A few years back, I was looking for help. I browsed through over five hundred executive coach profiles from all over the world on Google and LinkedIn and shortlisted three of them before signing up with someone who I felt would be the right person to guide me. Despite being a successful coach myself, the process of finding a person who I can trust was long-drawn and cumbersome. Many of my friends are highly successful coaches, but I wanted to work with someone who offers a completely fresh perspective to my situation.
If you are looking for an executive coach currently or have the plan to work with someone in the future, this article is likely to ease and fast-track your journey.
Before we delve into the finding process, let us first have clarity on who a coach is. In the post-COVID world, coaching is a buzz word and there is a lot of confusion surrounding it.
In the simplest possible way, a coach creates a space for non-judgemental sharing, where you get clarity and context by answering questions before committing to action.
Now, what about specialized coaches like communication coach, leadership coach, business coach, branding coach, fitness coach, mindfulness coach, mindset coach, weight loss coach, wealth coach etc. These people usually have a set curriculum and are experts in a specific area. The methodology they generally use is a combination of training, mentoring and coaching. Many of them start with a low-price digital plan as a launch pad and you get access to one-to-one conversation only if you have subscribed to their premium packages.
The following FAQs would help you navigate the journey of finding a suitable coach.
Why do I need a coach?
If you feel stuck in life and are not getting the desired result despite working hard on your own, or after reading books or watching YouTube videos, a coach can help you breakthrough. Many a time, people don’t know what they want and are perplexed because of doubts and confusion, in such a situation a coach would also lead you to clarity.
How would I know who is the right coach for me?
First, spend some time with yourself and list down what exactly you are looking for. That would make the process easy. Before you sign up, insist on having one to one conversation with the person you plan to work with. Give priority to chemistry, values and energy shift during the interaction. An effective coach operates from the intent to serve and shows the possibilities that you would have been missing. He is expected to be authentic, candid, non-judgemental and compassionate. Reading through the book, and blogs and watching videos would also give you insight into the person and his skills.
In the end, trust your intuition in decision-making.
Where can I search for a coach?
Google or LinkedIn could be a good point to start. You may also reach out to your friend or network for recommendations if they had direct coaching experience. If you are working in a company, you may consider seeking help from your HR Manager or head of learning and development (only if you can trust them). If you are using LinkedIn, checking the client testimonials would give you perspective about the coach, his services and the kind of people he deals with.
Many publications and magazines list top coaches. Usually, these are paid features and working with these coaches does not guarantee an optimal coaching experience. Most of the posts in this regard on Quora are promotional, I would advise you to be cautious.
Does certification matter in coaching? What kind of certification a coach should have?
I have seen extraordinary coaches without certifications and also terrible coaches with all certifications. Coaching is more of a skill-centric profession, though, for pure executive or life coaching, a certification does help. Most coaches continue to sharpen their skills and would have a few certifications. In decision-making, your experience with the coach should have more weight than the certifications.
What is the right fee for executive coaching?
This profession is not regulated and market dynamics drive the pricing structure. Usually, those who are in high demand, and have better skills, experience and credibility charge a premium. Expect a reasonably good coach, who works with senior corporate executives to charge anywhere between 25,000 INR to 100,000 INR per session in India.
How long an executive coaching engagement should last?
It completely depends on the need. If one is facing indecision and looking for clarity, a single session may suffice. Typically, an engagement aimed at skill development would need 10-12 sessions spread over 3-6 months. Many executives use coaches as their sounding board, in such cases yearly retainership is recommended.
What if a coach leaks the information shared during the engagement?
Coaches operate with the highest level of integrity and it’s against the code of conduct to share the client’s information unless already agreed. Generally, the scope of confidentiality is specifically mentioned in the coaching agreement. If you still have concerns, the coach would welcome a discussion.
A coach might ask you to write or record your testimonial, you have all right to say ‘No’ if that makes you uneasy.
I’m not a senior executive, would coaching still help me?
Everyone has blind spots. All of us have doubts, dilemmas and confusion. Everyone needs a sounding board at some point. If you are a human, coaching would help you.
Can I ask my company to sponsor my coaching?
Coaching is a part of the leadership development plan in many companies, particularly MNCs, and you may seek sponsorship. Usually, sponsored coaching comes with certain limitations as the HR or sponsoring manager would expect certain disclosures to be made to them. In my experience, clients who are self-sponsored display higher commitment and generate faster results.
What if coaching doesn’t work for me?
After a few sessions, you would know where you are headed. If you do not notice things working, there could be three reasons:
1. You are not able to get it
2. The coach is unable/unwilling to help
3. The process is not working
Whatever the case, bring it to the coach’s attention without hesitation and resolve it mutually. If you fail to reach an agreement, the engagement can be paused or canceled.
I think online coaching would not work for me, I would need face-to-face conversations.
Face-to-face interaction has its advantages but it also has limitations. A web interaction is logistically convenient and can be recorded for future reference. They best approach would be to give it a try and find out what works the best for you.
I’m not sure if I can commit to the coaching engagement, what should I do?
If you are committed, it’s easy for both parties to move on. But, if you feel you are not prepared for such a commitment, speak to a coach. A professional coach would guide you in decision-making.
A coaching engagement may get over, but the relationship between the coach and the coachee lasts for a lifetime. Most of my clients share that they never experienced such a safe space where they could be truly authentic and free from judgments. If you want to explore what coaching can do for you, book a Breakthrough Session with me by clicking here.
Change your game!
Vivek
P.S. The views expressed in this blog are personal.
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