MANILA, Philippines - Although some companies seem very successful by the sheer size of their store, product network and sales revenues, business owners should not overlook some hitches in operations and employee relations which only professional business coaches can fearlessly identify to them.
This issue was raised by Ed Pilapil Jr. founder of Achievers’ Circle Inc., a professional business coaching and consulting group that has been guiding some seemingly successful medium- sized (with annual revenues of P100 million or more) companies pointing to them certain operational hitches that may seem insignificant at first but would become a future full-blown crisis, if left unattended.
Medium sized companies are those that came from small beginnings but have accumulated a lot of gaps along the way, which is why they need professional help to be aware of these gaps (in systems or strategies) and how to address them.
His clients count a constructioncompany (one who builds high-rise structures), food company, distribution company, an amusement company and an educational institution.
Pilapil had a roundtable discussion with select media outfits where he also announced the launching of his fourth book, “Career Success,the 48 Cs” (to catalyze your career). It all started actually with three Cs namely character (work ethics), competence (putting more value on your job) and concern (a genuine concern for customers, shareholders and employees),he said.
Pilapil said business coaching, as opposed to business consulting, is a relatively new practice in the Philippines which gives a personalized guidance to company CEOs and owners by providing them with an outsider’s perspective of what is really going on in the company, what the figures tell of its operations, the directions it had been taking (as opposed to set goals) and what pitfalls need to be addressed and how they should be addressed both now and in the future.
Pilapil said he was not aware that the mentoring he had been doing for some friends and clients was already business coaching in itself until his Australian coach told him about it and taught him even more on the formal business coaching profession.
His business coaching is not like the “doctor is in”approach — just taking in anyone who comes into the clinic but he selects those that have the desire to learn and improve their operations and those that dare to be different.
Pilapil has also been making the rounds of colleges and universities teaching graduating students how to get a job and raising their value to the companies they are applying with. Eventually he will also be coaching students in high school and lower tertiary levels.
“When applying for jobs, I tell them don’t chase the cash (salaries) but chase the value (what they can do for the company and ultimately improve his worth).
Ultimately the cash will chase after the value which can only be developed if the applicant stays longer with the company and learn from different jobs rather than jumping from one company to another,” he said.
He said most human resource officials he talked to complain thatnew hires or applicants always ask first for the salary and they do not stay long in the job because of the sign-up bonuses.
Pilapil said this is because there are several job offerings waiting for them.
Schools only give the foundation but character (punctuality and mutual respect), competence (how one uses the knowledge to advance in his career and putting value to oneself) and a genuine concern for the customer, shareholders and other fellow employees will make you different from other applicants, he said.
Whether talking to students or to CEOs he says you must add value so you can negotiate. If you want to be in the burger business you must strive hard to be different from the giants otherwise they will eat you alive.
“An inner strength that gives us calm and collected that can make us smile at storm is something that every CEO, president and every character person needs,” he said.
“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is just the word extra so don’t be like everybody else. Be a little different and you will be remembered,” Pilapil tells his clients.
Competence requires a hunger for further learning and taking the initiative to undertake a project, no matter how small, can make a person learn and be competent. Concern for customers, stakeholders and shareholders does not mean we have to ignore the people in the company. We must show our concern for them as much as our outside environment because they will manifest whatever feelings they have for the company, he said.
His book “Career Success” targets the students; young professionals, those on the crossroads of their careers and those who are “in the quicksand.”