Even if you’re not stumbling, the best performers always seem to be those who constantly want to get better, and few people can do that alone very effectively.

It’s surprising to some people when they discover that Tiger Woods has a coach. Why would the greatest golfer alive need someone to provide him with coaching on how to improve his game? Simple. Because no matter how good a person may be at what he or she does, it’s hard to look at yourself objectively and pinpoint the areas that are causing you to misfire at times.

A good coach also provides a systematic process for examining troubling issues and working through them in a way that’s difficult to do on your own. Even close friends and colleagues – as bright and sympathetic as they may be – can’t provide the kind of insight and process it takes sometimes to manage difficult issues.

We have coached managers at all levels and in all types of businesses and professions. While their issues and circumstances may vary, one thing is common to them all. They know they have issues that need to be resolved – and they have the courage and initiative to lay it on the line and ask for help.