Hiring a life or business coach is an important decision. This relationship may be one of the most powerful relationships of your entire life. Knowing what to look for and what's available to you is integral to consider in your search. Below are 6 considerations when searching for a life or business coach.
To know your coach or not?
Some clients feel more comfortable if they already know their coach first. They don't want to spend time building trust. However, some clients like the anonymity and confidentiality that is prevalent when you don't know your coach. These clients feel freer when they don't have to worry about the relationship outside the coaching. For others, they feel freer when they know the person. It all depends on which choice will enable you to be most like yourself.
New to Coaching?
First, for the initial coaching time frame, the more consistently you work with your coach, the more this helps with the trust piece and the accountability. The second consideration is how you feel about a coach intuitively. The coach you choose should feel right to you. Different coaches (even with the same training background) have different styles, so choose the coach who feels right to you, to get the most out of the partnership.
In-Person vs. Phone Coaching
Again, it's about you being the most yourself which enables you to get the most out of the coaching relationship. Some clients prefer in-person for a deeper connection. Other clients prefer over the phone. I've found the majority of clients choose phone coaching because the relationship is often more powerful. Phone coach allows minimal distractions and the client can choose the environment where they feel the most comfortable being. An additional component is the convenience and time-saving option of phone coaching. If you are unsure about the 'over the phone' thing, try it out! You might surprise yourself and find it to be more powerful than in person. Most of my clients have found this to be true.
Certified vs. Non-Certified
There are many talented coaches, some trained, some not. Determining if having a certified coach is important to you is like considering if you know where your food comes from. (locally grown vs. shipped across the country) Certified means the coach has been trained by a school recognized by The International Coaching Federation (ICF). These schools must offer a training program that includes exams and supervision. Supervision makes a huge difference in the quality of a coach.
Coaching Time-Frame
Often when people decide to hire a coach, they aren't sure how long is appropriate. This time frame varies from client to client and coach to coach. The most important thing at any point is if the coaching is working for you. Many coaches offer 6 month to 1 year initial contracts, then redesign the coaching contract after the initial time period. Usually at the end of this time frame, many clients start to think "I should be done with coaching by now", etc. In some cases, this is true. But in many other cases, this initial time frame is just the beginning. Ask yourself if you are enjoying the coaching. Is it working? Do you enjoy the sessions/process? Then stick with it. Don't worry about the appropriate time frame. Our lives are always changing and evolving and it's not being fair if we force our development and growth to a timeline. The worry about the time frame is probably your saboteur popping up.
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