Air Force veteran Walter Carey has seen it all. At just 23 years old, he went to war, leading a group of young soldiers who had just watched the horrors of 9/11 change the world forever.
Today, Carey is using all he learned during that era of his life by giving back to the community as a business coach helping small and mid-sized businesses succeed through parlaying the discipline and leadership skills he embraced in the military into solutions.
Carey works with ActionCOACH as an accountability coach. He’s also the Vice-Chairman of Coaching for A Cause, a nonprofit dedicated to helping other nonprofits learn strategies for success.
“We are helping these executive teams learn how to make the most of what they have, and also skills and strategies for taking their organization to the next level so that they can help more people and be more efficient,” he said.
Carey is also currently working with Foster Kinship, a nonprofit dedicated to helping children in the foster care system.
“The work that we are doing helps not just the executives on a high level,” he said. “It helps the kids who are benefiting from the work they are doing and being able to do that more successfully. I’m really passionate about the change we are compelling here, one nonprofit at a time.”
Reason #1: Different styles and methods of business coaching don't work for everyone
It's important to be honest with yourself and conduct a realistic assessment when it comes to business coaching. Though business coaching can have many benefits, it might not work for everyone.
Every individual brings their own experiences and values to the coaching dynamic, so results will vary. Additionally, some individuals might need more than just a coach. They might also need specialised knowledge or communication strategies specific to their industry or target audience. Below are a few key factors to consider:
Reason #2: There is no clear focus or vision (talk about time dedication here too)
cIt's important to be honest with yourself and conduct a realistic assessment when it comes to business coaching. Though business coaching can have many benefits, it might not work for everyone.
Business coaching is an effective tool for developing a clearer focus and vision for growing your business. A good coach will help you to take a comprehensive look at your strengths, weaknesses, and available resources that can be used to reach those goals. They will also help you draw up action plans with step-by-step instructions to get there.
By providing honest feedback and being patient throughout the process, a business coach can make sure that you’re on the right track. This will enable you to set realistic milestones and tasks.
These tasks may need dedicated time outside of coaching sessions. For example, a coach might help a client develop a marketing strategy or implement new systems for managing employees. However, if the client does not have enough time to devote to these tasks outside of coaching sessions, progress will likely stall.
Both the coach and the client must have enough time available to reflect on past experiences, brainstorm new solutions, and test out different strategies. If either party is rushed or distracted during coaching sessions due to other commitments or obligations, they may struggle to fully engage in this process.
Effective business coaching also requires a commitment to regular meetings and ongoing communication. If either the coach or the client does not have enough time to dedicate to these meetings, progress may be slow or nonexistent.
It's important to recognise that business coaching is an ongoing process that takes time to yield results. While some clients may see improvements after just a few sessions with their coach. Others may need months or even years of consistent effort before they begin seeing real changes in their businesses.