How Do I Select the Best Coach for Me?

Having read our article Do I Need an Executive Coach, you’ve narrowed down the skill areas you want to build and you’re ready to find a coach.  With so many coaches out there how do I choose the best coach for me?  Do they have to have experience in my industry? Do they have to be local or is virtual ok?  How much should I pay? Should it be a woman or a man?  Should they be my age or older, and how much older?  Can they be too old? Argh!  

‍

Three Questions to Consider When Hiring a Coach

‍

What can you afford?

‍

Hiring a coach is about Return On Investment (ROI), for the time, energy and currency I give up compared to what I get in return.  If we hire a coach that is more expensive than we can afford, we will be so worried about the costs it distracts us from being coached.  If we hire a coach that is less than we need, we will be bored or, even worse, find ourselves coaching our coach.  Both have a poor ROI.  Cost guidelines are 8% to 12% of your income per year for a duration of two years.  The return on this investment should be 200% or greater within a three-year period.   Any coach that offers a maintenance program you can participate in after the two-year program is valuable in assuring that what new practices you have created stay.

‍

Any “not them” you may have?

‍

We all have our aversions to things or people that make us uncomfortable.  Sometimes it is all men, or all women, they need to be a specific race, they can’t be too old or too young, red hair or blonde hair is out!  For your first coach, be honest with yourself and pick someone that is not going to perturb you every time you meet.  If you are more comfortable with a woman who is 10 years older than you, who is a mother, and is in her second marriage, then pick that one.  

‍

Second, find all the coaches with aspects you have aversions to and interview them.  Coaches can work with anyone including you and it will help you to notice that the people you try to avoid are helpful.  

‍

I have learned the most from people when my first response was, “no way!”  Interestingly we became friends.

‍

What is your comfortability with them?

Do you notice you are more open when talking with them?  Do you feel they are interested in you?  Are you relaxed with them?  Do you feel they are knowledgeable, experienced and able to communicate, especially the listening part?

For you to produce the most for yourself from your coach, you must choose to be comfortable with them.  If you can’t, they may not be the best coach for you, or you may not be ready for a coach.  Whichever is the situation do not hire a coach that is not the best for you or you are not ready.  There is no value in hiring a coach you are not ready for, and it is frustrating for the coach. 

‍

Still have questions?  Contact Ron Macklin

‍