“Let’s do it” were the last words of convicted murderer Gary Gilmore as he stood in front of a firing squad in Utah in 1977. Appeals had failed and it was time to get on with the grisly task of execution. People spend too much time these days thinking about what to do and how to do it instead of just getting on with the job.

The prevalence of prevarication and self doubt creates opportunities for life and business coaches. They make your fears and self-criticism seem more credible and then step in (expensively) to “help you understand yourself”.

I go rigid reading the lavish promises made by coaches who offer to help you “gain empowerment to find all solutions to life’s problems within yourself”.

It would be absolutely marvellous to discover I have all the solutions to all life’s problems within myself but I don’t, none of us does.

Personal coaching is a business riddled with the worst kind of jargon and when I see language like that then warning bells ring.

I sense a parasite seeking to live off other people’s natural insecurities. As a lawyer I object to the fact that these vague promises lack any measurable quality.

The makers of Coleman’s Mustard boasted that they made millions from what people left on the edge of their plate. I consider coaching a mustard business, and I think a proper cost- benefit analysis would lead most people to that conclusion.

Coaching seems a field ripe for anyone who wants to set themselves up. Yes, there will be some good individuals but judging by some of the people who claim to be coaches , I wouldn’t ask them for directions to the toilet.

I feel the same about personal coaches as I do about personal trainers. A high powered athlete needs one, the rest of the country just needs to get off the sofa. Me included. A personal trainer is not about being fit, it’s an ego trip.

If my staff asked our firm to pay for coaching I’d share my doubts and try to harness their interest in making changes in a different way.

I believe in personal development but on a less self aware basis. I see approachability as the key essence of good teamwork .I believe we can best help our people  not through coaching but by being available and caring.

There will be some good coaches out there but I believe that they would be equally good if they were running your sales team or in charge of customer care. Business is about good people, full stop.

I never thought I’d side with the sentiments of a murderer but my last words are pretty close to Gary Gilmore’s  forget the coaching- let’s just do it.