Decades of experience in industry and in business taught me many valuable lessons which I have incorporated into my coaching practice. Businesses and workplaces are evolving at an un-precedented rate, which leaves us with limited time to master the range of skills which we need to be successful. The marvel of the world right now is that we have almost unlimited access to specialists who we can lean on for support. People and businesses who are specialists, who can provide the support which allows businesses to focus on what matters most. This lies at the very heart of my relationship with BusinessFit. Professional Coaching and Mentoring are key components in the Quality Assurance business process, providing an objective framework for continuous improvement and business sustainability. Coaching and Mentoring are critical and complementary developmental tools for businesses, teams and individuals who intend to succeed. Successful outcomes are far more likely when we tap into the skills and expertise of specialists as we build successful and sustainable businesses.

Coaching is designed to unlock the potential of how we think, how we act and how we react to situations and circumstances. Mastering our behaviours as leaders determines the rate of success. Applying coaching methodologies allows us to develop the well-being of staff, team members, and stakeholders, which is essential to support the development, growth, and sustainability of any business.

Mentoring on the other hand is designed to analyse, understand, and develop systems and skills for the business, individuals, and teams and to close the gaps which are identified during the QA certification process. The BusinessFit Quality Assurance model includes elements of both coaching and mentoring which complement each other in a comprehensive client support system.

Relationships matter: Succeeding in business is by no means a simple matter. Every role-player and every stakeholder in the business needs to be supported by coaches and mentors who are trained and experienced to bring perspective and context to the thinking process, unlocking the potential of people. Leadership is a personal journey which takes courage, determination, and skill. The sheer diversity of skills and capabilities which are needed for a business to succeed is daunting and can at times be overwhelming. One of the key components of successful leadership is finding out which behaviours and inputs add value to you and to your business and where behaviours and inputs might impede development. In a rapidly changing business environment, we need to continuously adapt our approach and to be agile, particularly in our relationships and interactions with others. Exploring how we think and how we act and what we need to change in order to develop, unlocks our personal and business potential. Building a healthy relationship with yourself and with stakeholders builds sustainable behaviours. This is where coaching has proven to be of enormous benefit across the full spectrum of team members from Intern to executive.

Intentional development matters: Identifying the elements of the organisation which are critical success components to ensure that the organisation meets its development objectives. Having team members who are engaged and committed and who have a clear vision of the role that they play in supporting and developing the organisation, unifies the team to deliver on the goals and objectives of the business. Coaching and mentoring of team members brings both individual and team perspective and it drives intentional thinking and innovation. process. The coaching and mentoring process uncovers areas where skills may need to be supplemented or improved and where systems or methodologies may need to be adapted or upgraded. The relationship between the members of the team and the business mentor must be solid and based on trust and ethics. The mentor needs to have access to a broad range of support in facets of business, so that the gaps can be identified and addressed and that the business can focus on what matters most. BusinessFit provides this solid support infrastructure which underpins the work of the business mentor by providing a consistent, reliable Quality Assurance system supporting all functional and structural aspects of the business.

Reaching business goals, milestones, commitments, and objectives with a solid business framework relies on ensuring healthy relationships, a healthy business environment, a healthy mindset, and the intention to be successful. Should you wish to learn more about coaching and mentoring in the BusinessFit model, please contact Lance Marshall (lance@lanmar.co.za) or Youshi Naidoo at BusinessFit (youshi@businessfit.co.za).