Written by: Aileen Carson, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Increasing numbers of people are recognising the benefits of hiring coaches to help them achieve a goal or transform a particular area of their life. Coaches can be invaluable as they are objective and will work in partnership with you without telling you what to do. However, finding one who is right for you can be difficult if you don’t know what to look for.
Getting a recommendation for a coach is an ideal starting point, but what if you don’t know anyone who has hired a coach? How do you know how to choose the right one for you?
Coaching is an unregulated industry and anyone can call themselves a coach without having any qualifications or the right qualities or experience. There are also lots of people who claim to provide coaching qualifications, but these are often exceptionally cheap and aren’t real qualifications. This can make it harder to find someone you trust.
A Google search will get you so far and might take you to coaching directories or various coaches’ LinkedIn profiles. This will give you some information, but it’s important to find a coach you feel able to talk to and that you trust.
If you think a particular coach might be a good fit for you, ask to speak to them before committing to anything. Most coaches offer a free call without any obligation, so you can find out more about the kind of work they do and ask them any questions you might have.
Do some preparation before the call. Read your prospective coach’s profile before you speak to them and make a note of anything you want to know about them and their work.
Qualifications and credentials
A good place to start is to ask a coach about their qualifications. There are many coaching qualifications available, but only some are accredited by professional bodies, so it’s worth checking to see if the qualification your potential coach has is accredited.
I’ve heard some coaches say they don’t need a qualification to be a good coach as they have lots of life or work experience. While not all jobs need qualifications, I would never hire a coach without a decent coaching qualification. If a coach isn’t prepared to invest in their own development, how invested will they be in your development?
Once you’ve established your prospective coach’s qualifications, enquire about membership or credentials with professional bodies such as the International Coaching Federation, the Association of Coaching or the European Mentoring and Coaching Council. It’s not essential for a coach to be a member of a professional body, but if they are a member, you’ll be able to see the code of ethics they have signed up to and the standard of coaching expected.
Experience
Although it’s worth asking what kind of experience a coach has, don’t assume a newly qualified coach won’t know what they’re doing. If they have been through a rigorous training programme, they’ll have the right skills to be a good coach. If you have a tight budget, you might find some newly qualified coaches provide coaching at a lower price.
Even if someone doesn’t have years of coaching experience, it’s likely that their previous work and life experience will feed into their coaching, so ask them what kind of work they did before they became a coach.
Programmes and prices
The prices coaches charge can vary widely, so check what you can expect to get for your money. Ask for details of your prospective coach’s coaching programmes and how much they charge. How many sessions will you have? Is there any email or phone contact between sessions? How often can you expect to meet your coach?
Outcomes
Although there are no guaranteed outcomes with coaching, ask your prospective coach to give you an idea of the kinds of outcomes you can expect and what outcomes previous clients have achieved. This doesn’t guarantee you’ll achieve the same outcomes as you still have to be prepared to do the work, but it will give you an idea of what you could attain.
You can also ask to see client testimonials. Some coaches will have these on their websites, but if they don’t, they should be happy to provide these.
Some people feel uncomfortable asking a coach to prove their qualifications or credentials, but any good coach will be happy to provide this information to prospective clients. It’s in our interests as much as yours to ensure we can help you. We want to see you succeed as much as you do and asking a few questions before you sign up will help to ensure you find the right coach for you.
Aileen Carson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Aileen Carson is a professional coach who specialises in helping managers find ways of reducing stress and avoiding burnout to help them gain clarity on the next steps of their career.
Aileen works with people who are unclear about where their career is heading as they are under constant pressure to achieve results. She helps them work out strategies to deal with stress so they can focus on their career ambitions.
Aileen’s own career transitions and personal experience of burnout have given her valuable insight that feeds into her coaching work. Her previous clients have learnt to recognise their own needs, improve their wellbeing, work out their next career moves, recognise the signs of burnout, increase their confidence and improve their leadership skills.
