Five Steps to Find the Right Coach
I never cease to be amazed at the power of the coaching process to draw out the skills or talent that was previously hidden within an individual, and which invariably finds a way to solve a problem previously thought unsolvable.
-JOHN RUSSELL
Finding the right coach can be a daunting task, but it’s a critical step towards greater growth if you want to achieve your goals and reach your full potential. Whether you’re looking for a life coach, business coach, fitness coach, or any other type of coach, there are a few key factors to consider when choosing the right one for you.
In this blog post, I will discuss five strategies to find the coach that is right for you.
Define Your Goals
Before you start looking for a coach, it’s important to define your goals. Consider these questions:
What do you want to achieve?
What areas of your life do you most want to improve?
What skills do you want to develop?
Where are you stuck?
What are your greatest barriers to moving forward?
What have you tried already?
What do you want coaching to help you do?
What do you expect from a coach?
Getting clearer about your goals will also help you find a coach who will best meet your needs. For example, if your ambitions or struggles are mostly related to your work life, you would likely benefit from the support of a leadership coach. If your challenges or goals relate mostly to your personal life, then a life coach could be a better fit.
Determine Your Search Criteria
Make a list of the things that are important to you in a coach before beginning your search.
Here are some questions to get you started:
Is the gender or age of your coach important to you?
What kinds of professional experiences or background do you want in a coach?
What approaches or methods do you value in the coaching process?
Do you want to meet face to face, or are you comfortable to meet virtually?
What values or personality traits would you like to see in your coach?
You can likely find a coach who specializes in your very specific area of need. Coaches often organize their coaching practice to target specific markets of clients; for example, consider these ten types of coaching and which would best meet your needs:
Executive coaches support the top level leaders in an organization.
Leadership coaches support leaders at all levels of an organization in enhancing their leadership skills.
Business coaches help you to maximize your business strategies and optimize growth.
Team coaches provide support for enhancing team productivity, communication, and collaboration.
Transition coaches support individuals who are facing a personal or professional transition in navigating decisions.
Wellbeing coaches help you to develop effective habits and manage a healthy lifestyle.
Accountability coaches will focus on helping you achieve progress and stay accountable to your goals.
Mindset coaches will help you identify limiting beliefs and see new perspective.
Relationship coaches offer support to improve personal or professional relationships.
DEI coaches provide support for creating inclusive teams and organizations
Identifying the most important factors in your search process will help you to find a coach who is most compatible with your values and goals.
Do Your Research
Get Recommendations and Read Reviews. Ask around to find out if others in your network have worked with a coach and who they would recommend. Reading client reviews is another way to get insight into the coach’s coaching style, communication skills, and overall effectiveness. Look for reviews on the coach’s website, social media profiles, and other online platforms. This will help you get a better sense of what it’s like to work with a potential coach.
Check Credentials. When it comes to coaching, anyone can claim to be a coach, but not everyone has the qualifications to back it up. Before you hire a coach, be sure to check their credentials. Look for coaching certifications, degrees, and years of experience. This will give you peace of mind that you’re working with a qualified professional.
Search through a Directory. One of the most reputable coaching associations is the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Coaches who are credentialed through ICF are accountable to professional standards of coaching and have had to document a minimum of 100 hours of coaching (and more for advanced credential holders). Because of these requirements, you can be confident that ICF certified coaches possess strong coaching competencies and will be devoted to using the best coaching practices to support your growth. If you’re looking for a place to get started with your search, the ICF has a directory of coaches that features credentialed coaches with several filters to help you kickstart the process.
Coaches certified through accrediting organizations like ICF are accountable to demonstrate the following best practices, which will ensure you have a positive experience:
Designing a coaching agreement with specific terms and conditions
Committing to confidentiality of what is shared in your coaching sessions
Creating a coaching agenda based on your goals
Providing a safe, nonjudgmental space for you to process emotions and experiences
Asking questions to help you think creatively and critically about challenges and opportunities
Offering observations to help you gain insights into your patterns of thinking and behaving
Helping you shift your awareness into action through planning and accountability
Inspiration to make progress and overcome setbacks
Sign up for a Discovery Call
A discovery call is an initial consultation between a potential client and a coach, and many coaches offer this as a free opportunity to explore what coaching could look like. It's an opportunity for both parties to get to know each other, discuss the client's goals and needs, and determine if they are a good fit to work together. A discovery call can be incredibly helpful in getting clarity when trying to find a coach.
During a discovery call, you can ask the coach questions about their coaching style, approach, and experience. You can also discuss your goals and needs and see if the coach has experience working with clients in similar situations. The coach can also use this time to explain their process, set expectations, and discuss pricing and scheduling.
One of the values of a discovery call is that it allows you to get a sense of the coach's personality and communication style. Coaching is a personal relationship, and it's essential to find a coach who you feel comfortable working with. A discovery call can help you determine if the coach's personality and communication style align with your needs.
Another benefit of a discovery call is that it can help you clarify your goals and needs. By discussing your goals with a coach, you can get feedback and insights that can help you refine your goals and create a plan to achieve them. The coach can also help you identify any obstacles that may be standing in the way of your success and develop strategies to overcome them.
Most coaches offer a free discovery call so that clients can test drive the coaching relationship and process. Because there is no obligation to commit, this truly is an excellent strategy to interview a potential coach and assess if the relationship will provide the support you need to make progress.
You don’t need to feel bad if you choose not to move forward after having a discovery call. Send an email to thank the coach for their time and continue with your search.
Prepare for the Coaching Process
Coaching is a frequently misunderstood profession, so as you are looking for a coach, make sure that you know what to expect before committing. Coaching is often confused with other services like consulting, therapy, and mentoring, but it is distinctly different. Understanding the differences between coaching, consulting, mentoring, and therapy is crucial in determining the type of support you need to achieve your goals.
Coaching is a process of empowering individuals to reach their goals by helping them develop their skills and abilities. The focus of coaching is on the present and future, and coaches work with clients to create actionable steps to achieve their goals. Coaching is usually short-term and goal-oriented. Many professionally trained coaches do not provide advice to you, but instead facilitate a process whereby you identify your own action steps.
Consulting involves a consultant providing expert advice and recommendations to help individuals or organizations solve specific problems or improve their performance. Consultants are hired for their expertise in a particular area and typically provide solutions based on their knowledge and experience.
Mentoring is a process of building a long-term relationship between a more experienced and a less experienced individual. Mentors provide guidance, support, and advice to help the mentee grow in their personal and professional lives. Mentoring is usually a long-term relationship focused on personal and professional development.
Therapy involves a licensed mental health professional providing support to individuals who are experiencing mental or emotional challenges. The focus of therapy is on resolving past traumas or addressing current mental health issues. Therapists provide a safe and non-judgmental environment to help clients explore their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.
Coaching is a partnership, so it takes energy and effort on your part to make the magic happen. Do you have the time to invest in a growth plan? Do you have time available to complete exercises in between coaching sessions, or test out growth strategies? If you do not have time or energy to implement your action plans between coaching sessions, it will be difficult to make progress, even with the best coach.
