There have typically been five ways businesses, and their owners have been supported to grow. However, there is one way that is often overlooked because it is done internally. We look externally at the other four, but why when it comes to the fifth way, it is thought that it can bring the desired results when not employed the same way?

In the following blog we discuss the five ways that businesses are typically supported, and offer a 6th way that can give the uplift that requires less management time, elicits cultural as well as commercial change, and with that more sustainable results: Strategic Facilitation.

Business Coaching

Coaching is a powerful tool. By coaches asking provoking questions, the person being coached guided through their answers to provided clarity through greater awareness. The output of this can be improved performance, leadership growth, and mindset shifts. However, coaching requires permission. People need to be ready and willing to be coached. Results, can take time to embed, meaning this is often an ongoing activity.

Best Used: Individual performance and mindset shifts

Business Mentoring

Having been there and done that a mentor provides advice and support based on their past experiences, which can provide confidence through new perspectives to the mentee. However, mentoring is less structured, outcomes less measurable, and is dependent on mentor quality.

Best Used: Developing leaders, succession planning, career growth

Business Consulting

Business consultants can provide valuable strategic support through expert solutions and recommendations. Their approach is typically fast, problem-specific solutions with clear deliverables. However, this approach is less likely to build internal capabilities while being charged at a high cost to the business. Dependencies can also occur.

Best Used: Technical issues, strategy, restructuring, specialized problems

Business Training

Training is used to build knowledge and skills. This may be when staff join a company or are learning a new process. It offers an efficient process to embed ways of working, that is structured and measurable. However, it is limited in its personalisation. Every business and person has different needs, and a clear skills gap needs to be identified first. Behaviour change is not guaranteed meaning cultural issues may persist and results can be short-term.

Best Used: Skill gaps, onboarding, compliance, system rollouts

Business Facilitation

Facilitation is phenomenal for alignment and guiding group processes. It encourages collaboration and improves decision quality. Done internally within organisations, however, it can resemble training and staff often comply or reject the process as the process requires neutral leadership. When done well, commitment from staff is cultivated having an impact on cultural as well as commercial approaches to the business.

Best Used: Strategy sessions, conflict resolution, team alignment

But there’s a sixth way…

Strategic Facilitation

Taking the provocative questions from coaching, the acumen and speed from consulting, the experience of mentoring, and recognising the skills and knowledge in the room, we channel this into facilitation. The result, an uplift in strategy, relationships, and profitability that becomes embedded into culture and commercial delivery.

Upliftin6 works with your teams to capture their energy (thoughts, experiences, knowledge) and drive this back into your business to create impact. The chances are you don’t need more coaches, consultants, training, or mentoring… you need strategic facilitation.

Upliftin6 offers a free business mapping session to identify the blockers in your business and receive a road map that you can playback to your team. If you are interested in trying this, email chris@upliftin6.com.