Choosing an executive coach is the first, and arguably most important, step toward personal and professional growth. It is important to find someone with the right qualifications and experience to provide you with expert guidance, but it is also important to find someone with whom you can establish the trust and rapport that is so important to a successful coaching relationship.
Qualifications And Experience
The executive coaching industry is full of excellent coaches, average coaches, poor coaches, and wanna-be coaches that don’t have a clue how to help you. So how do you find someone with the qualifications and experience to be worth the cost of their services? Here is a quick guide to get you started.
Relevant Experience – Look for a coach with experience relevant to your needs. For example, an executive-level coach should have executive experience. The potential coach should be able to demonstrate successful management of people, understanding of organizational dynamics and politics, and business acumen. He or she should also have strong interpersonal skills and be adept at one-on-one interactions.
Measurable Goals - Look for a coach who sets measurable goals for the coaching process and establishes defined benchmarks to check progress. Your coach should be clear about roles and responsibilities and set clear expectations for accountability.
Methods and Personality
An effective executive coach must use a variety of methods to help your development and their personality must be a good fit for your needs.
Methods – Most executive coaches will use some type of assessment tool to gauge your strengths and weaknesses. The tools available are many and varied, and some are inherently better than others. Look for a coach who has these types of tools available, but make sure that your coach does not rely too heavily on such a tool to get to know you.
Personality and Rapport – An executive coach must be able to establish trust and rapport with you quite quickly. You need to feel comfortable talking openly and honestly about even the most sensitive topics, and the coach must maintain confidentiality. It is important, though, not to choose a coach based solely on how “nice” he or she may seem. The goal of executive coaching is to be challenged and to grow, and often that means working with someone who will tell you things that may be difficult to hear. It will not help you in the end to have an executive coach who is not forthright in their observations and suggestions.
Other Considerations
Remember that engaging the services of an executive coach is like any other business arrangement. You must have a good upfront understanding of fees, length of contract, and any other charges that are likely to be incurred. Don’t skimp on the budget you allot for executive coaching, but also be careful to get good value for what you spend.
