Choosing the right coach can be a minefield, following some simple steps can help to make sure you get it right.
Whether you are looking for a coach for your organisation or for you personally, there are a few things that you can do to make sure you hire the right coach. If the answer is ‘no’ to the following questions, read on:
- Do you have a framework in place when hiring a coach?
- Do you follow a process to identify the right one?
- What do you have in place to make sure the coaching is effective?
- Do you have a clear contract detailing the beginning, middle and end of the coaching relationship?
You’ve identified a need for coaching, the following gives you some guidelines to help you make the right choice when matching the right coach to your need:
Step ONE: Understand the full requirements of the coaching need and who should be involved in the process. (Note: We refer to the individual being coached as the coachee, the person sponsoring the coaching, usually the manager, as the sponsor and the organisation may be an individual in HR or L&D that engages the coach. Give some thought to what the organisation, the coachee and the sponsor want the outcomes to be from the coaching intervention? This could be for someone who’s transitioning in to a new role, a focus on performance, behavioural, confidence, leader development etc
Step TWO: Reach out to the marketplace to engage with a number of coaches that will fit this need. The coach or coaching organisation should be able to provide you with a biography of their coaching style, models and tools used in addition to their coaching credentials and ethical guidelines.
Step THREE: The organisation should interview a pool of coaches to find a match and ensure they are credible in the coaching discipline. Explore the biography, how they practice, how they use their tools and what processes they have in place to ensure coaching success, do they have the appropriate supervision in place for their practice? At this point, you could consider creating a future pool of coaches that you can draw on when the need arises.
Step FOUR: Choose 2 or 3 coaches that meet the development need and arrange for a matching meeting between the selected coaches and coachee. Because coaching is such a personal process, this step allows the coachee to be involved in selecting the right coach for them to get the most benefit.
Step FIVE: Once the coach has been selected, put a contract in place, not only for the coachee but also for the organisation. Ensure that you have the costs, typically how many sessions and the process for coaching in place. For example, you may want the sponsor, coach and coachee to meet to agree the objectives of the coaching. OR you may want the coach to use specific tools during the coaching, like 360 or psychometrics. Ensure the coaching starts with a clear contract between the coach and coachee, how often will they meet, where or how will this take place, can the coachee contact the coach between sessions, how many sessions should be expected, how will the coaching close?
The Business Transformation Network has posted this article in partnership with People Perform.
