As a consultant and coach, I get many calls from people who want to hire an executive business coach. Many are surprised when I tell them that finding the right coach is just as important as finding the best-qualified candidate for a job. Hiring someone with skills in coaching may not guarantee success in your situation, so it requires some thought and planning.
Most people believe finding a coach should be relatively easy. All you have to do, they assume, is pick up the phone and call around until you find someone willing to work with you. Because there are so many coaches out there, they assume it’s just a matter of making a few calls and then taking the first one you find. Not so.
I have coached everyone from college students to CEOs, yet I wouldn’t hire myself as a coach for everyone who asked me. It’s not that I can’t do the job; it’s that I may not be the right person. Choosing the wrong executive business coach can harm both you and your organization, whereas selecting the right one can make the difference between a successful venture and a miserable failure.
Selecting a coach requires more work upfront, but it saves time and money in the long run. How to choose an executive coach for business? Think of hiring someone to coach you as analogous to buying a car: You wouldn’t just go into a dealership and pick out the first car you saw and buy it without test-driving it or talking to a salesperson. You would probably ask around, do some research, and narrow your choices down before making the purchase.
The same applies with coaches. Although there are many good ones out there, not all of them are right for you. In particular, they may not be the best choice in all situations. What works in one situation may not work in your organization or in your life. So, think of hiring an executive coach for business as a major investment and take the time to make sure you get what you want and need.
It’s important to know what your situation is and why a coach may be a good solution for you. Have in mind the specific challenges or performance problems that have been identified so far, so that when you interview a coach you can find out if he or she has any experience in solving similar problems.
No matter how good a problem-solver or motivator an executive coach for business may be, there are some situations where coaching simply won’t work.
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