Category Archives: General

It is perhaps a bit strange that intelligent people who earn large amounts of money need advice from an executive growth coach. “If the advice of these coaches is so good, why are they not so rich?”, used to ask the American investor Warren Buffet.

There are many skeptics out there, who wonder what a coach can do for a leader who has already reached numbers with many zeros, or for highly experienced team of managers… If you`ve been asking yourself the same thing, we are going to give you another perspective.

There are several situations where you can clearly see the benefit of coaching for managers and companies in general.

• The manager is not the supreme leader anymore

As the world becomes more and more interconnected and the business environment more complex and dynamic, it is not enough to have only one person to learn for the whole organization, a “lighted mind” or a “strategist”, nor is it possible to decide everything at the top, while expecting the others to follow the orders blindly. Current trends show us that we need new ways to lead and to learn. To keep pace with market dynamics, organizations need to acquire the capacity of learning at all levels, not just rely on a single person – the manager; so the leader’s role becomes rather to learn how to create the right architecture for learning at all levels.

• The manager needs a systemic perspective

Another situation where the executive coach plays an important role in the organization is when, in the day-to-day gear trap, many managers or teams of managers do not actually see the forest because of the trees. Business, organizations are living systems, united by the invisible threads of interconnected actions, and often there are years passing before fully exerting their effects on each others. Considering that the leaders or the entire management teams are a part of this embroidery, sometimes it is difficult for them to see the whole pattern that the change follows. Frequently, they focus on isolated parts of the system and then wonder why the problems are reoccurring. When the manager or the whole management team trains to see things from a systemic perspective, looking at the whole and not just seeing some parts, we can talk about sustainability.

• The development of a personal vision

Only a few leaders work rigorously to develop unique personal skills translated into continuously clarifying and enlarging the personal perspective, by concentrating the energy, developing the patience and by the understanding of the reality. Most believe that once they reached the top, they no longer have anything to learn or develop, which is a mistake that will turn against them, eventually.

Coaching is a professional relationship based on confidence, which allows the leaders to communicate their strategic perceptions and questions to a person that will not judge them. A partnership in which an executive growth coach assists the manager in finding their own solutions, using innovative thinking patterns will definitely increase performance.  Executive coaching Denver firms offer some of the best advice around.

Success does not happen overnight. Any successful company goes through various obstacles in the course of business.  It’s not all pure luck.  A lot goes on behind the scenes and what you see from the outside is just the tip of the iceberg.  Strategic planning is an essential part of the road to success.

Companies need to properly plan their strategies in order to maximize their resources to reach their goals sooner rather than later.  For some companies, however, the process of strategic planning is not as easy to do.   They may need professionals to lead them through the process and come up with the best plan that not only looks good on paper but is workable too.  Luckily, there are Denver strategic planning companies, businesses that can be hired for this task.

Hiring a competent consultant can be tricky though. A lot of things must be considered before hiring a consultant for strategic planning. To help you with it, here are a few tips:

• Understand what they do – there are various types of consultants that you can hire for your company. The right consultants are the ones that specialize in what you specifically need.  Marketing consultants would not have the same perspective as those that specialize in strategic and business planning.  Check out their previous portfolios and see how their clients are doing.  It might not be feasible to ask for previous strategic plans that they have done in the past as these are often confidential.  Call them in for exploratory talks to ask them about their previous projects to gain insight about what they do.

 

• Make sure that they are qualified – experience is one of the most important qualifications when it comes to strategic and business planning. Such experience gives them the right perspective and foresight when it comes to plotting out the path that any business should take towards success.  Experience helps them analyze the situations more effectively since they most probably have encountered them in the past.

 

• Define your needs – it would be difficult for any consultant to work with you if you are unclear about what you want them to do for you. You have to know what you want to happen. You need to have specific goals for which to draw up your strategies.  In your exploratory talks with your candidate consultants, you can give them an idea and perhaps test them a little bit by asking for ideas off the top of their heads.

 

Make sure that they also understand the goals you want to achieve for your company. This way, you will be “on the same page” as you go through the strategic planning process.  Your consultant should be able to come up with creative ideas on how to achieve your business goals even when they are put under a lot of pressure.

 

No successful company has ever made it without any form of strategic planning.  For smaller companies, perhaps such process is done informally and any plans are not put down on any business document.  Having a strategic plan professionally formulated with the help of consulting services, however, is one of the best things that you can do to set your business on the right track towards success.

The Denver financial planners can help you achieve your financial goals, but it is very important to choose the right consultant, especially if you are not very experienced in financial matters. If you enter a query into your internet browser, looking for financial planners, you will get very many results, which might make the process of selecting an expert overwhelming, so here are a few tips and pieces of advice that could help you make the best choice.

 

Deciding Whether You Need a Financial Adviser at all

 

If you have some money on your hands, but you have no working knowledge and no experience in making investments, it is definitely a good idea to hire a financial consultant and the same goes if you have been struggling with multiple debts or your financial situation is complicated and you feel that you might not be able to solve your financial problems on your own. However, you must be aware that hiring a financial consultant does mean extra expenses, so make sure that burden is something that you can manage.

 

Choosing the Right Type of Advisor

 

Financial advisors, just like experts in other professions, have their own specializations and their experience is different as well:

 

• Certified financial planners have long experience in offering financial consultancy and they are trained in various fields such as taxes, investment portfolios, retirement and estate planning,

 

• Registered investment advisors specialize mainly in investment portfolios and long-term planning for clients who want to invest more substantial sums of money,

 

• Chartered underwriters specialize in estate investments and insurances.

 

Finding a Reputable Consultant

 

One of the best ways to find a reliable financial planner Denver has to offer is through word of mouth. Ask around among your friends and family members whether they know or have heard about any good local financial planners. Lawyers and accountants work with financial planners on a regular basis, so you can ask for recommendations from your lawyer or a bookkeeper friend.

 

The other way to find a good financial planner is by doing a little online research. The best Denver financial planners have their own websites where you can find information about their expertise, experience, qualifications as well as testimonials from their previous clients. Also check whether the consultant you are considering for hire is a member of large professional organization such as the National Association of Financial Advisors.

 

Establishing Contact

 

Personal contact and the first impression is very important in any professional relationship, especially if you are planning to entrust your hard-earned money to someone, so when you interview consultants, make sure you ask whatever questions come to your mind. Ask about the consultant’s general approach towards financial planning as well as specific questions about putting together your portfolio, about financial responsibilities, risks and performance. Also ask about the consultant’s policy of payments and fees and take your time to analyze what you have heard. Make sure all the terms and conditions of your collaboration are included into the contract you sign with your adviser – it is an often neglected, but very important step.

 

Financial planners can really help you achieve your financial goals – be careful when you choose your consultant and you can be sure your money will work for you the way you want it to.