Finding the right coach is much like finding the right wine. There are some bad wines, but for the most part finding the right wine is fun and done through sampling. Some like their wine to have polished tannins complimented by uplifting black cherry acidity and others prefer a lighter white wine with a mellow, oaky finish and still others want their wine quite sweet and bubbly with a citrus finish. My point being, there is no perfect wine and no perfect coach. When you find the right coach (like wine) you will have a natural click.
To find the coach best suited to meet your needs, I suggest you ask people you respect, see if they have any recommendations. If you don’t know anyone with a coach visit the International Coach Federation and they have a tool that will allow you to search for coaches around the world. Next come up with a list of questions that are important to you (I’ll give you some suggestions below), and finally pick five coaches and interview them. See where you sync and where you don’t. Be flexible and prepared to listen to your inner voice. What I hear resoundingly from folks who have a coach is, “I just knew he/she was right for me.”
Let me tell you how I found my coach, Valorie Burton. I heard her speak in St. Louis at the St. Louis Business Journal’s Women’s conference. I was drawn to her style and humor. Since she doesn’t offer a free initial coaching session (although many coaches do), I wanted to get to know her better before committing to a paid session. I subscribed to her free weekly e-Newsletter. Not only did I like her writing style: short, sweet and direct, I also was attracted to the topics she writes about. Next, I purchased one of her products so I could hear how she coached others. I was doing research to see if I thought her style and values would line up with mine. Finally, I hired her for one, 50 minute coaching session. During my one-on-one time Valorie conducted the session well above my expectations. She was a great listening, asked powerful questions, lightening the situation by laughing, and probably most importantly to me, she was very direct and straightforward. (If reading this you are still wondering, “Why in the world would I hire a coach?” I’d suggest you refer to a recent post or my website for a list of reasons of why people decide to use a coach.)
Below are some questions for you prior to interviewing a coach as well as suggested questions to ask a coach during an interview. Get clear on what you want out of the relationship prior to interviewing potential coaches. Questions for you (before you interview the coach):
- Does it matter if my coach is a male or female?
- Am I committed to working to maximize my results?
- Does my coach need a specific background or set of additional skills?
- What would be helpful for them to know about me, so they can best support me?
Below are questions to ask a coach during an interview:
- What type of client do you work best with?
- What do your clients say about you?
- Can we take 15 minutes to do a trial coaching session?
- In the coaching relationship, what is most important to you?
- Do you require a 3 month or 6 month contract?
- What are your fees and how do I pay them?
- How do you coach (phone, in person, duration, frequency)?
- What value added services to you provide for clients?
- What value and experiences do you bring to the coaching relationship?
- If I select you to be my coach, what will begin working on first?
Once you are clear what you want out of the coaching relationship and what your goals are then use the questions above as a point of departure to interview at least three coaches, but hopefully more. After you’ve done your research, go with the coach that you believe is best equipped to support you in delivering for yourself the results you desire. Good luck and enjoy the process! I’d love to hear how it turned out, email me at MP@MargaretPundmann.com.
Find resources and articles on MargaretPundmann.com: Globalized Workplace Integrity - We Are Our Word Connect to me: Margaret Pundmann's LinkedIn.com Profile Margaret Pundmann's MySpace.com Profile
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