In a movie, The Legend of Bagger Vance, a caddy (played by Will Smith) coaches a skilled golfer (played by Matt Damon) to perform well above his capability. The golfer knew how to swing a golf club, and the entire town of Savannah was behind him, but he needed the perspective and guidance of a coach to meet the challenge.
This is not only true of golf wins, but can be said of most success stories – we all have coaches of one kind or another. Though they may be friends, family members, or professional associates, coaches can and will influence our actions. These people can spell the difference between success and failure. The key is to find one that will lead you to meet your objectives.
The ultimate Support Coach has three characteristics:
1. They are available to work with you.
2. They will motivate you when you need a little encouragement; and,
3. They understand what you are going through.
If you already know someone that matches this criterion, then congratulations are in order.
What a Coach Can Do for You
How you work with a coach depends upon your particular needs. If you’re adequately motivated, you may just need answers to questions as they arise. In this case, find someone that is knowledgeable and experienced in the areas you need the greatest support. Explain to the coach why you need his or her help, and then get contact information including a phone number, best hours to be reached, and an email address. The fee for such services depends upon the coach you’ve chosen and what it’s for. But, if it’s for professional assistance, then you’ll want to at least offer to pay for the help. The cost is really an investment. And when you consider that a coach’s help could be the difference between success and failure, the price is typically irrelevant.
If you often wonder if you did the right thing, or you find that you’re letting yourself down, then you need a coach that will help you re-examine your objectives, put you back on course, and hold you accountable to yourself. This can only be done by setting up a regular appointment to review what is happening, what is expected, and sometimes, what you’re dreaming about. These meetings may occur weekly, if necessary, but never less than monthly. Otherwise, you and the coach run the risk of losing touch with the progress. A good coach will review action items with you from the previous meeting, and keep detailed notes on follow-up steps.
Frankly, most people will find a coach that falls short on one or more of these key attributes. When that happens, the experience usually ends in frustration for both the individual and the coach. So, an increasingly popular option is to seek a professional coach – someone who is skilled at helping a person succeed.
Universal Accounting Center’s Master Coaching Programs
Universal Accounting Center has two coaching programs designed to give you that extra help you need to succeed. If you are already a Universal student, chances are that you are familiar with the Academic Coaching program. Most likely you received support when you purchased the training program. At that time, you were assigned an academic coach who is qualified to answer all of your accounting, software and tax questions. Academic Coaches are full-time staff located at our corporate headquarters in Utah who are skilled professionals in accounting, tax, and marketing. They spend all day, during normal business hours, responding to student questions.
For those who want the regularly scheduled coaching sessions, Universal offers the Master Coaching Program. For a relatively modest fee (especially when compared to other coaching programs), a student is assigned a Master Coach who will follow-up with the student at pre-arranged times each week to review progress on past objectives, discuss the student’s current position, and recommend action steps to take the student to the next level.
Probably, the greatest advantage in using a Universal Master Coaching Program is that these professionals are focused exclusively on the accounting career. Unlike other coaching programs, the Universal Coaches are masters in helping the accountant reach his or her expectations – they know what works and what doesn’t. This specialization gives them insights that no other Coach will have.
Look into our Master Coaching Program today! And if you want to aim higher, we suggest you consider pairing it with the Professional Bookkeeper Program and the Universal Practice Builder Program, both designed to help you start and/or build your own accounting practice.
We’re certain you’re an amazing financial professional. We’re also certain, that will a little coaching you can become even better.
Allen B. Bostrom, CPA, is President and CEO of Universal Accounting Center based in Salt Lake City, UT. He has over 30 years experience with businesses of all sizes and has taught over 25,000 people different aspects of Accounting and Business Management. He has authored countless business management articles for publication and distribution. His weekly e-zine goes to 20,000 readers.