What Should I Look for in my Coach?

You are about to make an important transition, choose wisely. Here are the important factors to consider if you’re serious about seeing substantive, sustainable change.

Track Record

Results speak loudly. Ask your Coach about their experience and the results they have delivered. You want relevant results to what you are seeking. How long have they been coaching? How many clients do they have? What kind of results have their clients experienced? (Check out my bio and my clients results . )

Equally important, ask about their failures, their struggles, and how they overcame them. You’ll learn so much about how they view the world, how they solve problems, and the depth of insight and direct experience they have to draw on. Willingness to speak about their transformations when relevant builds client-coach trust.

Training

It’s important to ask your Coach about the training they’re received. And not just if they’ve received training, but what was the nature of that training. How long did it last? Who led the training? Are they certified in the industry.

The training matters. You will also encounter many people who were trained once — often some time ago. They may have a foundation to build on, but it’s critical to find a Coach who is constantly training and growing in order to deepen their skills and ensure that their support will be relevant to you today.

Team

No one is an expert in everything. Look for a Coach that has the resources or relationships to support you in areas that they are not an expert. Knowing your Coach has connections they will share with you is another indicator you have a seasoned professional that wants the best for you.

Toolkit

It’s important to understand what tools and resources your Coach has available to support you. Coaching should help you — get better, DO better — and FEEL better.

The resources that a Coach has available — methodologies, assessments, tools, programs, etc. — will either enable your growth or become the boundaries of your growth. By understanding what processes and systems they have in place to help you, you will develop a better sense of what is truly possible.

Trust

Trust is essential in a Coaching relationship. Without it, you never get to the heart of the most important issues.

Trust is built over time but it begins when we connect with someone for the first time. All of us look for signs and indicators that suggest that we are entering a high trust relationship. The question is what do you look for? Here are a few thoughts:

• Demonstrated Results — Look for signs that show you that they can — or better yet — have already worked with others to accomplish the results or goals that you are looking for.

• Third-Party Confirmation — Identify evidence from others that confirms what you’re hearing from the Coach. This is the moment when you actively look for online ratings, for testimonials, case studies or other independent indicators that this Coach makes a difference.

• Chemistry — This is more subjective but equally important. The conversations you have with your Coach will be unlike any others. To genuinely accomplish what you are looking for, you need to have a strong, open, and honest rapport with your Coach. Only you can tell if it exists.

Your Coach is Choosing You Too

A strong Coaching relationship is powerful, and that means that while you’re trying to decide if the Coach is right for you, a good Coach is also trying to decide if you’re right for them. You’re selecting one another.

Good Coaches are in demand and won’t just take any client. They’re assessing you as you assess them. Here are a few of the things they’re looking for:

• Commitment — There are many people who want to see change, but are not ready to do the work to bring that change into their lives. This is a moment to be very honest with yourself about how prepared you are to fully commit to yourself and your Coaching.

• Openness — If how you do things now would get you what you want, you wouldn’t need a Coach. A good Coach will be gauging how open you are to explore different ways of doing things. Of trying things that you’ve not been aware of or, in some cases, trying things that you may believe don’t work. The more open you are, the more likely you are to see the changes you are looking for.

• Willingness to Change — You can’t change anything if you can’t change your mind. Your Coach is looking for signs that indicate that you are at a point in your life when things must change. If you’re not ready to change, you’re not reach for Coaching.

• TAKE THE QUIZ above.

Are You Ready?

Now you know how to choose a Coach. You know what to ask, what to look for, and what to listen for.

The final question — and perhaps the most important one — is whether you’re ready. There comes a time when the waiting needs to stop and the first step needs to be taken.

If that’s where you are now, don’t wait any longer. Take the quick quiz to see if we are a Match

Perhaps you’ve been down this road before with other professionals…. A hairdresser? An Architect ? A work associate, or even a love interest? You start out thinking you have a similar vision but in the end, you’re left, unhappy and frankly not too sure what to do next time to get it right. A common goal is not enough, how we communicate, our mutual expectations, willingness to communicate honestly and how we will deal with adversity are integral to the progress and our communication and success. You are about to make an important transition, lets choose wisely!