Pep Talk!

I meet a lot of other coaches at networking events and training courses, so I am aware there are a lot of us out there!  But as a consumer of coaching services, how do you really know whether the coach you meet is any good?  A friend of mine recently asked me what I would look for in a good coach if I was a consumer, so I thought it might be helpful to give some pointers to potential purchasers of coaching.
 

The key coaching attributes divide into two categories:  Interpersonal Skills and Background, Qualifications and Ethics.

Interpersonal Skills

Research suggests that interpersonal skills (such as empathy, encouragement, authenticity, intelligence, compassion and approachability), communication skills (such as tact, listening/silence, questions), and instrumental support (such as the ability to stimulate, and to work on resistance to change and creativity) are the three most important things to look for in your coach. 

You can certainly get an impression of whether your coach has some of these qualities at a networking meeting.  Ask yourself whether you felt stimulated by their incisive questions.  Did they really listen to you and give you time to speak?  Were they interested in what you had to say?  Did you feel comforted and encouraged by the interaction?

CIPD publishes a list of coach attributes which commonly characterise effective coaches in their Guide Coaching and Buying Coaching Services.  Other organisations such as the EMCC (European Mentoring and Coaching Council) or the ICF (International Coach Federation) have also published lists of core coaching competencies.

CIPD suggest that you look for self awareness of the coach, their ability to motivate, give feedback, to identify significant patterns of thinking and behaving, to establish rapport, to develop a plan, evaluate outcomes and to promote action. 

These are slightly more difficult to spot in a networking conversation, but could be found out through asking the coach for examples of how they have done this in the past.  You could ask whether they have their own life or business plan.  Consider whether they seem set in their views or are open to new ways of looking at things. 

Background, Qualifications and Ethics

Good coaches will also comply with a professional code of ethics and will understand how to manage coaching relationships.  You may also want to check whether they are supervised (i.e. they have regular coaching themselves) and hold professional indemnity insurance.  A good coach will also offer you a free initial meeting/coaching session so that you can be sure that you like their personality, style and techniques.

You should ask them to explain the coaching contract to you, including confidentiality requirements, how long the coaching sessions will last, how many sessions you will need to achieve your goals, and the total cost. 

Finally the little question of qualifications is more difficult to answer due to the current diversity of courses and accreditation in the coaching industry and the many below par short training courses offered. 

This may mean that you may need to do a little more research, for example, on their website, to check their credentials.  One way to do this is to look for a coach who has a recent qualification accredited by a well regarded coaching body, for example, EMCC, ICF, or Association for Coaches (AC) or alternatively is accredited themselves by one of those bodies through their coaching experience rather than paper qualifications.  You can also ask them how many hours of continuing professional development they have done recently and how many hours of coaching they have given. 

Depending on the reason for coaching, it is always worth checking out their business experience and credentials.  For example, you may feel more comfortable being coached by someone who has worked in your industry.  A good coach should be able to give you the answers to these questions.

In summary, if you are about to make an investment in yourself and your development by employing a coach, just as you would making an investment in a new car, or phone, or washing machine, do the research to make sure you get what you are paying for!