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Big Questions for Enterprise Coaching?

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Is enterprise to be interpreted narrowly or broadly?

  • A narrow interpretation would equate enterprise with movement towards self employment or entrepreneurship.
  • A broad interpretation would equate enterprise with efficacy, agency and an increased sense of influence and power in shaping one’s own future.  With the pursuit of wellbeing and happiness through the exercise of personal responsibility and the skills of association, collaboration and mutuality.

Is the role of the coach to be limited or expansive?

  • The limited role of the enterprise coach is as an outreach enterprise evangelist selling the enterprise fairytale and encouraging people into workshops and mainstream services….
  • The expansive role of the coach is as a provider of person centred transformational relationships, harnessing the potential of people and the community to encourage personal and community development

We seem to be heading towards a position which takes a narrow definition of enterprise and limited role for the coach.  I believe this will result in communities that are actually much less enterprising  and entrepreneurial.

If we were to have the courage and ambition to shift to a broad definition of enterprise and an expansive role for the coach then I think we may actually have a foundation for the development of Big Society.  And funnily enough it wouldn’t cost very much….

Intervention Styles for Enterprise Coaches and Business Advisers

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  • Ever wondered what to say or do next to help a client make progress?
  • Or got frustrated when a client does not do what they said they would do?
  • Or had a client that said all the right things but never seemed to make any progress?

In this one day workshop I will introduce you to 4 styles of intervention that can really help your enterprise clients to make progress. Whatever the situation that faces you one of these styles will provide you with the way forward.

Early Bird Tickets Available until the end of this week – Friday 4th June.

Based on the values of person centred facilitation, the 4 styles will provide you with a set of informed choices about how to work with your clients to make progress.

  1. Acceptant – how to help your clients to open up about their ideas and see things in a fresh light
  2. Catalytic – how to help your clients to ‘see the wood for the trees’ by using simple modles, theories and ideas to clarify their thinking
  3. Confrontational – how to work with clients when their words and actions just don’t add up. Perfect for challenging cleints without you or them ‘losing the plot’
  4. Prescriptive – how to work with clients when it is imperative that they do what you say – you really do know what is best for them.

These styles are specified in both the SFEDI standards for business advisers and in their endorsed award for enterprise coaches. I have been using them in my own practice now for well over 15 years – and they work.

At the workshop you will learn about each of the 4 styles, how and when to use them, and you will have the chance to practice some or all of them to see and feel how they work in practice.

Book Now for an Early Bird Ticket

What Others Say…

“Mike Chitty has not only helped me become a better coach, he’s also helped me unlock my personal potential. Wonderful, inspirational trainer!” Jason Martin – Senior Enterprise Gateway Director – Business Link South East

“Working with Mike Chitty has been the most important investment in my career to date. The quality of each client interaction has really gone up; we learned and practiced a coaching model to add some structure and science behind client meetings in real scenarios and I also left the sessions with a host of new analysis tools to help clients make sense of how they can make progress. Furthermore it was an opportunity to experience some high quality coaching for myself from, which I got tremendous value. This experience has also greatly enhanced my strategic contribution to enterprise development in my area.

Mike Chitty is at the forefront of enterprise coaching in this country as a practitioner, trainer and strategic influencer. If you are an enterprise coach, you simply should experience Mike’s training as soon as possible if you want to have the greatest possible impact.” – Simon Paine – Enterprise Gateway Director SEEDA

“The enterprise coaching training was excellent. The subject matter covered theory and included practical application, it was thought provoking. It challenged my perception of my coaching style which I had become comfortable with, and tested my limits in terms of acceptance. It provided a number of tools which I was then able to use in a positive way with my clients. I would recommend the course for continuing professional development.” – Barbara Morton – Enterprise Gateway Director – Business Link South East

“Having experienced Mike Chitty first hand running enterprise coach training, I found him to have a wealth of knowledge. Knowledge that wasn’t just theory, but strong, practical and powerful ways of engaging people from priority groups and delivering enterprise coaching.

These ways of engagement and delivery have been put to very good use in the work that I do, helping people to achieve their objectives. Mike balances his training with getting you to think very carefully about what you are doing, challenging how you are doing things and challenging why you are doing things. Mike’s prolific writings (check out his blogs and tweets) on the subjects such community development, personal development and enterprise development make engaging and thought provoking reads. Mike has been a very positive eye opener in many ways and will turn your thinking on its head. I relish the next opportunity to experience Mike’s training, consultation and knowledge.” Gareth Sear – West Sussex Enterprise Gateway Director

Where is Your Enterprise Service At….?

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I love 2×2 matrices.  But there are worse crimes I suppose. Of course they oversimplify things, deny shades of grey, limit ‘nuancing’ and so on.

But they work for me.

They help to clarify where we are, where we need to be and can generate ideas about how we get there.  Take this 2×2 for example which maps the credibility/utility of the service we offer versus its visibility/accessibility.

Visibility versus Credibility

High/High – ‘The Real Deal’ or ‘The Hen’s Teeth’

This is the goal.  Credible services that work and are visible and accessible to the people they are intended to serve.  Likely to have  a low marketing overhead as word of mouth and the power of attraction will keep the clients coming.  Well evidenced, high value for money services mean that funders cannot afford to withdraw from it.

