How do You Select a Good Coach?

SELECTING A COACH

It's important to give an executive coach the same scrutiny that you would give any other professional. These are six questions that are valuable to ask.

1. How do you define coaching?

Coaching is the Art and Science of helping Clients 1) Get Clear on what they value most. 2) Get clear on what their individual value is. 3) Assist Clients in getting more of what they value most. This is done by helping Clients become accountable for what they say they want to produce, and by doing it through asking the right questions.

2. May I see your code of ethics?

1. I do not possess all of the answers, rather the answers lie within the Client.

2. You are enough. You need not change a thing, unless you desire to produce something that you've not produced before.

3. You do the "heavy lifting." I'm here to help you decide on what that needs to be.

4. A good Coach will help you create systems that are sustainable without relying on the Coach as a crutch.

5. I value Coaching and have my own Coaches as well. Coaching reduces the learning curve by avoiding the repetition of "trial and error."

6. I guarantee the value of the Coaching I deliver. If you don't produce 4 times the value of what you pay me in 1 year, I will refund your coaching fees. I am a Business Coach Vs being a Life Coach because we have a scorecard. That scorecard is your bank account. I will regularly ask if you put money in the bank.

7. Our relationship is based on trust. There is confidentiality in our conversations, even if your boss or Manager hired me and pay me to provide coaching for you. I'm not here to be another set of eyes on you, nor to provide additional review and rating services for your company. I work for you.

There is no "lesson" of the week. My focus is on you and your specific needs and situation.

8. I am not here to change you, I am here to support whatever growth or accomplishment that you desire.

9. I focus on the process.

10. You are responsible for keeping your promises to yourself. If you say you're going to get something done for a purpose that serves you, you must get it done. Keep your promises, and make no promises that you can't keep.

3. What principles do you favor in your coaching?

1. G.R.O.W. the organizational model for our coaching sessions;

G. - GOALS Everything we do together is driven by YOUR Goals.

R. - REVIEW Review the activities and results of the previous week

O. - OPTIONS We consider optional ways of achieving what you desire, or to get better results out of your actions, or to get you to do what you say you want to do.

W. - WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO, AND WHEN WILL IT GET DONE? Weekly Assignments

MUST DO - There are actions that you agree to that must be accomplished before our next meeting. Failure is not an option with "must do's," they are the things or actions that will be taken, and would get done even if you went to the Emergency Room, but were physically capable of doing, before you go to sleep that night.

VALUES - One must be clear in what they value most, so much so that you can effectively communicate those values to the world. As a result, you will attract Employees, Vendors and Customers who value the same things and are willing, even anxious to do what you have them do or pay the price that you would have them pay. Values are raised like a Military standard which; a) Gathers the team b) Provides a sense of direction and a sense of achievement for the team c) Provides for the morale of the team.

TIME VALUE – If you sell your time for less than it's worth, you will not find satisfaction. You know what your time value is. It's important to get clear on what that time value is so that you communicate that value to others.

INVESTMENT - While scholarship may be provided, I have discovered over the past 25 years or so that individuals do not take the required action (I challenge you to do the things that have been avoided up to this point) unless they have a vested interest.

CONSISTENCY - Success is nothing more than making the right choices, at the right time, consistently.

PRINCIPLE CENTERED Vs STRATEGY ORIENTED - Principles are lasting, strategies are situation based. Principles allow us to create the best strategy for the moment, but do not require going back to school, as it were. 

ONCE A CLIENT, ALWAYS A FRIEND - I have a vested interest in your success, whether that may be accomplished in a day or 20 years. I remain dedicated to your success, even when you may wish to give up.

4. What will you require of me?

 

1. Weekly meetings at the agreed to time and day.

 

2. Accountability. Reporting of achievement, or lack of.

 

3. Complete Honesty, including letting me know when you disagree with me.

 

4. Elimination of the words, "should have" and the concept of guilt. Instead, the use of "I choose to" and acceptance of the results as what you desire more than perhaps even stated desires.

 

5. Does the proposed program match my needs?

 

Minimal time requirement is 1 hourly meeting each week, for a minimum of 12 weeks. Ideally we will work together for 1 year.

 

A minimum of 5 minutes of daily effort on each stated objective or accepted assignment.

 

6. Is confidentiality clear?

 

Once again, our meetings, and what we discuss is held in strict confidence between us, even if a Company or Manager pays for your Coaching.

 

Lastly, ask my current and previous clients if they would hire me again. I'm more than happy to provide you with a list of people that you can call.