The late author and consultant, Stephen Covey, compared an understanding of paradigms to maps. This comparison also works for you as dentrepreneur® and how to connect with the right coach to leverage your success.
“Suppose you wanted to arrive at a specific location in central Chicago. A street map of the city would be a great help to you in reaching your destination. But suppose you were given the wrong map. Through a printing error, the map labeled ‘Chicago’ was actually a map of Detroit. Can you imagine the frustration, the ineffectiveness of trying to reach your destination?
You might work on your behavior - you could try harder, be more diligent, double your speed. But your efforts would only succeed in getting you to the wrong place faster.
You might work on your attitude - you could think more positively. You still wouldn’t get to the right place, but perhaps you wouldn’t care. Your attitude would be so positive, you’d be happy wherever you were.
The point is you’d still be lost.”
(Source: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey, p23.)
Course correction
We’ve been exploring the value of coaching to you, as a dentrepreneur®. At whatever phase you are, having a coach and being coachable are essential to your dentrepreneurial success.
To borrow from Covey’s insight, think of coaching as your “map.” That further builds upon his analogy by making sure you are following the correct one.
Coaching enables you to get where you’re going…but much faster than if you go it alone. TWEET THIS
There are too many side-trails that will draw you off course if you’re flying solo while building your dental enterprise. Focus is your friend and among the best strategies for staying focused is having a navigational partner along for the ride.
3 Mile-Markers That Reveal You’ve Selected the Right Coach for Your Dentrepreneurial Journey
Personal distinction
The cream-rises-to-the-top. That’s an old analogy yet its relevance holds true.
Coaches come in every “flavor” these days. The coaching industry is populated with wanna-be’s and legit players.
How do you know whose best…FOR YOU?
Let’s start with what could be the most important element. Integrity (or character).
Those who have distinguished themselves are people of integrity. You could further define that as their track record for doing what they say they’ll do.
Bottom-line: they deliver something of value to you and your growth as a dentrepreneur®.
It should also make sense that they know you because they know your industry. This doesn’t imply that they have your depth of clinical expertise or knowledge (you would probably benefit less if they did).
The bigger picture is that they know what drives your pursuit of this ever evolving dentrepreneurial journey you’ve begun.
- Check your “coach” out from top to bottom. Read their “mind” and motives as you read and explore their available resources. Are they answering the questions you’re asking? Do they have actionable solutions for your problems?
- Consult with them. Tap into their distinction through available channels of communication. Phone them, engage with them on social media, chat via email or text, comment on their website’s blog/article pages. Their availability in today’s digital environment is a huge distinctive. Trust it.
Every Successful Coach/Leader/Guru and Speaker has one thing in common. They use the BIG 5.
- Influence
- Power
- Branding
- The right people know them
- They have instant credibility
And one more important item. They are willing to give YOU their BEST to lift YOU into GREATNESS!
Personal development
Outstanding coaches are defined by their ability to help you navigate the challenges you face. A good coach is a problem-solver. TWEET THIS
And it’s not so much their ability to solve the problem for you as it is their unique gift in helping you source the solutions that were available to you all along. This is huge!
Why?
- A coach doesn’t do the hard work for you. Instead, a coach guides you as you execute, fail, learn, re-try, succeed, try again, etc. They help you navigate the process and they don’t take the navigational responsibility from you.
- A coach supports your efforts. They ask the hard questions and they reflect your answers back to you in a way that confirms whether you’re on-track or not.
Ultimately, an effective coach ignites the energy you did not know you had in you. Coaches develop the raw material you didn’t know existed into something you may have believed impossible without their perspective.
Personal excellence
Choose a coach that creates a culture of excellence. By culture, I’m referring to the mindset that sets the attitudes, decision-making processes, and action plans for every step on your journey as a dentrepreneur®.
Remember what prompted you to pursue dentrepreneurship instead of status-quo, solo-practice dentistry. That’s the same mindset that will guide you and leverage you and your team into greater success.
Again, your mindset shift belongs to you and you alone. But the path to developing it is anything but a solo-effort.
You need a coach that’s driven by excellence to keep you sharp.
Excellence is difficult to define. But it’s perhaps more easily understood by saying, “You know it (excellence) when you see it.”
Evaluate your coaching selection by that perception. Excellence leaves clues.
Engage with a coach who demands excellence from you and your culture. Dentrepreneurship thrives on a “start-up-like” culture. That feel must be maintained throughout each phase of your journey as you build your dental enterprise.
Choosing a coach requires discernment. Choose one that provides you the correct “map” or you’ll end up somewhere you didn’t intend to be.
Start now. Contact us about our coaching community today.