A coach is distinct from a teacher, mentor, trainer, consultant, therapist or friend. You should be able to easily build rapport and trust with your coach. It is also important that you find a coach who has made a commitment to the practice, study and learning required to be a professional coach.

Before you begin the process of choosing a coach, here are some important questions for you to ask yourself:

1. Am I open to being coached? 
2. Would I truly be willing to honestly reveal what’s occurring for me?
3. Am I looking for a “quick fix”?
4. Do I believe I am ready and willing to do the work that goes along with being coached? (Hiring a coach will mean altering your practices and how you think about things – it can mean more work, not less)
5. What expectations do I have for my coach and for myself?
6. What do I want to accomplish (both in my experience of myself and my results)?
7. How much time, energy and money am I willing to invest to have those outcomes?
8. What’s prompting me to look for a coach right now?
9. What do I honestly believe having a coach means?
10. With whom can I talk to learn more about coaching?
    

In order to make an informed decision, we recommend that you meet with three or four prospective coaches and ask the following questions:

1. Are you certified?
2. Have you had any specific coaching education?
3. How many years have you been coaching?
4. What do you look for in an ideal client?
5. May I talk with any of your past or current clients?
6. How often do you meet with your clients? 
7. Do you meet in person or over the phone?
8. What is your coaching process?
9. What if this doesn’t work?
10. Given my desired outcomes, what is the expected timeframe for completion?
11. Do you prepare a coaching plan? If so, how do you work with it?
12. Will there be assignments between sessions?
13. How many clients do you currently have? How many have you worked with?
14. What is your fee structure?

Look for someone who is not afraid to honestly and directly challenge your perceptions. In fact, your coach's questions may linger with you well past your conversation. You should feel some degree of discomfort being around them; you may be challenged to “show up” when in their presence, knowing they are inviting you to consistently experience the most inspired aspects of who you are. The kinds of questions they ask you should help you discover more about who you are relative to the outcomes your desire in life. 

Many people simply hang the title of “coach” on their business cards or websites and in their descriptions of themselves and what they do.  Be clear that this is not the same as having devoted time, study and energy to the profession of coaching.  It is in fact trendy right now for people to call themselves coaches when in fact, some have been trained while many have not.  While professionals in many fields possess some coaching skills, this is is distinct from someone who has dedicated himself/herself to the practice and study required to become a professional coach.  Certification alone does not guarantee the quality of a coach, of course, but it does say that the person fulfilled training requirements of a particular coaching curriculum.

Coaching is not a fly-by night experience that anyone is qualified to do.  It is a serious profession that is still emerging; learn what you need to in order to make an informed decision. 

If you would like to learn more about coaching, hiring a coach, or becoming a coach, please contact us.