How to decide the right coach for you

The essence of extraordinary leadership is influence, not authority. Bill Campbell, the coach for greats like Steve Jobs, Larry Page, Eric Schmidt, and Jeff Bezos, amongst other tech luminaries, had a high contribution to the success of their companies.

Those who worked under him in Apple Software, where Bill was a CEO, remember that he had a genuine caring for team members, and he made them feel special. The natural outcome was people loved him, and their loyalty towards him and the organization doubled.

Leadership is all about maximizing your impact on the organization and the people around you. It is where leadership coaching or executive coaching comes into the picture.

When you reach a realization that you need a coach to take your career growth or business growth to the next level, you start looking for a coach. Coaching involves an investment of time and money.

So it is significant to have the following facts checked in the process of deciding about the right coach for you.

Have clarity about the coaching process:  Executive coaching is similar to a journey with a destination. So you must have clarity about the roadmap about how the coaching process will progress. If you have clarity about various steps of this journey, you will feel confident about the process. You will know at every step that you are making progress and heading in the right direction.

Know about the coach’s past successes:  Not many people know Bill Campbell, who was Steve Job’s coach, but everyone knows Steve Jobs. A coach is a good coach if he has helped successful executives achieve their next level goals. To get to know this, you need to look at the testimonials provided by the clients of the coach.

Check coach’s coaching credentials:  The International Coaching Federation (ICF) is the leading global organization that provides independent certification to executive coaches worldwide.  ICF certified coaches come with substantial experience of coaching and most sophisticated knowledge about coaching. ICF certified coaches have the highest credential to be a career coach.

Check their thought leadership:  Before selecting a coach, you need to check their thought leadership. Visit their website, read their LinkedIn articles, visit their YouTube channel, and listen to their videos. It will help them develop an understanding of who they are and help you decide if they will be able to help you.

Learn about outcomes:  It is significant to know what will be the clearly defined, measurable, mutually agreed outcomes from the coaching. How will you measure the results of the coaching?

Know about their work experience: If you are looking for a business coach or a business mentor, then it is significant to know the work experience of the business coach. You ought to know which industry or business they have their work experience and if their experience will be useful in coaching you. If you are looking for an Executive Coach or a leadership coach, then your coach doesn’t need to be from the same industry as you are.

Check if there will be a chemistry session:  It is in the chemistry session that you get to know about the coach, their level of expertise, and your comfort level with them. You get to know the coaching style of the coach in that session, and it helps you decide if the coach is right for you. It is because even if he/she is a certified executive coach, what matters is your feeling that they will be able to contribute to your growth.

Ethical coaching:

It is of importance to learn about the ethics of the coach. Do they follow ethical norms related to coaching? Will they ensure confidentiality? Answering these questions will help you decide if he/she is the right coach for you.

Check about their mission and vision:  Ask a coach about what motivates them to be a coach. It will reveal a lot about their personality.

You will get a sense of their motivations and their passion. If they appear to be passionate about their work, then in all probability working with them can be a beneficial experience for you. A certified executive coach, with relevant experience, success stories, and a passion can provide excellent support to your journey of growth and transformation.

Listen to your intuition:  Though it sounds unconventional, your intuition is your best guide when deciding about a coach.

A coach is supposed to take you through a journey of personal growth and transformation. He is going to be a catalyst in your personal and professional success. So ask this question from your own heart, if you feel that this coach will be able to assist you in your journey of growth and then keenly listen to your intuition. Most of the decisions taken from intuition prove to be right.

To discuss Coach Kshitij’s executive coaching services for yourself or the individuals in your organization, Contact Coach Kshitij for Executive Coaching in Bangalore.

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