Five Problems with Hiring an Executive Coach

Considering hiring an executive coach?  Here, we delve into the potential pitfalls when working with a coach.  Coaches are listeners, storytellers, experienced, knowledgeable and honest.  (I should know, I am one.  And I’ll toss in humble, authentic and playful!)

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Problem #1:  You are still responsible for your life.  

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Great coaches will never tell you what to do, they will help you think through situations, ask questions to open new thinking in you, and point out situations that increase risk and reward.  All the choices are yours.  Even if they tell you to do something, you alone has to live with the consequences of your action.  Your coach may have a dissatisfied customer, but you will have the situation you caused.  

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Problem #2:  Coaches are annoyingly blunt.  

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The saying “Buckle Up Buttercup,” prepares us for how blunt coaches are.  It is the coach’s role to share noticings whether they are comfortable or annoying, and they will share them.  Every coach I’ve had and every person I have coached has moments where the person being coached says, “that was good, I will like you again soon, just not right now.”  Coaches are not only blunt, but they are also resilient.  They can weather your moods.   They are not your friends even though the two of you will get to know each other better than many marriages.  

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Problem #3:  Coaches do not know the specifics and history of your business.  

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Their knowledge is based on the fundamentals of being human, relationships, and business.  Their curiosity about how your business works will open new thinking for you as the owner/leader.  They may know something about your business, this can easily be a weakness for them as they can be distracted with their own designs based on their specific history, which is normally out of date.  

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Problem #4:  Coaches have to be updated, they are not there every day. 

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It can easily become a chore to keep your coach updated on what is going on in your business.  You are there every day and every moment, and the business moves at the speed of life.  To keep your coach informed is costly.  While costly, it can be a reflection time for yourself, to slow down, relax, assess and design.

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Problem #5:  Coaches are expensive. 

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The more valuable the coach, the more they cost.  Expensive can also mean a superior return. It is always about the return on investment (ROI.)  

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Ready to choose your coach?

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