How to choose a coach
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How to choose a coach
You want to be sure that you choose the right coach for you. Choosing a coach is a very personal decision, and an important one. You are making a significant investment of time and money. Your coach needs to be somebody that you feel you can work with and trust. Only you can decide if a particular coach is right for you. We offer some guidelines of what to look out for.

Step one
Your first step should be to be clear what you are looking for. Some of the questions you can ask yourself are:

• What do you want to get out of the coaching: what are your objectives?
• What type of coaching do you want? Are you looking for a specialist or a generalist?
• What style of coaching do you want? Do you want it to be prescriptive or not? Do you want lots of structure or not?
• What sort of person do you want to work with?
• Does it matter where your coach is based? Do you want to meet them in person?

Coaching works very well over the telephone and takes a minimum amount of time out of your day. You may be surprised how much you can achieve in a focused 30 minute coaching session. Many people find this works well for them.

Step two
Now you know what you want you can start to do some research. There are coaches who specialise in particular areas and others who are more generalist. The main general categories are life coaching, small business coaching, corporate and executive coaching. There are many different specialists. In our view a specialist is not necessary as coaching is a process in which the coach draws out your wisdom and knowledge. It is not the role of the coach to find the answers for you or to be an expert or consultant. Having said that we know many people feel more comfortable with a coach who specialises in the area that they want to work on. Only you can make the decision as to what sort of coach would be right for you, or whether you are really looking for advice and guidance rather than coaching.

The main ways of finding a coach are:

• Personal recommendation: if somebody you know is using or has used a coach ask them about their experience.
• Use your network: ask around and find out if any of your contacts can recommend a good coach.
• Use the internet: running a search on your requirements will throw up lots of possibilities. You can browse coaches' websites and get an idea of whether they might be right for you.

Step three
Draw up a shortlist of the top three coaches that appeal to you and give them a call.
Some questions you should ask are:

• What is your background and training?
• Coaching sessions: what will a typical session be like? How long will they be? What is the monthly fee? What is the minimum commitment?
• How long is the first session? How does the time get used and how much will it cost? What preparation will I need to do for the session?
• Do you provide a structured programme?

Step four
Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I feel confident about this coach's abilities?
• Is this the right coach for me?

Once you have made your decision remember that a good coach will design the coaching relationship with you. Coaching is a relationship of equals. It is your responsibility to ask for what you want from your coach, and the responsibility of the coach to decide whether that is something they can provide. You then agree together how the coaching relationship will work. A good coach should also periodically review with you how things are going and invite feedback as to how the relationship could be improved. Coaching is a dynamic process. Keep under review whether it is working for you and don't be afraid to move on and find another coach if you are not getting what you want.