Summary
1. Relationship quality
- The most important. Studies both in therapy and coaching have shown this is one of the best predictors of a successful outcome (de Haan, 2008)
- When you meet a potential coach, you need to
feel that:
- You will be able to work with her/him,
- She/he will be able to help you,
- You can open your mind and your heart to her/him.
2. Domain or niche
- Theme, e.g., life coach, business coach, holistic coach, executive coach…
- Categories of clients, e.g., women, executives, managers…
- Coaching approach, e.g., Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), solution-focused, mindfulness-based…
3. Qualifications and on-going development
A serious coach will:
- Have at least one recognised qualification in the field,
- Be a member of a recognised coaching organisations, e.g., Association for Coaching, International Coaching Federation,
- Engage in regular supervision,
- Engage in continuous personal and professional development activities,
- Follow ethical guidelines,
- Be personally accredited once enough experience.
4. Experience
- Shows the coach has stayed in business,
- Not a guarantee of quality,
- If going only with experience, you may miss on a very talented coach who happens to be at the beginning of her/his career.
5. Format of meetings
- Decide what you are comfortable with,
- If you want to meet in person, your coach needs to be in the same geographical area,
- If online, you are less restricted as to where your potential coach is based.
6. Price
- Know your budget,
- Prices vary widely,
- Prices are not always a reflection of the quality of the service,
- Your potential coach must be clear and comfortable talking about money. Ideally, prices are known in advance, e.g., shown on website.
Conclusion
If when while and after talking with a potential coach, it feels right in your head, your heart and your guts, it probably is.
De Haan, E. (2008) Relational coaching. Journeys towards mastering one-to-one learning. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.