Considering Coaching? Here’s what you need to know.
If you’ve been considering working with a coach - congratulations! This shows that you’re interested in pursuing a path of personal and professional growth, and are ready to live greater!
As a coach, many people often ask me what they should consider when it comes time to hire a coach. It’s something that I could spend hours talking about, but I typically boil it down to a few short bullets which include:
Explaining what coaching actually is.
Understanding your goals, your timeline for achieving your goals, and how you want the coach to support you.
Learning as much as you can about the coach and the coaching relationship to ensure their style fits with who you are.
Assessing how ready and motivated you are to commit to making the investment in yourself and in your future. (Time, Money, Deep Internal Work.)
I dive into all of these things in today’s post.
Overarching Considerations
The number one thing you should understand and consider before making an informed decision is that coaching is not a regulated industry, which means anyone can call themselves a coach. From a consumer’s standpoint, this is critical to understand, because it blurs the lines on the actual services that coaches provide, and puts the onerous on you to determine if the coach you’re interested in working with has completed an accredited training program. (More on this in consideration #2 below.)
The second thing you should consider is what coaching is, and what coaching isn’t. This is important because many of the non-trained coaches out there are actually playing the role of teacher, consultant, or mentor, or claiming that coaching can replace working with a therapist, which is for you and your therapist to decide.
So what is coaching, anyway?
Coaching, according to the International Coaching Federation (ICF), is defined as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”
Whether you’re working with a Leadership Coach, a Business Coach, a Wellness Coach, a Health Coach, a Life Coach, or a Mindset and Energy Leadership Coach, if they are certified by an accredited ICF training program or by the ICF directly, they will always partner with you to help you find your own answers. They will challenge you to step out of your comfort zone, encourage you to consider things from a different perspective, inspire you to live greater, educate you on different theories and practices, will hold your hand every step of the way, and will always put you and your goals and your dreams and your agenda first.
Coaching is about helping people make profound and sustainable changes in their lives. The following professions, while all related to personal or professional growth, are different than coaching. And here’s why.
Teaching and Training: Teachers and trainers are subject matter experts (SMEs) who impart their wisdom and knowledge to their students or trainees. The difference? Teaching and training is curriculum-focused; coaching is client-focused.
Consulting: Consultants are SMEs who are contracted to solve a specific problem or to help with a specific project. The difference? Consultants improve situations; coaches improve people.
Mentoring: Mentors are SMEs who have walked a similar path that you are trying to walk, and are willing to help guide you to success by offering tips and suggestions based on what worked for them. The difference? A mentor says, “Follow me.” A coach reveals where the client stands on the map and asks, “Where shall we go next?”
Sports Coaching: Sports coaching is focused on improving an individual’s skill with the intention of winning. The difference? Sports coaching is focused on winning or “beating yesterday.” Coaching is on lifelong mastery, learning, and implementation of sustainable growth.
Therapy and Counseling: Therapists and counselors work to move their patients from a state of dysfunction to being a fully functional individual. The difference? Therapy examines the past to help a client cope with the present. Coaching builds on the present to create the future.
What to consider when hiring a coach
So, now that you have a better understanding of what coaching is, let’s dive into what you should be considering when it comes time to partner with a coach.
There is no “one-size” fits all option, so for each consideration, I’ve given you a few questions that you may want to ask yourself, or the coach, to help you make the best-for-you decision. I’ve also inserted how I would answer those questions so that you have some form of a baseline to work from if you contact other coaches.
Consideration #1: What are your goals and intentions for working with a coach?
If you’re looking for someone to partner with you, to help you stay accountable, to ask you to challenge questions that require you to do some deep internal reflection in order to move forward to reach your goals, then a coach is for you. However, if you’re looking for someone to swoop in and fix your problems or are trying to press the easy button; you may want to look at partnering with a mentor or a consultant instead. Or, if you’re ruminating over a past issue and “can’t let go,” you may want to consider therapy. A coach can help you find the right fit if you’re not sure which way to go.
Questions to ask yourself: What are your goals, why are they important to you, what is your motivation to achieve said goals, what has gotten in your way from achieving them in the past, and why is now different? What is it costing you to stick with the status quo and not move forward?
Questions to ask the coach: What is your coaching specialty or ideal client? Based on my goals, how can you provide value as a coach?
My Approach: I believe I was put on this earth to inspire and empower people, and I am truly passionate about empowering women and small business owners to reclaim their energy, and their confidence so that they can become leaders in their own life. I hold two universal truths in my business: (1) My clients know what is best for them, and (2) My Clients are strong, and resilient and can overcome any challenge. My role, as their coach, is to hold their hand while also gently pushing them out of their comfort zone so that they can overcome any energy blocks that are holding them back, make progress towards their goal and achieve success on their terms.
Consideration #2: What training and experience does the coach have to support my specific needs and goals?
As I mentioned before, coaching is an unregulated industry. Due to this, I personally believe that it is imperative that you do your homework to ensure that you find a coach who is trained by an accredited ICF program. Why the ICF? Because they are the leading global organization dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by setting high standards and requiring their members to uphold strict ethical guidelines. Accredited ICF coach-specific programs must complete a rigorous review and demonstrate that their curriculum aligns with the ICF Core Competencies and Code of Ethics. ICF coaches have also been trained to end the coaching relationship if they feel it is no longer providing you value, or to refer you to a therapist or other trained professional if coaching is not serving you.
