The Strategic Coach has been working with entrepreneurs since 1988. I attended an information session titled “How to Create a Self-Managing Company” in New York City on 29 March 2016 and these are my notes.
We met in a large conference room of the Marriott Hotel on Lexington Avenue near 49th Street in Manhattan. There was a registration table for name tags, as well as a fully-stocked snacks table with coffee, tea, cookies, peanuts, etc.
The Four Freedoms Foundation
The presentation started with a handout about The Four Freedoms Foundation. This includes the Freedom of: Time, Money, Relationship, and Purpose.
Time
Presence: “The business is renting space in your head all of the time.” Entrepreneurs think about work all the time. Are you always in reactive mode, versus proactive?
Money
“We use this as a yardstick for success.” Frustration over cash flow as a common cause for stress among entrepreneurs.
Relationships
Personal, work, and customer relationships.
- Personal: family.
- Work: coworkers, new hires, rising stars.
- Customers: pick who you’re working with for clients.
Purpose
The idea of having a greater purpose is a total luxury for lots of business owners. “With this vast increase in time, means, and connections, you’re able to become the person you really want to be in the world and have a lasting impact.”
Survey: The Self-Managing Company
Next, we did a survey which measures our current operations compared to a Self-Managing Company. There were 10 statements, and we had to rate each of them on a scale of 1 (Never) to 10 (Always).
The statements included things like:
- My free days are totally free.
- I’m not the sole generator of our company’s revenues.
- We’re continually testing and implementing new innovations.
- Our profitability gives us room to invest in our growth and our team.
- I’m leveraged by my team to work only with our best clients.
We rated ourselves, then totaled up the score. Mine was 53 out of 100. Someone from the audience who has been a member of The Strategic Coach said that when he joined, his score was under 50. Now his score is 91.
The Ceiling of Complexity
Scarcity, Abundance, The Complexity Trap. The goal is to break through and shift our mindset.
“The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.” Samuel Johnson
The Strategic Coach is about not being lonely at the top. Having a support group of entrepreneurial peers in the same mindset. “This is what we exist to do, with thousands of happy clients.”
Changing Your Game
We identified aspects of our company that were: Irritating, OK, and Exciting. The moderator gave us a few minutes to write down these ideas. During that time, she played music. (Ed note: The music was super sleepy! I suggest more fun music to get energy in the room.)
What is The Strategic Coach Program?
- Four quarterly, one-day workshops
- Entrepreneurial peer group
- Coaching
- Online tools
Workshops are lead by facilitators who are previous clients, not employees of The Strategic Coach. (Cool!) Personal incomes between $100-$499k go into one group, and $500k+ into another. This is to strengthen the peer groups: the Accountability buddies.
The cost is $8,900 per year.
Other Notes
- At the beginning: Growth and success mean working harder and longer.
- Dan’s 10x Group
- Constant urgency: You’re always in reaction mode. Always fighting fires.
- They refer to it as “Coach.”
Summary
I like it. I’m thinking of signing up.