Find Your Ideal Coach in 3 Easy Steps
By Magnes Jack
YOU ARE LOOKING for a life coach, but are wondering where to begin. The choices are virtually endless with 8 million results on Google if you type in "Life Coach". This is not to mention the thousands of new coaches being qualified every week. But, you want a coach that works for you, and you don't have all the time in the world to find one - so let's look at a simple 3 STEP STRATEGY FOR FINDING YOUR IDEAL COACH.
STEP ONE - WHAT RESULT AM I LOOKING FOR?
Before you go anywhere near a directory of coaches, you need to identify what change you need or want. The clearer you are on your need, the easier it will be to find a coach that has the experience and skills you require. On the flip side, the more confused you are about your needs, the more likely you will not find a coach that matches up.
Some people are very clear on what they want. For example, "I want to be more confident in business meetings" or "I want to create a Vision Plan for the coming year" or "I want to get clear on what is important to me in life, so I can focus on what I want".
On the other hand, a common reason why coaches are often sought out is precisely because of the confusion about the direction in life being taken. But if you appreciate that you are confused as to your direction, then you can still be clear that what you want at the end of it i.e. A CLEAR DIRECTION.
So grab a piece of paper, and at the top write the question: WHAT RESULT AM I LOOKING FOR AT THE END OF MY TIME WITH A COACH? And as you see yourself in that place, where you have the clarity you need, describe the situation you want to find yourself in e.g. I'm walking into business meetings with great confidence and don't feel any need to seek approval, or I have a plan to grow my business that I'm happy with and waking up every morning with a smile on my face. :)
Write as much as you need, and feel free to return to it again and again as you hone it down to precisely what you are looking for. In fact, not only will this make finding a coach easier, it will also save you tonnes of money - because you won't believe how much time is spent on clarifying with a coach.
Knowing what you are looking for, it's time to turn your attention to the kind of coach you are looking for - what qualities and characteristics do you want in your coach?
STEP TWO - MY IDEAL COACH
Coaches come in all shapes and sizes, with a variety of different approaches and price lists to match. Some will want to sign you up for 12 months, and some will take it meeting by meeting, letting you decide the next step. Let us look at some of the factors to bear in mind. As we go through each one, make some notes about what you would prefer.
1. Term
Would you prefer to sign up for a series of, say, 4, 8 or 12 coaching meetings; or would you prefer to play it by ear?
2. Payment
Would you prefer to pay up front for the whole coaching, or pay by the meeting?
3. Medium
Would you prefer phone coaching, face-to-face coaching, tele-coaching (using tele-conferencing), email coaching, or a mix of these?
4. Frequency
Would you prefer to have one meeting a week, or fortnight, or perhaps longer periods between. The gap between meetings can be a place of positive change, or a place where momentum can be lost - you will need to judge which is best for you.
5. Budget/Investment
How much are you willing to spend on coaching? Needless to say, this might depend on the importance of the result you are looking for (as clarified in Step One). Think carefully about this. Too many people have wasted money by launching into coaching without thinking too hard about their budget or their desired result.
6. Coaching Style
Coaching styles differ, not only between training schools, but between individuals. Essentially, there are two basic approaches: INSIDE-OUT and OUTSIDE-IN.
The INSIDE-OUT approach will work with you to find the inner obstacles you have set up to sabotage your own development and to resolve them. The thinking being that once we stop driving with the foot on the brake, then we are in a much better place to take ourselves forward positively.
The OUTSIDE-IN approach is more action-oriented and believes that real change will only come about through taking new actions, and in so doing, having new experiences, which give you new knowledge and change the way you perceive yourself and what is possible for you. Being more action-oriented, you must be prepared to take actions which you fear, in the knowledge that only in doing so, will you truly move forward.
Within these two polarities, there is a whole spectrum between the inside-out (emotional) approach and the outside-in (action) approach. Once again, it's up to you to decide which you feel would generate the most change within you. This might not necessarily be the approach you are most comfortable with - because real change is uncomfortable, in the beginning.
7. Contract
Check the terms of any agreement between yourself and the coach, and that you are happy to proceed. Such agreements are often quite short, but do read them, as they lay out the financial commitment, and the ease of dis-continuing the coaching if required. They also describe the commitment that is required of you, to make the coaching a success. The coach cannot do it for you. The coach can support, encourage, challenge, provoke, suggest and so on, but crucially they cannot act on your behalf. This is your responsibility and must not be taken lightly.
This should be enough to be going on with. By this time you are clear on the RESULT and on your IDEAL COACH - the next step in to find what you are looking for.
STEP 3 - FINDING A COACH
By deciding on your criteria up-front, you have intelligently set-up your own filters to be more sensitive to what you need, in terms of a coach. This will also helpfully rule out what you don't need.
The first stage is to MAKE A SHORTLIST.
As you go through the coaching sites I will mention below, certain coaches will appeal to you, either because of their "pitch" or even their "look". Given the criteria you have set, check that they match. If they do, make a note of their contact details. A shortlist of up to 10 coaches would be reasonable.
The next stage is to CHECK THEM OUT.
Some coaches don't believe in providing free introduction "sessions" or meetings, though most of them do. Personally, I would only include coaches on your shortlist, that would provide some form of free initial meeting. This meeting is vital in revealing whether you "hit it off" and can work together. There is no way to discover this, other than speaking with the coach.
When you do speak with them, you are looking for the MARK OF A GREAT COACH.
The mark of a great coach is that they LISTEN, they are OBJECTIVE (do not judge), and they are DETACHED (in the sense of not trying to please you). In addition, you will find that the QUESTIONS they ask help you to sort through in your own mind the real issues, and also CHALLENGE you on your perceptions, and even PROVOKE you into action.
Each coach will also be professional with you in terms of laying out their offer, and how to proceed, should you wish. If you feel forced in any way to go along, then this is not a good sign. Any coach you sign up, you will feel positive about doing so.
As the coaching proceeds, monitor your results and the success of the coaching for you. Never feel like you must continue. Ok, here are some useful links to quality coaching schools. Have a look through, and choose wisely. My own suggestion would be not to sign up or anything longer than 4 sessions, then - if for whatever reason, it's not working for you, you can always go elsewhere.
The CTi Coaches (coaching-courses.com/find_a_coach.phtml) are extremely committed and well-trained. Unitive Coaching (lifecoachuk.com) approach is fairly new and has a more "spiritual" edge to it (and INSIDE-OUT approach).
Fiona Harrold (fionaharrold.com/coaches) is a leading UK coach) has a list of coaches which she recommends.
Life Coach (LifeCoach.co.uk) provides a list of qualified coaches from a range of top training schools, and is definitely worth checking out.
Well, that completes the list. It is a representative list rather than comprehensive. There are thousands more, but I hope the suggestions and links in this article will help you find the result you are looking for, with a coach that meets your own particular wants and needs.
Thank you.
Magnes Jack, Coach & Author, The Life Change Shop.com
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