How to Choose a Coach
In this article, we write about the mainstream acceptance of coaching and how you can ensure that when you start thinking about working with a coach, you make an informed decision on which coach to choose.
Coaching is a Career Accelerator
At some point in our careers, honing our technical skills yields diminishing marginal returns. Successful leaders have learned that building emotional intelligence and elevating your “soft skills” moves you from good to great. Over the past twenty years, the prevalence of executive coaching among CEOs has increased significantly. Several high-profile CEOs are well known to have received and benefited from executive coaching, including Eric Schmidt, Steve Jobs, and Bill Gates. Today, the increasing demand for coaches and coaching services has led to the emergence of numerous startups specializing in various coaching niches, including business, executive, life, and wellness coaching.
A decade or two ago, coaches were hard to find, as the profession was still in its infancy. Indeed, we both heard a lot of questions, such as, “Why do I even need a coach?” Today, we have the opposite problem. Coaching has become so mainstream that there has been a proliferation of coaches, and it’s hard to distinguish one from the other. Most anybody can set up a website or LinkedIn profile in one day and say, “Hello, I’m a coach.” How do you find a reputable coach with the training and experience you need to impact your life positively? This article will attempt to guide you in your exploration and decision to hire a coach.
What Should I Be Looking for When I Choose a Coach?
Choosing to work with a coach can be a life-changing decision. Here are five tips to ensure that you are choosing well.
Training. We cannot overstate the value of working with a coach with rigorous training. Coaching is a distinct discipline, separate from consulting or other advisory roles, requiring specialized skills and expertise to facilitate growth, transformation, and goal achievement effectively. Coaching is not consulting. At its core, coaching is about unlocking a person’s potential to maximize their performance. This process fundamentally differs from consulting, which often involves providing expert advice, solutions, and recommendations based on specialized knowledge in a particular field. While consultants are typically engaged for their subject matter expertise, coaches are valued for their ability to foster client self-awareness, unlock powerful decision-making, and support individuals or teams in charting their path forward. This critical distinction underscores why training matters so profoundly in the coaching profession. Coaches don’t just give you the answers; they help you figure out the answers by helping you better understand the nature of the “problem” and then guide you to your solution. This key difference means we teach you how to fish, as the old adage goes.
Accreditation. Accreditation is the cherry on top of the training. Being accredited by organizations such as the International Coaching Federation (ICF) means that your coach has completed a program with stringent standards for education, ethical practices, and professional competence. Accredited coaches undergo extensive training, including dozens of hours of supervised practice, peer coaching, and formal assessments. This rigorous process ensures that accredited coaches possess the skills necessary to create safe, structured, and impactful coaching engagements. It also equips them to handle the complexities and nuances that arise when supporting individuals through change, uncertainty, or personal growth. In contrast, individuals without proper accreditation or training may lack the foundational understanding of coaching methodologies and ethics. Coaching is not simply about having good intentions or a natural talent for communication; it requires a deep understanding of human behavior, active listening, and the ability to ask powerful questions that catalyze insight into action. Without this expertise, untrained coaches risk offering solely advice or solutions—a practice that can blur the lines between coaching and consulting and potentially undermine the client’s autonomy and development.
Fit. Try before you buy! Any coach worth their salt wants to ensure chemistry between you and them. Don’t meet a coach and hire them after a 30-minute introductory call. Have at least one more conversation where you talk to them about a coaching topic that is important to you or a leadership skill that you are developing. Ask them questions like “What’s your coaching philosophy or approach?” or “What would you expect from me during our coaching engagement?”
Coaching can and should be very personal, the trust and rapport you want with your coach is paramount to a successful engagement. Always choose a coach who cares more about your growth than their business.
Relevant Real World Experience. We are often asked whether someone should only work with a coach who has experience in my particular field of expertise. The short answer is “no.” A great coach can work with anyone and help them make progress. That said, where you might consider someone’s background is when you are going to ask them questions that are not traditionally coaching outcomes (e.g., which law firm should I use for my IPO, which broker should I use to purchase D&O insurance post IPO, how do I handle a senior executive who is alienating his team). Sometimes, having the “been there and done that” experience will make a significant difference to your coaching outcomes. For example, if you are a first-time executive at a private company on the path to IPO, choosing a highly qualified coach who has walked the same path can prove extraordinarily valuable. In these cases, your coach will also be able to provide you with consultative advice throughout your coaching engagement that contributes to your overall coaching goals. While this can be additive, most leaders know what to do; it’s how to go about doing it where they often need coaching support. Coaches with business experience but little to no formal coaching training may struggle to help you identify and address the subconscious beliefs and behavioral patterns holding you back. The learning for most individuals comes from a deeper understanding of these unconscious patterns that have prevented them from achieving their goals.
Assessments and Tools. Some of the most powerful work we have done with our personal development has been learning about our motivations and beliefs using the Enneagram. We both thought the Enneagram was such a great tool that we each got trained and certified to use the tool with clients. Whether it's the Enneagram or other proven tools, look for a coach who has spent time developing adjacent skills and tools to help you on your journey.
How do I Find a Coach?
We believe that the most effective place to start your search for a coach is in your network. We promise you even if they are not talking about it, more than one person in your network is working with a coach and can help make an introduction.
And, just because that coach is an excellent fit for your friend or colleague does not mean they will be an excellent fit for you. Meet with a couple of coaches before you make a decision. We each have an excellent network of coaches we have met during the hundreds of hours of training we have completed. If you are looking for someone to help, we are happy to connect you with someone who can make a difference in your personal and professional life. We hope this article is useful to you during your search for a coach and that whatever path you are on, it contains joy and success in equal measures.
For more thoughts, Follow Laila Tarraf and I on LinkedIn!
