We left Part 1 of this blog sequence with some definitions of what coaches, mentors, and consultants do, acknowledging that at any point in time a business has something to work on, if not multiple things to work on.

Some businesses choose to ignore the problem areas. The work seems too burdensome, too complicated, or too expensive. I once heard a life maxim that the cost of doing nothing is always greater than the cost of doing something. I have not empirically tested that statement, but have always thought it to be true, just based on personal experience. Denial is most often fatal.

Most people do not like to suffer. That is especially true when one’s livelihood is at stake. It is human nature to want problems resolved quickly. Consulting presents as the quick answer, and usually the most expensive. People are proud of their experience and wisdom. Despite the urgency, most small business owners cannot afford consulting. Some proceed with it anyway in desperation. At the end, many discover an important fact….the consultant knows about your problem, but the consultant does not own your problem. I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard the lament from a small business owner that they “had hired a consultant years ago but never did anything with it.” I am not pointing fingers at anyone, just highlighting an unwanted outcome.

Mentors are fine friends, when one can find them. I appreciate the generosity of any soul willing to honestly share their experiences, especially when they have been thoughtful in evaluating their experiences themselves. Yet, their experience is not your answer. The shared experience is additional perspective and information to inform your own actions. I have known some mentors to take a more active coaching role in a relationship in which they will help the mentee arrive at decisions and hold them accountable. Some may charge when the mentoring relationship bridges that boundary.

Coaches are enablers of your own greatness. Yes, there is a cost involved. But the best coaches understand that the best answers are found within. Coaches build self-awareness and situational awareness — priorities, obstacles, and solutions — and help you decide for yourself the path down which you want to go. Working with a coach brings about the most authentic solutions possible because they firmly believe that you are good enough to “figure it out”. Most importantly, a great coach will not abide unimplemented solutions. Great coaches are rigorous in accountability yet graceful as new learnings are revealed that may alter the course. It is impossible to know everything one needs to know at the point of decision. We learn and change as we go, gradually improving, and avoiding the major crisis that we simply cannot fix on our own.