How to Choose the Right Career Coach

Selecting a perfect coach is among the most challenging things to do, considering a large number of coaches in the market today. The coaches will come with varying certifications, methods and credentials.

But how do you go about selecting a perfect coach?

If you want to choose the best coach in town, think of someone who will positively challenge your way of doing things. Someone who will offer support, encouragement, give directions and guide you towards a guide on how to accomplish your goals. A good coach will listen and help you set goals. They will ask questions that will help you make wise decisions towards achieving your goals. Such a coach does time you, show you the ways, set a challenge for you and let you run your spirit.

When selecting a good coach, there are a set of basics that you should consider –

A qualified coach should have a membership with either the International Coach Federation or the International Association of Coaching or both.
The coach should abide by the ethics of the coaching industry,
He or she should have excellent listening skills, ask questions, and identify patterns of negative and positive behaviours in you. He or she also should be in a position to model primary leadership behaviours, such as building trust and relationship as well as emotional intelligence.
They should also have knowledge of your organization dynamics and principles
The coach should be in a position to set realistic goals, and also identify what falls outside the coaching relationship.
Also, there should be intense energy between the two of you, if the exercise has to be beneficial. Note that, a successful coaching program calls for a strong relationship between you and the coach. Therefore, not every coach can be the perfect one for you.
It’s essential that you don’t get to ignore referrals and testimonials from coaches’ past clients.

When working with a coach, there are some guidelines that you should consider to observe.

These include –

The coach should show total commitment for you. When you’re together, you must feel his or her presence.
Make sure that your coach is flexible to your plans. However, a good coach will have many clients and therefore be busy. Consequently, you need to keep a predictable schedule.
As the trainee, you need to ensure your commitment and motivation. You should always have time and pay attention to what the coach teaches. If you’re not committed and ready to learn, the coach’s efforts will be futile.
Your coach must understand you. They should validate what you do, challenge you, then shake up your way of thinking.
There is a good chance that you will not share a familiar background story with your coach.

As a result, the coach will be different from your expectations. Therefore they may use universal dynamics instead of using specific context.

A questioning guide in selecting your coach

It’s good to evaluate a coach before you can hire him or her. It helps you see if the whole coaching program will be beneficial in any way. You can ask yourself; “Will he help me achieve growth professionally and in an enjoyable way?”
Also, note that you don’t have to pick a coach who is familiar with your job. However, the way you’ll work together to establish a relationship is essential. Ask yourself, “Do I need a coach who understands me or one who will shake up my thinking? Does the coach have similar experiences like me or not?”
In coaching, you’re seeking to outsource ideas to make progress in certain parts of your life.

In this case, the coach doesn’t have to make clear goals for you. However, you should consider answering the following questions; “what is working for me? In what areas of work and life do I need clarity?”

The willingness of the coach to help you is also essential. A coach that fits you should not be running after your cash. Your cash should not be the motive for them to work with you.

Consider answering the question; has the coach offered me any help in the past without asking for payment?

You know whether a coach is suitable for you if they’re willing to listen and ask questions about your story. In this way, you get a chance to understand them better and decide whether they fit you. A good coach will not come with praises of how good he is or start with what is wrong with you. You should answer the following questions; “Does the coach offer me time to talk as he listens? Do I get a chance to give my thoughts freely? Do you feel like your contribution isn’t valued?”
Think of your real life approaches that helps you be productive, then answer these questions; Does my coach have the same criteria? Can he work naturally with you the way you want? You can ask the coach to tell you of an approach that didn’t work for a client in the past. Note that, each coach will experience some failures in their works. Depending on the story they give, you can tell if the coach is honest with you or not. You can seek answers to the following questions; “how does the coach deal with such challenging situations? How do they deal with the unfortunate turn of events?”
At times, what we think is not what we need. You may not like the way the coach deals with you, but that might be what you need. Under such situations, ask you; “Have I been biased in selecting a person over the other in the past? Do I have a preference for a type of a coach?

Is there a coach that I would connect with easily than other people?”

A good coach should identify your strengths and opportunities. He or she should trust in your abilities. To notice this feeling in your conversation, ask; “Does he capture my strength and opportunities as he asks the questions?”
A good coach should be clear on the methods and approaches they will use on you.

Depending on the strategies he or she recommends, ask yourself, “Can the coach articulate his methods with examples of people he helped achieve their professional goals?”

These are a few of the tips that will help you select a coach that suits you perfectly. Consider making your selection wisely, for a chance to create value out of what you pay.