Shopping for a Coach
Introduction
If you're reading this paper, then you're probably interested
in coaching, and are probably thinking of getting a coach. As
you get past the "what if" stage into the practical details of
finding the right coach for you, you'll find that the field is
very confusing and that it's easy to get lost in the claims and
counter-claims of various coaches. This paper is really meant to
give you a framework for making the decisions necessary to find
exactly the right coach for you.
What Do You Want To Work On?
If you're thinking about getting a coach, there must be
something in your life that is frustrating you, for which you
need a little extra help. It will help your search greatly if
you can think about the frustration and write it down as clearly
as you can. So, you might start with, "My job stinks - I hate
it!" but you should try to get clear about why it stinks and
what you would like to do about it. Your next try might be
something like:
"I've been doing the same job for five years and I'm getting
really bored with it. I want a job that will be more challenging
for me and will pay better than this one does. I would rather
not leave this employer because I have a lot of seniority, but I
would be willing to leave for the perfect job."
Now you have a clear goal and you're ready to start shopping
for a coach. Your next goal should be to get generally familiar
with the coaching profession. I suggest that you start at the
International Coaching Federation web site, and then check out
web sites of a variety of other coaches to get a feel for the
different specialties and styles.
Coaching is a new profession and, like all new fields, it is
not very standardized. So, you might find coaches who advertise
themselves as "Personal Coach," "Life Coach," "Job Coach," or
"Executive Coach." Truly, there's no difference in these titles:
they have just chosen different specialties and adapted the
coaching name to fit. So, for now, don't pay too much attention
to titles - just learn what's out there.
How to Find Coaches
This almost seems too easy - if you Google "personal coach" you
will get thousands and thousands of hits, and you will easily
drown in candidates. Instead, try a more targeted approach. Ask
your friends if they have had a coach, and if they were
satisfied: personal recommendation is priceless. Coaches are
very big on public speaking as a promotional tool, so if you
look in your local paper you may find someone giving a talk on
job stress or beating procrastination: there's a good chance
that he or she is a coach, and you can have a chance to check
them out. The coaching registry at the International Coaching
Federation's web site is a good place to do comparison shopping
for coaches - they list their credentials and specialties
without elaborate advertising, and you can search for the
combination of specialty and price range that you want.
You've Got a List of Candidates - Now What?
When you have a list of four or five coaches that sound likely,
it's time to comparison shop. Every coach in the world will be
absolutely delighted to spend half an hour with you to let you
get a feel for his or her style. Some will call it a "free
coaching session," and others will call it a "free sample of
coaching," but it all has the same purpose: to let you check out
the candidate and see if there's good chemistry between you.
Typically, the coach will ask you a little about yourself and
your issue, and do about ten or fifteen minutes of real coaching
with you. She will also be happy to answer any questions you
might have about coaching in general or about her specialties
and coaching style. In this time, you should trust your
instincts - if you feel easy talking to the coach, and if she
seems to understand your issue and is able to help you with it
even a little bit, then there's a good chance that she will make
a good coach for you.
You don't have to make a decision at the introductory call - it
is perfectly all right to say, "Thank you for your time - I want
to call some other coaches for comparison, but I'll let you know
my decision in a few days." If the coach wants to charge you for
the introductory session, or pressures you to sign on as a
client, cross her off the list and move on to the next one.
Not All Coaches Are Well Qualified
Coaching is not like psychotherapy, with regulations and
licensing; anyone can call himself or herself a coach, put up a
web site, and start doing business. Sadly, many people have done
just that, and they have no more training in coaching than you
do. It's not dangerous to work with an untrained coach, but it's
not likely to be very productive either. So you need to ask the
coaching candidate some questions. First, find out if they have
had specific coaching training, how much they have had, and
where they were trained. A coach typically becomes competent
after about a year of training, and reaches real expertise after
about two years. If you wish, you can contact the coach's
training school and verify her graduation. Ask your coach if he
or she is certified, and by whom. It's perfectly okay to work
with an uncertified coach, but certification shows that he or
she has reached a recognized level of competence. And finally,
use your intuition; if you get the feeling that the coach is
promising magical solutions to all your problems, you should
probably try someone else: coaching is very effective, but it's
not magic.
Should My Coach Be Certified?
You will find that many of your coaching candidates use
"Certified" in their credentials, and you should pay attention
to this. Unfortunately, because coaching isn't yet standardized,
the term "certified" may mean any of several things. It's all
very complicated, but if your coach is certified by the
International Coaching Federation or any of its accredited
coaching schools, you can assume that she has been trained in
coaching, has passed an exam, and has at least two years of
actual coaching experience. If she isn't certified, it doesn't
mean that she's not competent - she may still be in training, or
she may be finishing the required coaching experience. Base your
choice on careful questioning and your intuition, and use
certification as one more piece of information in making your
choice.
Should My Coach Also Be a Therapist?
Increasingly, psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, and
other traditional psychotherapists are adding coaching to their
practice. Should this make a difference in your choice of a
coach? Well, yes and no. First of all, coaching and
psychotherapy are very different activities, and many of the
best coaches are not licensed therapists; so the license isn't a
necessary qualification for a good coach. On the other hand, a
coach with a therapy license has definitely received a lot of
training in many of the coaching skills and in the ethics of
coaching, so it's one more clue that this person will be a
competent coach.
What About Testimonials and References?
The coach might have some anonymous testimonials on her web
site, and you can look at those if you want, but don't expect
her to provide references from former clients, because that
would a real breach of confidentiality between coach and client.
The only way you'll be able to get a reference is if a friend of
you referred you to the coach, and is willing to give a
recommendation on her own.
About Fees
Different coaches have different fee structures, so comparing
their rates might be a little more tricky than just getting a
dollar figure. A typical coaching package might consist of three
or four sessions per month, plus a reasonable amount of email
contact, for a fixed monthly rate. Some coaches offer half-hour
sessions and others offer 45-minute sessions: just be aware that
the longer session is not necessarily a better bargain than the
shorter - a good coach can get a lot done in a half hour.
Most coaches insist that you pay by the month, rather than the
session. This is mainly to simplify their bookkeeping and
accounting and, because coaching is a long-term relationship, is
pretty reasonable. Some coaches will insist (or recommend
strongly) that you agree to a minimum of three months of
coaching. They aren't being greedy - they just don't want to
waste your time and money, because most coaching issues take a
minimum of three months to resolve satisfactorily.
Having said all this, a good coach should be willing to
customize her offering for you. If you can't afford her standard
package, you might ask for a reduced rate for a two-per-month
package. If you would rather have two hour-long sessions than
four half-hour sessions, she should be flexible enough to
accommodate you. Within reason, she should adapt her package to
your needs, rather than the other way around.
You'll find a wide range of coaching fees: from two hundred
dollars per month to two thousand dollars per month. In my
experience, cost is not a good predictor of the coach's talent
or effectiveness, so stay within your budget. You should be able
to find a good coach in your price range, though you may need to
shop more extensively. And finally, if you're really short of
cash and really need some coaching, ask the coach if she will
reduce her fees for you. Most coaches will accept a few clients
for reduced rates or for free, for a good cause - anyway, it
can't hurt to ask.
The Final Word
Hiring a coach should be just like buying a car - it's
important that you find one that suits your needs, feels
comfortable, and is affordable. And most of all, be a good
consumer - shop around until you find just the right coach for
you. You'll know when you find her.
Copyright 2005 Unison
Coaching