How to Choose the Right Coach for Your Needs

Athletes would be lost without them, as would professional singers and other performers. What about CEOs and other business people? Why shouldn’t they also have a coach?

Many do, particularly those at the highest levels, and not just business coaches but also mentors and life coaches as well. If professionals of other kinds need support to reach their best potential then why not executives and business people also. Coaches are not for failures or poor performers, quite the opposite.

“Greatness, whether athletic or otherwise, doesn’t come from those content on just being but from those who seek being the difference.”

― Kirk Mango

If you’re not convinced on the need for a coach, take a look at our earlier post on why you need coaching to see the statistics on the topic.

What sort of coach do you need?

A vocal coach isn’t much help to a track and field athlete and the advice of speed expert is of little use to a performer, so the right choice of coach is also essential or you won’t move in the right direction or learn and improve the skills you wish to focus on.

When it comes to choosing a business coach you need first to identify what areas you wish to address before choosing the right coach for the job – business, leadership, executive, workplace or even life.  When you have identified which area you wish to focus on, you can move onto choosing the right match for you.

Finding the right person to coach you.

Not every coach is going to work for every executive. The worst you can do is recruit someone who won’t tell you the honest truth and who isn’t prepared to tackle the tough subjects even when you may not like what they have to say.

“A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.” ― John Wooden

Here are some things to look for as you choose your coach.

Referrals: Word of mouth referrals from other people in your sector is a great starting point.  Industry specific expertise and a track record of achieving success with similar clients and companies reassures you they understand the demands you are facing and the goals you may have.

Personality: Before making the decision to invest time as well as money, you need to talk with your potential coach so you can decide if you are a match. Do you think you’d get along? Could you work together? That’s why Athena Coaching offers a free consultation. Thanks to technology, video chat such as Skype is a great tool if a face to face chat over coffee isn’t an option.

Qualifications: Qualifications such as the Master of Business Coaching held by Athena’s own Linda Murray, and professional memberships give you a clue as to how reputable your coach might be. Of course, qualifications are not everything and are of little use without proven experience and runs on the board. If possible you want to hear from satisfied customers who have provided written testimonials or are willing to provide some kind of reference.

Structure: A coach needs to have structure to underpin their coaching and assessment methods to help them identify progress. Ideally they should also show a commitment to maintaining their own professional development. You want your coach to practice what he or she preaches.

Both Executive and Business coaching are cornerstone services of Athena coaching, empowering driven people to achieve even greater success. Using a customised approach based in Positive Psychology, Appreciative Inquiry and Authentic Leadership, we support CEOs, partners and senior executives to bridge performance gaps so you and your team deliver exceptional results.

We would welcome your enquiry and look forward to helping you achieve your goals and perform at your very best.