Introduction:

Recently, I have received a flood of requests from people who want to hire me as a “Boston corporate coach.” They say they’ve read one or more of my newsletters and/or attended one of my seminars and, now, they want me to help their companies be more profitable. I think it’s fair to say most of these people (at least the ones who haven’t contacted me already) are suffering from “corporate Alzheimer’s.

What are corporate coaches?

Undeniably, they are people who have been successful in the marketplace… whether as entrepreneurs, executives, or some other form of “professional.” Usually, these people have figured out how to get the job done… without… getting the job done right. They’ll cut corners, make excuses, and blame everybody else under the sun… except… themselves. They’ll send out memos with “good news” about this month’s quota… even though… last month’s memo contained no such good news. They’ll work 70-hour weeks without regard for their families… and often… without regard for their health.

What are the benefits of having a coach at your company?

Unquestionably, the most important benefit is this: A good coach will force you to confront reality… and… Reality often is unpleasant.  If you have a bone to pick with someone, ask that person for a bet on how long you’ll last before you say something you’ll regret. Chances are, the person you’re picking on (if he’s not already aware of it) will quickly realise he’s lost the battle and he’ll be forced to concede he was (in fact) completely wrong and he will make whatever amends are required. He’ll probably say he’s sorry and he’ll do whatever he can to make it up to you.

Why do companies hire corporate coaches?

Definitely not for their advice… which is seldom worth the paper it’s printed on. Companies hire coaches for one reason and one reason only: to get the coach to say what’s on everyone’s mind… and then… have the person doing the complaining apologise (at least partially) to those he was complaining about. Here’s an example of how this process works. Once upon a time, I was part of a management team at Citicorp whose primary function was to repair mortgage loans that had gone bad. We were the “bad guys” and we made a lot of money doing that. But, we also made more money (often 3-to-1. when we sold the loans to investors… because… the investors were only interested in the loans that were headed for foreclosure.

What is the need for corporate coaches?

What’s more, why should you care? The answer to both questions is simple: You should care because often… The Best People Are Least Likely To Move To Where The Jobs Are! Consider this: Right here in the good ol’ U.S. of A., there are probably 50,000 very smart, very hard-working people who would love to have a job working for you. And yet, many of these people cannot get a job working for you… because… they don’t live near where you are. Or, if they do live near you, many of them won’t live near you because they don’t want to work for you. Why not? Simply because working for you will mean giving up their freedom and moving to where the jobs are.

How can you find the right candidate?

Immediately after my last seminar, a man in New Jersey wrote me to say that all of the attendees had given him an idea that he hadn’t considered before… namely… how to find and retain “the best people.” He said that one of his primary responsibilities was to find and keep the top people in the company and then, pass on his “finds” to the rest of the staff. He wanted to know my opinion of some of the techniques we had discussed in the seminar. I told him that I thought those techniques were excellent… and then… went on to explain how they could be used to great advantage by any manager in any organization. Here’s what he should have done.

He should have found the best people in his company and then offered them a chance to attend my seminar. Then, after the seminar, he should have told all his employees that he had sent a memo to him with suggestions about how to find and keep the “best people.” What would happen next is that many of the top people in his company car service to Logan Airport (the ones he had identified as being the cream of the crop) would realise that they too could attend my seminar… and… After the seminar… learn some very neat tricks of the trade that would dramatically enhance their ability to do their jobs.

When should I expect them to start coaching my leaders at my company?

Nevertheless, I’ll bet that if you use the techniques I have just described, you will be able to find and keep far more of the “best people” in your company than you would otherwise be able to. How can you find the right candidate? Here’s a headline for an ad you could run in “The Wall Street Journal”: Wanted: World-Class Talent! Excellent Opportunity for Top Performers in Manhattan’s Fast-Growing, High-Priced Services Industry! Income is negotiable. Position: Consultant is required.