How To Choose

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How To Choose A Coach

By Debra Bruce, JD, CPCC

Because coaching is not regulated, anyone can call him/herself a coach. Here are a few steps you can take to help assure that you are getting the coach you need:

Look for ICF Membership
The International Coach Federation (www.coachfederation.org) is a non-profit, self-governing organization formed by professionals worldwide to preserve the integrity of the coaching profession by (i) promoting an industry wide code of professional standards, (ii) offering continuing education programs, and (iii) and promoting an accreditation process. Membership in the ICF is governed by the ICF Pledge of Ethics contained at www.coachfederation.org/about-icf/ethics/icf-code-of-ethics/.

Ask About the Coachís Experience
Coaching is a relatively new industry, originating in the mid-1980ís. The first coach training schools were started in the early 1990ís. So if your potential coach claims to have 20 years of coaching experience, ask a lot of questions. Currently, five years is a lot of experience in coaching. Many coaches evolved from the consulting, training or therapy industries, but a coach is different from a therapist, consultant, trainer or mentor. An unknown author illustrated the difference this way:

Say you wanted to learn how to ride a bicycle.
You could hire a therapist, a consultant, a trainer, a mentor, or a coach. The therapist would encourage you to talk about your fear of riding a bicycle. The consultant would explain to you how itís done. The trainer would present what others have done to be successful on the bike, complete with role-play and assisting you through visualizing your self on the bike. The mentor would get on the bike and show you how to ride. The coach, however, would encourage you to hop on the bike, and then would run alongside you until you were steady enough to go on your own.

If you want a little consulting or special expertise along with your coaching, be sure to discuss that with the coach. Find out what her background and experience is in the applicable field.

Ascertain the Coach's Training and Accreditation
While there are many excellent and experienced coaches who did not receive formal coaching training, today there are a number of coach training schools with quality programs to enhance the skills of their coaching students. The ICF website contains a list of coach training schools at www.coachfederation.org/icfcredentials/program-search/, and designates which programs have met the criteria for the ICF's Accredited Coach Training Program(ACTP). Many schools also have rigorous certification programs that require the student to achieve certain levels of experience and competency in order to be certified. The ICF school listing contains links to the websites of the various training schools where the certification requirements of that school can be investigated. Experienced coaches demonstrating the necessary coaching competencies may also obtain coaching credentials from the ICF. Among other requirements, the credential of Professional Certified Coach now requires 750 hours of documented coaching experience, and the credential of Master Certified Coach requires 2500 hours. A coach providing a half hour of coaching per week for an average of 10 clients will accumulate 750 client coaching hours in three years, and 2500 client coaching hours in ten years.

Check Out Testimonials, References and Websites
While information disclosed to the coach during coaching is confidential, many clients are so pleased with the results of coaching that they happily provide testimonial letters or references for potential new clients of their coach. Some coach websites or publications contain testimonials, case studies of coaching results, useful tips relating to the coach's niche or expertise, or a little personal background information to give you a sense of who the coach is.

Ask Questions
Donít be afraid to ask whatever you want to know. What are the coach's fees? What happens when you need to cancel an appointment? What kind of intake session does the coach usually do? What is the charge for the intake? Does the coach use assessment instruments? Is his coaching style directive or supportive and exploratory? How long do clients usually maintain an active coaching relationship? Is there flexibility in the structure of the appointments, such as three 40-minute calls per month instead of four 30-minute calls? Does the coach prefer in-person or telephone sessions? Does the coach offer workshops or training in addition to the coaching? What about emails or emergency calls between sessions?

Compare the Coach's Credentials, Life Experience and Coaching Niche with Those of Other Coaches
A number of websites contain listings of coaches or otherwise provide thumbnail sketches of the experience, credentials, philosophy, specialty and personality of various coaches. The listing may include the coach's fee range or a link to the coach's website for additional information. Many of the coach training organizations have coach referral sections on their website. A few websites where you can get some details on a lot of coaches at one sitting are:

www.austincoaching.com/directory
www.coachfederation.org/referral/index.htm
www.coachville.com
www.cticoaches.com/
www.coachreferral.com/
www.hudsoninstitute.com/coachnearyou/
www.ipeccoaches.com/coaches

Try Some Sample Sessions
The ultimate test of whether the coach is right for you is your experience with that coach. Many coaches offer a free sample session. When you narrow the possibilities down to your ìshort listî of coach candidates, ask for a sample session. By doing a little homework and having a test run, you will be well on your way to the coaching that is right for you!