What to look for in a Leadership Coach
As a leadership coach, I strongly believe that people need to find a coach whom they can really connect with and trust. I decided to write down some guidance to support people in finding the right coach for them. These are based on my own personal experiences when in 2017 I first had a leadership coach and my experience of working as a coach. When you are looking for a leadership coach, one of the best ways to find one is by word of mouth from a friend or colleague. If you are looking for a leadership coach online, then take time to look at their website and their LinkedIn profile. Are they someone with a wealth of leadership experience? Do they belong to any coaching organisations? Are they well qualified? The majority of leadership coaches as genuine warm-hearted people who earn a living by supporting others and genuinely want to give something back to society.
So how do you know if a coach is genuine?
A genuine leadership coach will;
· Have a coaching qualification at level 7 (master’s level) with a reliable institution such as the Institute of Leadership and Management ILM
· Initially give you some of their time for no fee
· Offer to meet with you for a coffee online, or face to face, or will extend the first session. My leadership coach treated me to lunch prior to our coaching session. This enabled us to form a strong relationship. It also made sure there was a genuine connection and gave her an indication of how she could support me. It helped me to trust her.
· Throughout the relationship, will always give you some of their time. It might be they offer to read a letter for a job application or respond to a question you have.
· If they work for a business, will probably ask you to pay for a course of sessions, but if they are working for themselves, they will give you the option of paying after each session.
· Ensure their charges are reasonable so they will not offer a gimmicky discount.
· If they feel that there is not the right sort of chemistry, between the two of you refer you to another coach.
· As part of coaching, talk to you about contracting and the coaching process in detail to protect you and themselves. This is an important aspect of coaching as it protects you as a coachee and it is clear how the coach will work with you and what to expect.
When looking for a coach;
· Check that your coach still has training and ask what training they attend.
· Ask if they have a coaching supervisor to quality assure their work and if you can contact them.
· Ask if you can contact someone they coach or have coached.
· See if they are an associate coach for a reputable company.
Coaching is based on mutual respect and trust. If you do not feel comfortable with your coach, then feel free to say so and try someone else. The coach will not be offended. Remember the vast majority of coaches are very empathetic and want to provide an outstanding service to support their coachees to be the best they can be.
I hope that these tips help you to find a coach who can support you in your role. If you would like to find out more about coaching then I am happy to have a chat with you about the benefits of coaching. Coaching is so empowering as you have someone constantly cheering for you and celebrating all your successes.
I hope that these tips help you to find a coach who can support you in your role. If you would like to find out more about coaching then I am happy to have a chat with you about the benefits of coaching. Coaching is so empowering as you have someone constantly cheering for you and celebrating all your successes.
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