{"id":1107,"date":"2010-05-14T09:41:47","date_gmt":"2010-05-14T09:41:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localenterprise.wordpress.com\/?p=1107"},"modified":"2010-05-14T09:41:47","modified_gmt":"2010-05-14T09:41:47","slug":"working-on-the-press-gang","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/2010\/05\/14\/working-on-the-press-gang\/","title":{"rendered":"Working on the Press Gang..?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The work of the enterprise coach is, for me, about providing a relationship that people can use to explore how they might transform their lives and whether or not this is a journey they want to undertake. \u00a0 It is a relationship characterised by trust, confidentiality, skill and often the long-term. It is not directive; the coach has no ulterior goal that they are steering the person towards. \u00a0 The only goal of the coach is to help their client to become the kind of person that they <\/em><\/strong>really\u00a0want\u00a0to be.<\/p>\n

The relationship provides a chance for them to really transform their life. Of course this doesn’t always happen – but there is a chance. The transformation may come about through starting a business. Or through getting better housing, becoming a better parent, tackling an addiction or pursuing an ambition. The job of the enterprise coach is to enable people to take more control of their futures. To find their power in shaping their own lives. It is a truly valuable, challenging and privileged role.<\/p>\n

It seems to me that much of the Enterprise Coaching world sees things a little differently. For them the enterprise coach is part of a smiling press-gang, working ‘in the community’, promoting the benefits of enterprise (narrowly defined around self employment, employment, business start-up or expansion) and encouraging people to grow their ‘dream business’. Clients are usually recruited to workshops after a limited amount of 121 work, given a crash course in business literacy and referred to the mainstream – where they take their chances. It is a directive process where the only positive outcome is a referral into the business support industry. It is about skimming talent and potential rather than a longer term engagement to change attitudes, habits, beliefs and decisions. \u00a0The whole process is lubricated with the judicious use of free lunches, celebrity speakers, community transport and the potential of getting some cash. \u00a0 This is traditional pre-start up business support. \u00a0We have been doing it for a long time in various communities. \u00a0It feels safe, and it does produce start ups. \u00a0But I have yet to see it transform communities.<\/p>\n

Sometimes \u00a0it even damages the very communities that it is intended to help. \u00a0I would suggest three mechanisms by which this unfortunate and unintended consequence sometimes occurs.<\/p>\n