• Stop communication problems before they get out of hand.
  

Being an expert communicator is about learning how to speak and listen well. Once you have mastered those skills your business moves in an entirely different direction. When you remove the communication misunderstandings you open the door to doing business more effectively.

Regards,

Guy

Business Coaching

Conflict Resolution

Many businesses suffer from the effects of workplace conflict: reduced productivity, poor morale and lack of team cohesiveness. I help businesses troubleshoot what is happening in their company and develop strategies to move in a different direction. I work with company management to:

• Identify the issue.
• Develop skills to deal with workplace conflict.
• Design a strategy to minimize conflict.
• Learn from conflict.

Conflict is a signal that something is not going right in the workplace. I help you work with your employees to reduce the conflict and increase the collaboration allowing everyone to be more productive. Your staff and your bottom line will thank you.

Regards,

Guy

Conflict Resolution

Success Coaching

Success coaching helps you take your vision and make it reality. You call the shots and you move in the direction you choose. Success coaching allows you to explore your dreams and ambitions and achieve the outcomes you want. I help you:

• Clarify your vision.
• Define achievable goals.
• Create an effective plan of action.
• Follow through consistently.

A business coach helps you create a blueprint for success by building in accountability and monitoring your progress. You achieve success by creating new, effective habits that lead in positive directions.

Regards,

Guy
Business Coaching

Welcome to Business Coach in Reno

I'm pleased to inaugurate this blog to serve individuals and businesses in Reno. I want to create a forum where you may access accurate information about how to succeed in business and share your thoughts with other individuals.

I've been coaching individuals and businesses in order to help each achieve success on their own terms. I truly enjoy the process of helping people succeed in ways they never imagined.

I hope this blog will help you take action to pursue your goals and dreams.

Regards,

Guy
Business Coaching