Choosing An Executive Coach
The partnership that you build with your Executive Coach is an important relationship that will have an impact your leadership effectiveness.
It is crucial that you choose a coach that you can establish rapport with easily; the results that you achieve through coaching in large part depend on the trust and transparency that exists between you and your coach.
As you choose a coach you should ensure that you consider the following:
- Understand what coaching is and what it isn’t. Executive Coaching focuses on enabling you as the client to tap into your strengths; your coach assumes that you are fully competent in your role and simply need a thinking partner to accelerate your success.
- Check for Credentials. An ICF credentialed Coach has completed stringent education and experience requirements. You can learn more at https://www.coachfederation.org/clients/hiring-tips/
- Ask for references from past or current clients.
- Interview more than one coach before making your choice; make sure that you feel comfortable with your coach
- Be as clear as you can about what you want to achieve through coaching.
- Ask for a complimentary session, this will give you a real sense of what to expect
The coach that you select should feel comfortable answering the following questions:
- What is your coaching experience (number of individuals coached, years of experience, types of coaching situations, etc.)?
- What is your coach-specific training (enrolled in an ICF approved training program, other coach-specific training, etc.)?
- What is your coaching specialty or areas in which you most often work?
- What specialized skill or experience do you bring to your coaching?
- What is your philosophy about coaching? What is your specific process for coaching (how sessions are conducted, frequency, etc.)?
- What are some coaching success stories (specific examples of individuals who have succeeded as a result of coaching/how the coach has added value)?