Questions to ask the coach: Where were you trained, and is it accredited by the ICF? Were you required to obtain practical experience during your training program, or work with a mentor coach to ensure your coaching style met the ICF standards? What coaching certifications do you hold? When did you obtain your certifications, and what type of continuing education do you do to stay up with industry practices?
My Approach: As of the date of this article, I have completed over 350 coach-specific training hours at an ICF accredited program. I continue to seek additional training and continuing education opportunities through niche-specific conferences, industry leaders, the ICF, and more. I currently hold five ICF accredited coaching certifications, including the ICF’s Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential, and am in the process of completing the requirements for ICF’s Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential. You may access and learn more about all of my credentials and certifications here.
Consideration #3: What will the coaching relationship look like, and does that work for your learning style?
You know yourself better than anyone. But the value of meeting with a coach on a regular basis is that it helps you stay accountable to your action plans. It also provides the opportunity to quickly identify when things aren’t working and a change in plan is required. Many coach’s also offer assessments that can serve as benchmarks throughout the coaching process, so if that stuff interests you, ask about it.
Questions to ask yourself: Do I prefer in-person, over the phone, or video conferences? What time during the day am I most awake and free from distractions? If I choose in-person, how far am I willing to drive to meet them and do I have time in my schedule to do so? How good am I at holding myself accountable? How much time do I have to dedicate on a weekly basis to coaching sessions and related growth exercises? Tying back to consideration #1, what are my specific goals and what support do I need to achieve them?
Questions to ask the Coach: What do your coaching packages look like? Do you coach virtually or in person? How do you help me stay accountable? Do I have to do homework between sessions?
My Approach: Personally, I offer two coaching packages - a three-month package, and a six-month package. The client and I choose the best package for them based on their goals and timeline. Both packages include the Ultimate Self-Assessment which includes the Energy Leadership Index Assessment (ELI), Gallup’s CliftonStrength’s Assessment (FKA Strengthfinders), and the Positive Intelligence Self Sabotage Assessment. These assessments allow my clients and me to identify immediate growth opportunities and empower them to have immediate breakthroughs starting on day one!
As for frequency and venue, I prefer meeting with clients on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, and most clients prefer zoom video for their sessions. Those local to where I live also have the opportunity to meet with me in person.
Accountability is defined by the client, but I encourage all of my clients to share their wins with me throughout the week. Homework is also defined by the client, but there are almost always tangible or in-tangible takeaways for clients to reflect on or complete between sessions.
Consideration #4: Do you get good vibes from their content and conversations with them?
If you’re satisfied with everything you learned up to this point, the last thing you need to consider is if they feel like a good fit. Do you like their energy? Do you feel inspired and motivated when you engage with their content and with them? Trust your intuition. If something feels off, it might be. Don’t be afraid to ask them more questions or to have additional conversations with them.
While many coaches, me included, request that you fill out an application prior to having a free discovery session, any coach who is truly putting you first should be willing to take the time to answer any and all questions you have up front. This doesn’t mean asking them for free coaching, but you should be comfortable with the decision you are making. Just like buying a new car, a house, going back to school, or getting married, coaching is a life-decision that requires you to make an investment of time and money to achieve your desired results. Ask the lingering questions.
Also, a quick note on the application. While this may seem scary and sales-pitchy, this is an easy way for the coach to gain some initial insight about your goals so they can cater the discussion to your actual needs. It will also allow them to come with a referral if your goals don’t align with their niche, but they know someone that can help you instead. Since all trained coaches should be putting your agenda first, it’s not unusual for them to pass you to someone that is a better fit. For example, I recently had a woman express interest in coaching to help with the transition from full-time corporate to full-time retired. While I am trained and certified to coach transitions and could have helped her reach her goals, I referred her to a coach in my network who focuses on and is passionate about helping recently retired individuals discover their new identity and transition into this new chapter of life. It’s all about putting the client and their needs first!
Taking the first step.
If you’ve checked all the boxes and have found the perfect coach, but are hesitant to take the first step, that is perfectly normal. Change is scary. Commitment is scary. Stepping into the unknown and trying something new can be scary. Whether it is fear of failure, or fear of success, fear is the number one thing that holds people back from living their best life.
Fear is the number one thing costing people the satisfaction and joy that they deserve and desire. Fear is also a product of our own brain. It’s a product of the stories we tell ourselves as a way to keep us safe from harm. Whether it’s the fear of our past repeating itself, or the fear of what could happen in the future, it’s not a conscious thought and it does a darn good job of keeping us focusing on the present moment. Fear may keep us “safe” but it also may cost us the chance to live a life of greater.
So, if you’re afraid to pull the trigger, I ask you: What is “status quo” costing you? What would life look like if you were truly fearless? If you knew you could not fail. If you knew that working with a coach could help you boldly and confidently step into a life and career that you love? If you knew that investing in yourself could mean that one day, you’ll wake up and be happier than you ever knew possible. To wake up knowing that you’re truly living the life of your dreams? To finally understand that the key to being fearless is and saying “yes” and “I’m worth it” and “today, I choose me.”
If you have any additional questions that weren’t answered above, drop me a note. I’m always happy to chat. I’m happy to meet you for coffee either in person or via video conference. If you are ready to invest in yourself and in your future, I encourage you to book a free strategy session where we can explore how coaching can support your specific goals.
DID YOU KNOW? CONSHY COACHING HAS A PODCAST! LISTEN NOW!
If you’re interested in becoming a coach and attending the same Energy Leadership Coaching school that I did, I’m happy to jump on the phone and chat. You can also learn more here!