Jo's Blog | Organizational Development and Executive Coaching | JFQ Consulting

Group Coaching

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:07:52 -0400

Through my travels I have come across many business owners who feel they could use some additional support, mentoring, or maybe just some help with accountability to make their business a success. And while many of these people might be inclined to ask for some help through a coach, others are not sure that it is the right path for them.

So, I have been contemplating how I could help people in this situation, who may be interested in coaching, yet may be apprehensive and/or may not have a very large budget to work with someone one-on-one. Because I don't believe in reinventing the wheel, I contacted a consultant who is already offering group coaching sessions and I picked her brain about what she is doing that is working (and what hasn't worked so well). After speaking with Diane Helbig, owner of Seize the Day Coaching, I became excited about how group coaching could really work well. Almost like a support group for business owners, a coaching group can help business owners clarify their business goals and objectives and support one another as they make critical and not so critical decisions-- and ensure that they are being held accountable.

When Do You Need Outside Assistance?

Wed, 19 May 2010 15:41:09 -0400

Many firms hesitate to seek outside assistance in the way of a consultant, as they believe that they do not have the resources, or they think that their issues are not mission critical enough to seek help.

How often have you looked around your house or thought about your life and believed that you do not need to do some spring cleaning or make a New Year's Resolution, because things are just as good as you would like them to be? Just like in your personal life, it is the rare organization that cannot use an increase in efficiency.

And just like at home, if you do not address the smaller issues as they arise, things may snowball and you can end up with serious problems that affect the overall functioning of your organization.

A consultant can help get your organization on track to accomplish its goals, or give it a needed boost, just like a personal trainer can help you get started on a life changing health and weight-loss plan or just help you lose that extra five pounds.

If you think that your firm cannot afford outside help, that is when you may need it most. If your firm is not performing at the highest level and accomplishing its goals, a consultant can get it on track- saving time and money in the short term, and increasing profitability and success in the long term.

Are You Looking Toward the Future?

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:36:54 -0400

Whether your concerns are as a manager of a firm or an employee that is unsure about what lies ahead with the continuing uncertainty in the economy, there are things that you can do today to begin to improve your chances for success going forward.

As an employee, now is the time to fine tune your skills and consider your path for the future. We have seen significant changes in our global economic environment recently and these changes are affecting the opportunities for professionals. Many experienced professionals have been working within a specific job function for many years and as the job market has changed, their job may have been radically altered or eliminated altogether. Now is the time for people to improve their skills through training and education, as well as personal development. With leadership training or skills training, employees can ensure that they are a more valuable employee or even a better candidate if they are looking to make a move within the industry.

As a manager you probably have been faced with an uphill battle in client retention and acquisition, lower revenue and a lowering head count. While this makes for a difficult operating environment, look to the areas where you can improve your efficiency and increase your bottom line. As clients have become more demanding, and firms have added services while costs have increased, many firms have built up their organizations to handle additional operational functions. In many cases, these functions are not central to the firm's core business and it may be possible to lower costs by outsourcing non-core operations, and tightening the strategic focus. Aligning business strategy and organizational structure is the key to higher efficiency and ultimately higher performance and profit.