As defined by the International Coaching Federation, coaching is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their business skills and growth ­potential for their company. Greenstone Group business performance coaching focuses on the growth goals for the business, defines the skills needed by the entrepreneur to reach those goals, and chal­lenges them to develop new skills both personally and professionally.

What can an entrepreneur expect from coaching?

The goal of coaching in the Greenstone Group is to guide, inspire, and develop entrepreneurs with a focus on business growth and personal transformation. Each participant receiving coaching will es­tablish growth goals and will be expected to make steady progress toward those goals based on his or her work with an assigned coach. Coaches strive to help entrepreneurs achieve their individual and business goals, while developing their confidence to grow and mature as an entrepreneurs.

Greenstone Group coaches meet with entrepreneurs in individual sessions, face-to-face or on the phone, typically two or three times each month. Each entrepreneur is assigned a coaching group that meets monthly for a peer-to-peer exchange. Coaches provide objective assessment, emphasize as­tute and active listening, act as a sounding board, develop options for business strategy, foster shifts in thinking, and seek fresh perspectives on the issues faced by the entrepreneur.

What is the entrepreneurs role in the coaching relationship?

The Greenstone Group entrepreneur is expected to work with the coach to create measurable growth goals and work towards achieving those goals based on their desired outcomes for their business. He or she uses the observations and information gained from coaching to enhance their self-aware­ness, entrepreneurial skills and personal success. Entrepreneur participants are open to coaching as a means to enhance their vision, strategies and business plans for developing their skills and growing their business. They fully participate in all scheduled coaching sessions and group sessions.

Coaching is provided free for the first 90 days through the support of our funding partners. After that time, we negotiate a fee with the entrepreneur that ranges from $50 to $500 per month. Greenstone Group will continue subsidizing coaching since the full cost is much greater. All fees are negotiable, and we ask that the entrepreneur propose a fee within the suggested range.

Interactive Consulting

The Greenstone Group is developing an interactive consulting process to work with growth-oriented businesses and their CEO’s. These individuals are seeking blended coaching and consulting assistance in order to move forward with their strategic plans. Greenstone Group consultants provide a process of discovery, strategic plan alignment, and development planning as the tools for working with the business and the CEO.

Entrepreneurs share their strategic plans with the consultant and use our consulting tools to determine the focus for the interactive consulting. The consultant works with the CEO and is their sounding board providing focus, advice, counsel and access to other resources.

Greenstone Group describes its’ process as one of assessment, discovery, strategic alignment and development planning.

Examples of interactive consulting:

• Company needs to redefine its business model as result of the recession and loss of key customers.
• Company has an exit strategy and needs to develop a plan to achieve this strategy.
• CEO is redefining management roles in the company and needs to build a team based on growth strategies.
• CEO is exploring international exporting and strategic alliances and needs advice on how to pursue this strategy.
• CEO faces growth financing issues and needs to restructure debt to meet growth demands.
• CEO decides to market key products to new markets and needs a plan, strategies and advice on how to accomplish this in light of an economic downturn.