How to choose a coach

It can be a challenge to choose a coach when you are in need, or think you are. You will possibly and probably feel nervous about taking on the services of someone unknown to you. Different coaches have different qualities, life experiences and skills. Integrity is vital. This something you will probably be able to feel. Anyone can put up amazing things about themselves. The personal contact and communication is all important. Even the way your first email is responded to. The pace of reply, and its tone. You can tell a lot by this.

Those who have had a number of years of coaching experience may be the most proficient but you will probably be able to tell, if not from what they write but from an initial phone call. This, by the way should be free. The coach and coachee need to match. From tone of voice and how the call is handled, you will pick things up. Someone who is open and responsive is usually going to be helpful to you.

Certain coaches will have specialist areas of expertise. Others are more all-rounders. That is fine and again it’s by connecting with them and in reading what it says on their websites that you’ll get the sense of what is best for you. Here are some pointers for finding the right coach for you or for your organisation. Read their website details and notice:

• The key points.
• How you feel intuitively.
• Does the coach say much about themselves, the way they work and maybe how they came into coaching?
• Does what the coach says feel right for you?
• Which parts seem to really match?
• Availability may be important to you, especially if you a have a job with irregular hours. Many coaches work from home and can be more flexible in this way.
• A good coach will expect some sort of commitment and they will also want paying up front.
• What do they offer apart from coaching i.e. NLP, emotional freedom technique?
• Do they offer a particular type of coaching?
• Do they have recent testimonials?

It doesn’t matter where a coach lives because good coaches will offer a number of ways of working. This makes the whole thing easier, gives you more choice and saves time. Travel can be both time-consuming and expensive.

Your coach may be in another country. Don’t go for easiness. You may be denying yourself. Go for recommendations and if you’ve had a very good coach give them a good reference so that others might benefit as you have. With Skype and Facetime, coach and coachee can be in the same room.  

Male and female coaches usually coach both genders. Having a coach of the same gender as yourself is fine but the opposite is true too. It all hinges on what is written above. Men and women tend to think differently... men are from Mars and women from Venus, but it depends on what the coaching is for. As a female, for feminine issues it would be obvious to choose a female. If it’s to do with rugby playing enhancement etc. probably a male might be better. These days who knows?