Startupcoaching

At the end of each year,  I look back. Again this year, I found myself explaining, often, what a coach is. Here is one way of looking at it.

A Coach Is . . .

· Your own personal trainer, enabling you to achieve your goals

· Your champion during a turnaround.

· Your trainer of communication and life skills.

· Your sounding board when making choices.

· Your motivation when strong actions are called for.

· Your unconditional support when you take a hit.

· Your mentor of personal development.

· Your co-designer when creating an extraordinary project.

· Your beacon during stormy times.

· Your wake up call if you don’t hear your own.

· And most importantly, the professional coach is your partner in helping you have all of what matters most to you.

Part of being a strong entrepreneur is having a healthy Ego but the Ego gets in the way of many decisions (often the bad ones). In this case, it will certainly have an impact on the decision to “hang on”. Recognizing this and treading the fine line between pride and ego will dictate what the best decision is and put the entrepreneur in a better state of mind for the second round.

From the book BusinessThink

Here is a way of analyzing if your Ego is in the way

Warning signs:

Showcasing your brilliance
Seeking approval: Do you give the unvarnished truth?
Being defensive: Do you present your solutions as Hypothesis or facts ?

An Ego will:
1- Magnify information to get more meaning
2- Filter: discard information contrary to your position
3-Alter: Adjust information to validate your position
4-Fabricate: Information that suits your need

the Ego Test

• When someone is giving me constructive feedback I get defensive
• I often interrupt people because their point is irrelevant or inferior. I get uptight around people who are more powerful
• I’m afraid to share candid thoughts for fear others may not agree
• I spend more time talking than listening
• I perceive people surrounding me as bosses or employees more than colleagues
• When someone challenges my idea, I take it personally
• I am surprised when people don’t agree with me
• I sollicit feedback with the intent of hearing them talk favorably about me