how to choose a coach

denkerfolg [thinkandGrow]

follows the standards,

rules and ethics of:

How do YOU get the right Coach for YOU?

This question is especially important for YOU in order to be able to work on your situation effectively.

In order to gain an efficient Coaching, which means to be able to open up and talk about your real situation and gain real solutions, it is necessary to trust the Coach. In order to reach this a professional Coach will make the situation as suitable as he or she can for you, but you can do something as well. Following questions you might ask yourself and the Coach in order to choose the most suitable one for you and your situation:

With whom I would prefer to work for a longer period and with whom I would be able to open up and to trust?: Talk to different coaches and find out, to whom you have rapport with. Is he or she listening well? Do you have the feeling that he or she can understand what you want to reach through the Coaching?

Is the Coach certified? There are lots of Training programs for Coaches. Make sure, that your Coach is professional and that (s)he is under ongoing further training and supervision.

Ask your Coach about the sort of commitment you have to make. Some Coaches ask for long-term-pay-in-advance contracts. This would bind you and probably hinder you to work free and voluntary. Make sure that you only pay the sessions you actually attend. (In my practice I do require a contract including a mental commitment for 10 sessions within 3 months and a pay-in-advance-of-each-session-policy. It also includes the freedom of the coach and the coachee to finalize the process at any time she or he wants.)

Does your Coach has experience in the field you want to be coached? Due to my experience it is very comfortable for the coachee to know the coach has experience in the field you are going to work on. On the other hand it is good to remind you that your coach is the process leader. So she or he will use his experience to ask specific questions and use suitable tools. Your coach will not use his or her experience to share it or to give advise in the sense of telling you what to do or not to do best.

Coaching is not a wonder! - or "the wonder pill", but carefully and professional used it is a fascinating and very helpful people development tool which enhances self-directed and lifelong learning.

If you would like to learn more about how to choose a coach, feel free to contact me and I would be happy to answer any questions and give you a free, no obligation, coaching demonstration.