Finding a Coach

How to Find the Right Coach for you

Coaching has become the new "in" thing to do. As a professional business and life coach, I've found that a lot of my prospective clients have questions about how they should be deciding to work with a coach. Because it's such a new field, people don't always know how to go about finding the right coach to work with. This lens is dedicated to giving you some information to make the process less scary and more effective.

What is Coaching?

...and why should you care?

"Coaching is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.

Professional coaches provide an ongoing partnership designed to help clients produce fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives. Coaches help people improve their performances and enhance the quality of their lives.

Coaches are trained to listen, to observe and to customize their approach to individual client needs. They seek to elicit solutions and strategies from the client; they believe the client is naturally creative and resourceful. The coach's job is to provide support to enhance the skills, resources, and creativity that the client already has."

-International Coach Federation

What Kinds of Coaches are There?

No matter what are of your life you are looking to improve, you can find a coach. Here is an admittedly partial list:

Small Business Coach
Leadership Coach
Life Coach
Relationship Coach
Sales Coach
Public Speaking Coach
Executive Coach
Wellness Coach
College Coach

What Makes a Good Coach

What to Look for in a Coach

As you go through the process of finding a coach, there are certain indicators that you've found the right for you:

Relevant Life Experience - One of the cornerstones of coaching is the ability of the coach to share insights that they've gathered as they've gone through life. Make sure that the individual has experience tackling the same issues that you are. If you are looking for a small business coach or an executive coach, look for past career experience; if you are looking for a relationship coach, make sure they haven't been divorced 4 times (although maybe they've learned a thing or two).
Strong Personal Connection - It's very important that you feel comfortable with the coach. The more you can trust the person and be open and forthright, the more powerful the process will be. Go with your gut. Make sure that when you first meet with the coach that you are asking yourself if you would feel OK telling this person your deepest flaws.
A Free Initial Consultation - Even if it's only 5 minutes, it's important that you talk with a coach before you fork over your money. Because the relationship between the coach and coachee, you should take the time to make sure it's going to work for both of you. If a coach says they're too busy to meet with a prospective client, they won't be busy for long because they aren't respecting the need for both parties to be comfortable.

What Doesn't Necessarily Make a Good Coach

What Not to Use as Criteria

Just as there are certain guidelines that you should use when selecting a coach, there are things that people think they should look for that don't really mean much.

Letters After Their Name - It's common these days to see people get degrees, certifications, accreditations - BA, MA, MBA, LCSW, CFP, etc. While it's not bad to be educated, too often people assume just because someone has these letters that they have to be good. Not necessarily. (see the next one)
Coaching Accreditation - As coaching becomes more mainstream, there is a push to make it standardized. This is a good thing, and in twenty years I'm sure that most coaches will be accreditied. Until that happens though, realize that being accredited by the ICF or any other body doesn't make you a great coach, it just means you've paid your dues. I've met some great coaches who aren't accredited and some horrible ones that are (and vice versa). You just don't want to use it as your only criteria for finding a coach.
The Best Price - Coaching isn't cheap, and it shouldn't be. You are asking someone to come in and work with you to alter the direction of your life. Like so many other things in life, you get what you pay for. While getting a good price is important, you want to make sure it's going to be effective. Working with a bad coach that is cheap can be worse than working with no coach at all.

Coaching vs. Consulting vs. Therapy

Which is right for you?

When people first hear about coaching, they often equate it with therapy or counseling. And in the business world, it's pretty easy to confuse coaching with consulting. Each of these is appropriate at certain times and for certain scenarios. In my opinion, the following characteristics differentiate each field.

Coaching vs. Therapy - Coaching is about future action, therapy is about past issues. While there is some overlap between the two (coaching explores the foundations of current behaviors and therapy does create some proscriptions for change), the main difference is in focus. Coaching makes a lot more sense for an individual who is relatively "successful" and looking to grow in some specific areas. Therapy is powerful for individuals who have a specific mental or emotional challenge, e.g., depression, addiction, or a personality disorder.

Coaching vs. Consulting - The biggest difference between coaching and consulting is who does the talking. Coaching is about drawing out a client's own knowledge and confidence. Therefore, the client does most of the talking and the coach simply guides the conversation though questions. A consultant is hired to provide specific answers to specific challenges that the client will then act upon. They are brought in for the client to take advantage of the consultants experience and knowledge.

A Few Books to Start With

There's no reason not to start working on yourself as you look for a coach. I've had many of my clients read one or more of the following books as we work together. Why not pick one up and start the process today?

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book)

by Don Miguel Ruiz

Amazon Price: $10.36 (as of 07/26/2008)

How to Win Friends & Influence People

by Dale Carnegie

Amazon Price: $11.20 (as of 07/26/2008)

Wooden

by John Wooden

Amazon Price: $12.89 (as of 07/26/2008)

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff--and it's all small stuff (Don't Sweat the Small Stuff Series)

by Richard Carlson

Amazon Price: $10.36 (as of 07/26/2008)

Case Study - RockStar Consulting

As I've said a number of times, there are a lot of coaches out there that work on a huge variety of areas in many different ways. To give you an example of how a coach might operate, I'll use myself as an example.

I came to coaching via a sales career. I ran my own sales company for 6 years right out of college, and after a 1 year stint working for a Fortune 500 company, heeded my entrepreneurial spirit and started RockStar Consulting. Because of my background, I focus on working with salespeople, small business owners, and individuals who combine the two (like mortgage brokers, insurance agents, real estate agents, and the like).

I offer a free exploratory coaching session that usually lasts about 45 minutes in which the prospective coachee and I will talk about some goals they have, as well as the obstacles that are preventing their fulfillment. We'll also talk about some initial solutions and if there's a fit, they'll sign up for a coaching program with me.

My coaching series is 12 weeks long, and we meet once a week for 50 minutes to an hour. I meet with most clients by phone, but I do meet some of my local client in person. In addition to the weekly session, the client is responsible for assignments that can range from writing a list of their beliefs on a certain topic, to reading a book, to getting a relaxing massage. They can also call or email me at any point if they have questions or need support.

That's it. It's a very simple process with powerful results. Most of my clients are working are creating more self-confidence in their sales approach, more balance in their lives, and greater clarity in how to build a business. We also work on a lot of other areas that vary by person.

This gives you an idea of how one coach works, but remember, there's not one "right way" and the most important thing is to find a coach that works for you.