High Accessibility/Visibility but Low Credibility – ‘All Mouth and No Trousers’ or ‘The Emperor…has no clothes’

This is the norm.  Sadly.  PR companies on large retainers to buy square inches in the local press.  Social media strategies, web sites, leaflets, posters and inspirational strap lines and branding guidelines abound.  Every one knows it’s there – but most of us know it doesn’t do ‘what it says on the tin’…The service relies on heavy self promotion to find a continual source of new referrals.  Word of mouth strategies including introductions and referrals don’t work.  They often have to rely on ‘inducements’ such as soft loans, grants and free lunches to get people to ‘sort of’ engage.  They can have plenty of clients on the books but few of them do anything very interesting.  Failure rates are high.  Many new entrepreneurs soon fall out of love with their ‘dream’ businesses and loan default rates are high.  Often have lots of front line staff on the ground all looking for ‘good’ clients.  Added value is low.  Management strategies involve efforts to ‘bluster our way through’ until the funding stream ends.

High Credibility/Utility but Low Visibility – ‘The Hidden Gem’

So we have a great product and service that does the job – but people don’t know we are here.  Don’t worry about it – this situation won’t last for long – perhaps 6 months?   If you have a product/service that reliably and consistently does what it says it will do – transforms lives, starts dream businesses and contributes to economic and community development the word will get out.  In fact you will soon be winning prizes and if you are smart making serious money.  Perhaps give a little thought to promoting a word of mouth strategy – learn how to ask for referrals, and introductions and you will soon have them beating a path to your door.  Make sure you can evidence your effectiveness and trademark/copyright your service.  It is worth a bomb.  This is a great place to be….

Low Credibility and Low Visibility – ‘No Style – No Substance’

Actually not as bad as it sounds.  Perhaps most new enterprise services should recognise that this is the starting point and where we might spend most of the first year or two of a new project.  Learning about what works in a particular community, about which partners are the ‘real deal’ and which are ‘all mouth but no trousers’.  Sniffing out the hidden gems to work with.  By deliberately keeping a low profile, but working on the long term impact of our products and services with a modest volume of clients we can gradually build a great service.  Once we have moved into the ‘hidden gem’ category we can then make the transition to become the ‘real deal’.

Working with Stakeholders

Of course when we use this in our own services we tend to have a bias towards the ‘real deal’ and ‘hidden gem’ quadrants.  But if we ask our clients, our funders, our experienced advisers, or an informed outsider to place us in the matrix then the results can be enlightening and provide powerful clues about the way forward – if we are smart enough and honest enough to listen.

  • Is this matrix useful?
  • Are you in the quadrant that you want to be in?
  • Do you have a clear strategy for getting to be the real deal?


Junior Apprentice and Gekko Breeding

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So Lord Sugar (is he still our enterprise czar?) is working with junior apprentices because it is up to them and their generation to ‘rescue and revitalise’ our country.  Surely it is a simple equation – more entrepreneurs, making more money, leads to a growing economy, more tax take and a better society.  Hmm.  Don’t expect much here about social justice, sustainable economics and steady state economies.  This is a stack ’em and sell ’em business model with no need to worry about the long term.

If we can just breed a generation of Gordon Gekko’s; back-stabbing, blame-shifting, glory grabbing and profiteering then perhaps we can develop a  tax base that will allow us to chip away at the national debt.

  • Is this how to ‘revitalise and rescue’ our country?
  • Is this how to encourage more people, young and old, (wouldn’t an intergenerational version of the apprentice be much more interesting?) to explore and develop their enterprising souls?

Methinks not.

Surely most decent folk would not choose willingly to enter such an environment?

Of course we know that the real world of enterprise is, by and large, nothing like this at all.  It is full of decent people trying to create real value and provide goods and services to the long term mutual benefit of buyer and seller alike, without further shafting the planet and the prospects of future generations on the way.

If ‘The Apprentice’ were a ‘one off’ perhaps it would not be big deal – but nearly all enterprise portrayed in the  media fits the backstabbing/profiteering stereotype.  With PR like this it is no wonder that so many good people choose not to make their living and make their lives in enterprise.

And it is no wonder that many educators continue to maintain stiff resistance to the introduction of enterprise into the curriculum.

So You Wannabe…An Entrepreneur?

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Timothy Spall last night told a story recounted to him by that great British legend of the stage and small screen Richard Briers.

Briers’ daughter had said something like, ‘Dad, I have made up my mind.  I want to be an actress.’

Briers replied ‘Want?  Want?  Want is not enough!  To succeed you must HAVE to become an actress.  If you have to become an actress then I will roll up my sleeves and help. If you just want to be an actress then forget it.’

The story made me smile as I use almost the identical line when I am working with people who tell me they want to start a business, or they want to become an entrepreneur.  I often ask ‘Is this something that you HAVE to do?  Are there no other alternatives that you could pursue?  Is there NOTHING more important than this in your foreseeable future?

In fact I will often go further, telling them all I can about the life of the entrepreneur.  How it can take you away from family and friends, lead you into debt, consume your life and damage your health.  Of course we explore the upsides as well but those downsides are the things that will derail the process if not considered, if the desire is not sufficient.

And then I will move the focus away from ‘becoming an entrepreneur’ which is such a vague concept as to be practically meaningless and will focus on what it will be like when they have their business up and running.  What it is like to be sole trading as a furniture upholsterer, or a plasterer.  What the transition will be like going from being a professor in the Biochemistry Department to being a part owner of a biosciences company working with venture capitalists to commercialise their intellectual property.  Because being an entrepreneur is all about managing transitions.  Starting with one lifestyle and ending up with another which is very different – and hopefully better.

Enterprise really IS about the emergence of identity.  About shaping lives.