The simple answer: maybe it can, but maybe it can’t!
But, if you know there’s something you could be doing more effectively or efficiently, or if your professional care management / advocacy practice just isn’t growing as you wish it would, or if you’re just stuck in any way, then it’s time to consider hiring a coach or mentor to help you out.
Here are some questions to ask yourself to determine whether a practice coach or mentor is the right answer for you:
- What aspect of your practice doesn’t feel right? Maybe it’s your bookkeeping, or your pricing, or maybe you’re not finding enough clients (marketing), or clients find you but you can’t get them to sign a contract, or you’re uncomfortable with your website, or…. Put your finger on your discomfort to begin with.
- Then determine: what about that aspect is uncomfortable? Example: You know there are better ways to manage your client information, but you get bogged down worrying about not mixing up their information with someone else’s, or whether you are being HIPAA compliant. Maybe you aren’t confident your pricing is right, or that you need to increase (or decrease) your hourly rate – but you don’t know how. Or perhaps your phone conversations with potential new clients are difficult, and rarely (never!) result in a signature, even though you know THEY know you can do that work.
- What would it look like if it was no longer uncomfortable? In the first example above, you might determine that you’d implement a system to track client information that would be consistent among all of them, be readily at hand no matter where you are (their home, the hospital, your office). Or – pricing – after revisiting and adjusting, you’d feel confident not only that your pricing was high enough, but also that new clients would be willing to pay that amount. Or in the last example, you’d be able to learn exactly what needed to be said or shared to flip the majority of conversations to the contract zone. Success!
Knowing what you hope to improve, you can go in search of the right coach for you to help you make those updates and determinations.
What sorts of information can help you decide NOT to hire a coach or mentor?
if you determine in your exercise above that what you need help is the DOING, and not the DECISION-MAKING about the doing, then it’s not a coach or mentor you should look for. Instead what you’re looking for is a DO-ER – like an Admin, or a sales person, or a tool that takes care of these things for you. I hear from other coaches and mentors that they are being asked to become bookkeepers or web developers or to answer email for the person making the inquiry…. But that’s never a good use of time for someone who has coaching or mentoring capabilities.
Jot down the answers to the questions above for all aspects of your work discomfort to make sure you understand exactly why you want or need a coach to determine how best to utilize your time together. Don’t be afraid to update your answers as you find solutions.
In my next post, we’ll take a look at the skills and talents you’ll want to seek when you look for a coach or mentor.
Content Authenticity Declaration
100% of this post was written by me, a human being. When there is AI (Artificial Intelligence) generated content, it will always be disclosed.
