Many business owners are unfamiliar with business coaching and what it can do for them. In addition, there is a degree of confusion between roles such as business coach, life coach, mentor, trainer and consultant. In this article, I shall clarify the role of a business coach and how it can help a business owner.
If your business is prone to get into firefight mode, understanding what is causing it and how to stop it is vital.
After many years in the industry, I have seen and fallen victim to firefighting myself. Very quickly, one thing that becomes clear is that it is not a pleasant mode of operation, let alone efficient. Firefighting is disheartening at a personal level and creates tension amongst the people in and outside the organisation. The worst case is when this tension transfers to the customer or client.
So what exactly is firefighting, and why does it take place?
Firefighting is a response to unplanned events caused by external or internal triggers. It typically occurs when unexpected events overwhelm the workforce and causes reactive rather than proactive work activity. The act of firefighting in itself is also responsible for the further generation of random activity. Firefighting can lead to gridlock, where remarkably little gets done, even when the organisation puts in considerable effort.
Some of the familiar root causes that can lead to firefighting are:-
To eliminate firefighting, you must closely examine the business's activity and list all the triggers causing people to react. Before doing this, you must inform your people why they are looking for triggers and how it will benefit them.
Once you have a picture of what is happening, the next step is to determine which triggers are causing what effect. You will find that a large number of reactive triggers are simply a manifestation of the root cause. In practice, you may only find a fraction of triggers associated with root causes. Your job is to fix the root causes.
If you do not have the time or expertise to perform an analysis and formulate a corrective action plan, then one option is to consider external support.
Making gradual changes to the business and evaluating the result is essential. Ensure you create a sound plan while ensuring that you brief the people in the company. Of course, the action, not the plan, will turn things around, so stay focused with regular follow-ups.
A smooth-running organisation is not only a pleasant place to work, but it is also a more satisfactory and sustainable business.