What is a commodity, you ask? Well, in business parlance it means something that has become accepted and understood. That can include anything that people and organizations have decided they need. I never imagined coaching would arrive at this stage so quickly.
You might argue with this. After all, not everyone knows the benefits of coaching. True enough. However, if you’ve read Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point it seems entirely possible that this is indeed how things are.
There comes a point in time when an idea takes hold with strength to endure. I’m not sure this is the case for all kinds of coaching but it appears to be the case with organization (executive, corporate, leadership) coaching.
And now the question I must ask myself: What do I need to do?
Clearly, I must respond carefully with my next moves in order to make a living. Could it be more obvious?
Having been in business now for 25 years I need to pull out the basics (that I taught for 15 years). When looking at what is next for me to do I must once again engage my entrepreneurial spirit, my years of experience … and fearlessly innovate!
I recently changed my vision statement from “Sustaining High Performance Over Time” to “Building People & Enterprise for Long Term Success.” I intend to design my expertise menu to include not only executive coaching but also to underscore management consulting and facilitation … (how I earned a living prior to the NASA project). I might even include two of my favorites: grad school teaching and public speaking …but those ideas are open for debate (with myself).
I expect these questions from curious minds: Isn’t that a rather heavy menu? Isn’t it too scattered? Don’t you want to focus more?
Yes, eventually I will focus. I shall narrow the field but I won’t leave anything out until I’ve looked at them all and entertained opportunities that show up. I can truthfully say that coaching will always be included, however.
More to come ….
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