How to Choose a Coach

The Five-C’s to consider in selecting a coach: 

Experience has shown that people are not very sophisticated at evaluating coaches.

Part of the challenge is that few coaches track or share outcomes which makes it difficult to gauge how good they are in practice. Reputation is only part of the equation. Many likable and reputable professionals are not experts in terms of performance outcomes.  This has been documented in more than 200 studies People Architects has conducted with high performers from around the world.

We know that choosing a coach is not a popularity contest. Your coach needs to be someone the client will respect and listen to carefully.

The coach has to move fluidly across a continuum of deep empathy and acceptance to directly challenging the client without breaking the relationship. Each client requires more or less from each end of this continuum.

Over the years I have engaged many different coaches in order to improve myself as well as learn how they do their coaching. My theory has been that if what they did works for me, it might be more likely to work with my clients. This has been a much more effective learning strategy than any of the many certifications and classes I have taken on coaching.

Surprisingly, I have learned that many of coaches have never used a coach themselves. I would be wary of a coach who has little or no experience engaging a professional coach themselves.

To be a good coach, it really helps to have personal experienced with good coaching. Fortunately, many of my coaches have been experts in the field. I’ve learned a great deal and am very grateful to them.

~ Dr. Tim