1. Goals
What do you want to accomplish with the support of a coach? While one of the benefits of working with a coach is gaining clarity and crystallizing your vision, it is helpful to have a rough idea of the area(s) that you would like to impact, improve, align or gain.
2. Motivation & Commitment
Coaching success is predicated on two things, motivation and commitment. Are you ready to commit the time and energy to maximize working with a coach?
3. Credentials
What are the coach’s credentials? Working with a Certified Professional Coach means that your coach has completed rigorous training and substantial coaching hours necessary to earn certification. The training includes stringent coaching competencies required to be a successful coach and adhering to a comprehensive Code of Ethics. Coaching is a significant investment in time and money. Certification should be non-negotiable. There is no reason to sacrifice this high standard of quality assurance.
4. Coach Experience
What is the coach’s background and experience in business, leadership, and coaching? Executive coaching requires strong business and leadership acumen, a track record of success, and deep coaching experience to provide the level of value and impact expected from senior leaders. While a coach doesn’t need to be a subject matter expert, a strong business background and understanding of how large, complex organizations operate is critical in the corporate environment. How will their background and experience benefit you as their client? What do they bring to the table? You want to work with a coach that has walked in your shoes, understands the pressures that senior leaders face, and can support you in developing high impact leadership competencies, behaviors, and strategies that drive results. Equally important, is working with a coach that is comfortable challenging you and sharing candid feedback. This is an important balance.
5. Chemistry
How does interacting with the coach feel? Is the rapport comfortable with good chemistry? Developing a trusted relationship with your coach is paramount to success. Can you envision deeply confiding in this coach? What are their standards to maintain confidentiality? This point needs to be exceptionally clear. Coaching conversations should always be confidential, no exceptions. Although employers often sponsor the client by paying for coaching, quality organizations understand that client confidentiality is a core tenet of coaching.
6. Coaching Process
What is the coach’s process? The coach should have a clear framework to guide success. That being said, the coach should not take a cookie cutter approach with clients. Talented coaches tailor each engagement to best support the client’s success. They use various assessments, tools, resources and coaching methodologies to support accelerating development and achieving the client’s goals.
7. Mutual Expectations
This is the perfect time to discuss your expectations of the coach, share what the coach needs to know about you to coach you effectively, and discuss your vision of success. It’s also the ideal time to ask the coach what expectations he/she has of you as a client. Great relationships are built on open communication and mutual understanding.
8. Managing & Measuring Outcomes
How will the coach manage progress during coaching and measure outcomes as the engagement wraps up? How will your stakeholders be involved to support your development and provide feedback during the coaching engagement?
9. Sustain
How will the coach support you to hardwire and sustain new skills successfully? It’s vital that the coach helps you integrate acquired competencies and behaviors to achieve permanent change and professional growth.