What is one tip for finding and hiring a coach?

To help you discover the best coach for you, we asked CEOs and business leaders this question for their best advice. From starting with your goals to doing thorough background checks, there are several ideas that may help you find and hire a coach that fits your needs and enhances you as an individual.

Here are 12 tips for finding a coach:

• Start With Your Goals
• Get Referrals and Recommendations
• Consult The Local Business Incubator Program
• Hire Someone with a Progressive Mindset
• Avoid Empty Promises from Potential Coach
• Find One Who Can Teach You To Be Independent
• Interview Your Prospective Coach
• Make The Most from Free Chemistry Calls
• Check Their Track Record
• Make Sure Your Coach is ICF Certified
• Try Out a Few and Choose One
• Do Thorough Background Checks

Start With Your Goals

Searching for a coach begins with deciding what you are hoping to accomplish. Then you can google coaches in that arena. Do your research. Check them out on LinkedIn, see what they are talking about online, and schedule a discovery call with them. It’s important to pay attention to how you feel while you are engaging with them. If it feels like an uncomfortable conversation, it’s probably not the right fit.

Diane Helbig, Helbig Enterprises

Get Referrals and Recommendations

When looking for a coach, your best bet is to get some referrals and recommendations. The best coaches will have a buzz about them, and their fans will only be too happy to recommend them. Ask around, talk to people, and gauge their thoughts about who would be best. This will enable you to make the right decision about finding and hiring the best coach for your goals.

Debra Hildebrand, Hildebrand Solutions, LLC

Consult The Local Business Incubator Program

We looked to the local business incubator to find a coach. Coaches through incubator programs are licensed, vetted, and have created their businesses. They are donating part of their time to the program, so you don’t incur a cost, or at least not the full cost. These business coaches can guide you from the start of your idea, through business plans, financing, and marketing. They will sit with you to create a profitability chart to see how much business you need versus expenses to make your profit goals.

Baruch Labunski, Rank Secure

Hire Someone With Progressive Mindset

An exceptional coach helps your company thrive by offering new ideas to the table. A coach who possesses non-traditional ideologies allows you to discover things that can unlock the true potential of your business. When you hire a coach with a progressive mindset, you must be willing to let go of your outdated practices. You have to be open to endless possibilities which give way to innovations and breakthroughs. Allow them to express themselves. Listen to them and do whatever they say. The main reason why you need a coach in the first place is to look for someone who can guide you to your destination.

Jake Smith, Absolute Reg

Avoid Those Who Promise Rapid Results

When seeking a coach, do extensive research and avoid those who promise rapid results. Promises of overnight success is one quality of a poor coach. No one can guarantee results that quickly. Remember that the client is responsible for her own results, and that everyone makes progress at their own rate; it is not a one-size-fits all approach.

Jorge Vivar, Mode

Find One Who Can Teach You to Be Independent

You want to find a coach who will teach you how to thrive long after they are gone. You may wish the coach to simply do the work, but that is not a good use of their time or yours. If you let your coach do the work when they leave, you will be no better off. A great coach should build on your strengths and continue to give support, but you need to do the work. They will push you, but they should not do the work for you. The goal is for you to achieve independence by the time they leave.

Ouriel Lemmel, WinIt

Interview Your Prospective Coach

If you’ve found a good coach, it pays to be certain of their credentials before moving forward with the partnership. To learn about who they are and what they do, it’s best to conduct an interview. This illuminates potential synergies and helps you get to know them better as an individual. This makes it easier to build a personal connection and allows you to introduce yourself before committing to a long-term coaching relationship.
Understand that a coach’s expertise is a direct reflection of what they’re able to teach you. For this reason, it’s necessary to ask about their experience, qualifications, and coach-specific training during the interview. By asking the right questions, you’ll be able to determine whether the coach can offer the right level of guidance and teach you what you want to learn. With this information, you can make a confident decision about whether to hire them.

Devin Schumacher, SERP

Make The Most From Free Chemistry Calls

Once you’ve searched Google and asked around to make a shortlist of potential coaches you could work with, check to see if they offer free chemistry calls or free taster sessions. Schedule one in with each coach to see how speaking with them feels, intuitively. Feeling like you can create a safe and trusting relationship is one of the most important parts of working with a coach, because you need to feel free to explore, express, share and communicate from your truest self. Feeling like you should act a certain way or hold back on things is a no go. This is also a great opportunity to ask questions about how the coach works, what kind of training they’ve got, what kind of challenges they’ve worked with people on before. Having a chance to ask questions and feel into the dynamic is a great way to find and hire a coach who is really well suited to you.

Hannah Ray, TAKE Coaching Amsterdam

Check Their Track Record

A worthy coach has tangible outcomes of success, beyond a coaching certificate. If not, they are a cheerleader. There’s nothing wrong with positivity and more support. However, if you’re expecting results, make sure they have walked a walk you value, opposed to just giving you affirmations you can find on social media. In other words, if you’re buying a house, trust the agent who has multiple flips, and be weary of the first timers or agents who don’t seem to be in control of their own real estate.

Juan Kingsbury, Career Blindspot

Make Sure Your Coach is ICF Certified

Make sure your coach is ICF certified. There are many types of coaches–life, fitness, or sports–but what unites them all is that the best have ICF credentials. The International Coaching Federation is the main accreditation body for coaching as well as training programs, so it’s a great starting point for identifying the best coaches out there.

John Jacob, Hoist

Try Out a Few and Choose One

No matter how amazing anyone sounds in writing, they won’t help you achieve your goals if you don’t connect with them on a personal level. Before hiring a coach, hold try-out sessions with different professionals to see the style and attitude that you enjoy. When you’ve connected with several people, you have room for comparison, and you can choose what feels best for you.

Georgi Todorov, ThriveMyWay

Do Thorough Background Checks

The first step towards finding and hiring a coach is to do your homework properly to confirm the individual’s credibility. You also need to ensure that the person you’re hiring as a coach should be an expert in their field so the interview questions need to be framed in a way to get all the necessary information about the applicant. If it’s possible, do check their testimonials and verify their qualifications while doing the background checks. Doing a thorough background check is key to hiring any coach.

Madhurima Halder, Recruit CRM

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