This list is for any aspiring manager or experienced executive interested in finding a leadership coach. The coaching relationship can positively impact your personal growth, leadership effectiveness, and organizational success or can create frustration, reduce your sense of commitment, and delay the achievement of your goals. That is why choosing a professional/leadership coach is a personal decision with profound implications. This list will guide your choice and yield the best results.
Five Considerations For Choosing Your Leadership Coach
- Understand the coach’s role and your role in the relationship.
- HBR defined professional (executive) coaching nicely: “Executive coaching is different from sports coaching. Sports coaches instruct, direct, strategize, and drive their athletes to win. In many ways, the sports coach is in the driver’s seat, with the team as passengers. In executive coaching, the coach sits in the passenger seat, with the client driving. The coach brings the process, but the coaching goes where the client takes it and explores what the client wants to explore.”
- A coach strictly following the International Coaching Federation (ICF) guidelines facilitates self-discovery and client-driven decision-making through active listening and questioning. This type of coaching can yield excellent results with clients who exhibit deep self-awareness or come prepared with pre-set goals. A coach who knows when to augment the coaching relationship with personal experience can be more directive in their approach. This type of style is helpful for clients who may run into unknown-unknowns (see Johari window) or who prefer a more direct path towards their goals.
- The coaching process demands a commitment on your part to be present, engaged, and open. Coaching is not a quick fix unless a long-standing relationship has already been established. Though engagements can be as short as 3 months, the most profound results and fully integrated changes in one’s leadership abilities require a 6 to 9-month engagement. Regardless, at least the first 1/3 of an engagement will be comprised of weekly sessions, and the other 2/3 will take place every two weeks or monthly as you require.
- Coaching is most effective when you can identify a clear and undeniable return on investment (RoI) that justifies the cost of the coach’s services and the time and effort you will need to dedicate to the process. A typical calculation should yield a minimum of an 8x RoI.
- A common mistake is thinking of your return as purely and directly financial. For example, an executive working 18-hour days, 6 days a week may desire to spend more time with family or increase sleep to be more focused at work. You must define RoI on your terms so the coach can help you achieve those goals based on your metrics.
- Evaluate their experience and track record.
- Industry-specific experience helps establish a baseline of understanding but may not be necessary to achieve your goals.
- A coach with broad experience in different disciplines, markets, and leadership roles can bring fresh perspectives and valuable insights.
- A track record of working with organizations of similar size and complexity can help accelerate results.
- A coach who has overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges or adversity can help you weather any storm.
- Ensure the coach has credible coaching certifications from recognized bodies (e.g., International Coaching Federation, Center for Executive Coaching, or any other well-regarded programs) and, ideally, additional education in fields relevant to your goals or their ability to coach.
- Check your personal chemistry with the coach during the initial meetings.
- The coach should give you a sense of comfort and quiet confidence in their ability to understand you and your challenges while maintaining a neutral and non-judgmental professional attitude. Part of the chemistry is evaluating how well the coach listens and adapts to your needs and requirements. During the initial meeting, evaluate if they are listening to you or talking at you.
- A good coach should focus on measurable outcomes and help you set clear goals for your coaching engagement. Ask how they measure and track progress.
- The best coach is always the one who has the right style and experience for you, and will achieve or exceed your desired results. The coach referred to you by a peer or colleague may not be the right coach for you.
- Explore the coach’s curiosity and thirst for knowledge.
- Great coaches are naturally curious. They are lifelong learners, constantly updating their knowledge and skills. They should be knowledgeable about leadership theory, business trends, and psychological research.
Selecting the right coach involves carefully evaluating these and other factors, along with your personal objectives for coaching. It’s often worth meeting with several coaches to compare how each aligns with these considerations before making your choice. An unknown but masterful coach with whom you share great chemistry will achieve better (as in profound and long-lasting) results than the industry-recognized name brand with whom you share little chemistry.
This process ensures that you will find a coach who can effectively support your development goals and lays the groundwork for a successful coaching relationship.