by Thembe Khumalo
I read a quote recently that talked about how when fisherman can’t go to sea, they mend their nets. It got me thinking about how important it is to have someone to help you with your mending. One of the best decisions I have ever made in my business was to hire a coach. People often ask me questions about coaching, and they wonder why it’s important to have one. After my first session with her I became more certain than ever that I needed a coach, and that this was a necessity rather than a luxury.
Firstly, as a person who builds brands for a living, it is extremely difficult to work effectively on my own brand. I lack the distance that is required for me to have a proper perspective. If you want some advice on your business, those close to you may not have the kind of distance you need for them to be objective. You may want to consider getting an outsider to give you an unbiased opinion.
When you hire a coach, there will be no avoiding the tough questions or circling round the tender spots. This is very different from discussing your business with friends or family, where there is a chance that they will avoid the things that make you look or feel bad; because they are invested in the relationship long term. They are more invested in staying friends than in enabling you make money.
A coach’s job is to help you get where you want to go. In my case, the coach I hired specializes in brands that want to streamline or scale-up. She helped me work through the muddle of ideas I had and created structure, with realistic goals and timelines. The fact that I was paying her for our time together also gave me a sense of urgency about reaching my goals.
A coach will keep you accountable. This is one of the most helpful things about a coach, and it’s a quality you cannot live without in your life or in your business. Knowing you have to answer to someone else ensures that you are not ruled by your emotions or the fluctuations of your energy levels. At a time like we are in, this is especially important, because you can get sucked down in that spiral of low energy and find your productivity all but disappearing.
Finally, coaches cost money. Of course, I should be motivated by my own desire to succeed, I should be motivated by my passion and my purpose for starting the business. But we all know there are days when this is not enough. Days when you are tired, or disappointed or distracted. On those days, the thought of the large sum of money this exercise is costing me motivates me to do the work. The idea that the money could be “wasted” if I don’t do my part to move closer to the goal is certainly an important consideration.
If you are facing uncertainty (and who isn’t right now?) and don’t know which way to turn, or if you know you want to move but you just don’t know exactly how, investing in a coach might be the life-changing solution you need.
Thembe Khumalo is one of Zimbabwe’s leading voices when it comes to brand-building, business growth and personal development. A winner of multiple awards both at home and in the region, she is the founder and Managing Director of Brandbuilder, a high-performance brand strategy firm that helps entrepreneurial leaders and SMEs achieve visibility and growth through comprehensive brand strategy, creative execution and social media content strategies. Known for her clarity and courage, Thembe Khumalo’s leadership track record includes board positions in listed, unlisted and not-for-profit entities. With more than 20 years in the media and communication industry, she delivers a network of high-level relationships across many industries in several African countries. | thembekhumalo.com | www.brandtobuild.co | askus@brandtobuild.co
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