What to look for in a coach

• Your relationship with your coach is a very personal one, so it’s important to find one that you feel comfortable with, and whose style complements yours. You can often discover this through an initial conversation or a complimentary “sample session”.
• Look at your coach’s credentials. Where did they get their training? I am a Certified Co-Active Professional Coach, trained and certified through the highly regarded Coaches Training Institute.
• Does your coach have life or work experience in the issues important to you? Although a qualified coach will not tell you what to do, his or her experience can help when brainstorming strategies to get you to your goals.
• If you have taken part in leadership assessments, (or would like to), check to see which ones your coach is qualified to administer. I am qualified to administer the Meyers-Briggs assessment, and am certified in Leadership Effectiveness Assessment tools through Management Resource Group.
• Many coaches have a niche, or group of clients they target for their services. If that is true for your coach, find out what makes that group important to them, and why they are particularly skilled at working with them.