Working with a coach is an excellent way to support your professional and personal development and achieve your goals. A 2015 meta-study by the University of Reading found that coaching has a significant positive effect on both individuals and organizations.
But before you rush into a coaching relationship, it is important to do some research. Coaches come with different approaches, skills, and expertise, so finding someone who will be a good fit for your needs is vital.
Having a clear idea of who you are looking for before you begin your search will help you narrow down the available coaches so that you can find someone who will support you effectively.
1. What Are Your Goals?
The first thing you need to clarify before you can begin your search for a coach is what you want to achieve from the coaching relationship. What areas are you looking to improve? What outcomes are you hoping for?
The clearer you can be about what support you want from your coach, the easier it will be to find someone who is a good fit for you.
At a minimum, you want to decide where your main focus lies. Some coaches specialize in personal development, some in professional development, and some work across both areas. Knowing where you want to see the most growth can help you find a coach with appropriate skills and expertise.
Your goals will likely shift and change over time, which is perfectly OK. A good coach can help you to refine existing goals and set new ones.
You may also find that your focus changes as you go through the coaching process – many people start off focusing on their career and realize that they are developing and growing in their personal lives too.
2. Values and Approach
Like any relationship, your ability to work well with your coach will depend on whether you “click” on a personal level or not. You’ll need to trust them to support you and must feel comfortable enough with them to be honest about your strengths and weaknesses.
However, it is hard to know whether you’ll relate to someone before you’ve had a chance to speak to them. Since most of us don’t have time to call every prospective coach for a discovery session, one way to narrow down your shortlist is to consider what values a coach has and what approach they take to supporting clients.
Some coaches articulate these more clearly than others. However, you can generally get a sense of someone’s values by reading through their website, social media, blog, or other writings. Reviews from past clients can also help. And the best way (if available) is to talk to someone who has used them as a coach before.
Plus, look at the language they use to describe their work. Does it resonate with what you are trying to achieve? Does their focus match your own?
You can also look at the approach they take to coaching. This will usually be described on their website or profile. How do they assess where you are currently? Do they incorporate feedback from other people? Do they use assessments? And what resources do they offer to support your development?
Once you have found a shortlist of coaches whose values and approach seem to be a good fit with your own, you can reach to to speak to them in person and find out more.
3. Expertise and Qualifications
There are a lot of coaches out there, but not everyone will have the skills and expertise that you need. Ideally, you’ll find someone who already has experience supporting others in a similar position and who can demonstrate they’ve been successful in the past.
For example, you might want a coach who specializes in your industry or level within the company. If you are seeking help to unlock your higher potential, you might need a coach with a different skill set than if you need help overcoming weaknesses or poor performance.
Managers and executives might look for someone with leadership development expertise, while recent graduates or new leaders will want a coach who can support them as they take the first steps in their careers.
Ask prospective coaches about their experience of working with people in similar circumstances and what the outcomes were.
You should also look at what qualifications and professional memberships a coach has. You want to choose someone who has a clear dedication to their own professional development, as well as the background and knowledge to do what they say they can.
Professional coaches often have a background in psychology, HR, or business. Personal coaches may have experience in psychology, therapy, education, or counseling. Some coaches are certified by professional bodies, although this isn’t a requirement.
Looking at a coach’s past client list might also give you an idea if they have the right experience and skills for you. If you work for a Fortune 500 company and the coach has only worked with managers from small start-ups, it might not be the best fit.
A coach who has worked with a wide range of clients might bring transferrable skills and experience that will benefit you, so you don’t need to narrow your search too far. Most coaches know how to adapt and translate their advice to fit your specific circumstances.
4. Practicalities
Great chemistry and the right expertise are vital when considering which coach will fit you best. However, you do also need to consider some practicalities.
Cost is an obvious one. Working with a coach is an investment. You need to balance the cost now against the gains it will bring you in the future. At the same time, we all have expenses, and you likely have a budget in mind.
It is best to compare prices between several different coaches at the start of your search. This will give you an idea of the current going rate and means you can assess whether your budget is reasonable or not.
Location is another consideration, although it has become less important as the world gets increasingly more digital. That same 2015 meta-study into the effectiveness of coaching found that the format made no difference — face-to-face, telephone, and e-coaching are all effective, as is a blended approach.
However, we all have our personal preferences, and you might find you want to meet your coach face-to-face occasionally. If that’s the case, you’ll need to find someone within reasonable reach of your home base.
The length of the coaching relationship is another practical consideration to bear in mind. If you are only looking for short-term support, a coach who prefers to work with someone for longer periods isn’t right for you and vice versa.
5. Ask for a Discovery Session
Most coaches offer these as a standard service, but it is always worth asking even if it isn’t listed as an option. This is essentially a getting-to-know-you session where you and the coach talk through your aims and goals to discover if you are a good fit.
These sessions are as much for the coach as for you. They’ll want to understand your needs. They can tell you if they think they can help you.
It is an opportunity for you to assess whether the coach’s approach clicks for you. Pay attention to how they listen, how they give feedback, and whether their communication style resonates with you. Will they both challenge, and support you, in the right balance?
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Finding the right coach for you takes some research. However, it is worth the effort. Coaching has consistently been shown to help people increase their confidence, improve their performance, and achieve their goals, whether personal or professional. Happy hunting.