The First Date: How to Screen Prospective Coaches

Finding the right coach can seem like a challenging task but don’t let it be a barrier to you finding the best person to help you attain your goals. There are a lot of people that call themselves ‘coaches’ but not everyone is trained to the same level. Asking questions around coaching style and understanding the ethical and professional practices of each coach will ensure that you get off to a great start with a coach that will support you in the ways that you need to be supported. Your chemistry and contracting introductory call is the best place for you to ensure that you are signing on with someone that has your best interests in mind.

So at this point you’re curious about coaching. You’ve begun to scour the various coaching websites on google, scanned #lifecoach and the plethora of hashtags that can be found on Instagram, you’ve maybe looked on regulatory association websites and now you may have an idea of who you are interested in reaching out to for an introductory meeting. Other than recommendations and flashy websites, how have you picked the coaches you’re going to reach out to? 

Finding a mental health professional to work with can be a murky and confusing process. I’d equate it to dating; there are so many options out there who present themselves in certain ways but how do you know that you’re picking the right person for you? How do you know they’re presenting their authentic selves and how long until you start to see their true colors? Luckily the chemistry and contracting session – the free introductory session offered by most coaches – is a great opportunity to ask some very tactical questions which can help make sure you’re off on the right track (not unlike a first date). Below are some standard questions that you can ask to gain some clarity around the services, quality, and ethics of the coaches you meet with.  Coaching always comes with commitments of time and money. It’s important to know that you’re partnering with someone who is capable, that you can trust, and practice in a safe and confidential environment. 

Are they practicing professional and ethical Coaching

The Coaching profession has recently experienced significant growth as more people seek guidance around career changes as a result of the pandemic. According to LinkedIn, professional and personal coach is the 8thfastest growing job title, with an 101% increase on the social networking site. As a result, nightmarish experiences of clients first engagements with coaches have also become even more frequent. Professional coaches are required to maintain a certain level of practice and professional development. These requirements ensure that they do no harm to their clients or to themselves and strive to improve their skillset and better the societal view of the coaching profession. By asking pointed questions, you’ll be able to gauge the level of your potential suitors given how they respond. 

So how do you ensure that the coach you choose to work with is qualified, practicing professionally, and practices ethical coaching? Although ethics is respective to the individual, there are several questions which you can use to gauge the professionalism and ethical compass of the coaches you screen. Coaches who attended schools or programs which are professionally certified by the Association for Coaching or International Coaching Federation were required to study the ethical implications of coaching and are a good place to start. Most coaches will make this apparent early on and may even provide you with a copy of their code of ethics prior to starting the engagement. Imposters will shy away from answering, not understand the ask and not ask for clarification, or provide an excuse of why they haven’t gotten around to it.

Sample Questions:

Were you trained by an accredited coaching program? Are you a member of the AC or ICF?

Can you provide me with the code of ethics which you follow as a coach?

What type of ongoing professional development do you follow as a coach? 

Do you attend Supervision or peer coaching?

How many sessions do you usually work with clients?

Finding the right coaching style for you

So you’ve made sure the coach is professional and you deem them to be an ethical person, but how do you know they’re the right fit for you? How do you know that they’re your cup of tea and what if you didn’t realize that you actually wanted a whiskey on the rocks? This section will help you to differentiate between the tea and the whiskey to ensure that you don’t accidentally end up drinking the wrong thing at the wrong time. It’s up to you and your why to understand which is your drink of choice. Look out for my next blog which will go deeper into identifying which beverage is best for you at this current time in your story but I digress (I promise to cut out the beverage analogies). 

There are numerous styles of coaching which are underpinned by psychological principles. Coaches can specialize in skills development (Action Goals), performance improvement (Knowledge Goals), developmental (Experiential Goals), and existential matters (Wisdom Goals). Understanding what it is that you’re trying to achieve through coaching, how you learn as an individual, how you respond to challenge, and ultimately who you currently are as a person will greatly impact what type of coach is best for you. Going into your first session, you should have an idea of your why and what it is you’re trying to achieve. Each coach will have their own style and preferences on the types of coaching they do and how they do it. Asking some clarifying questions up front about how each coach operates and how they typically work with clients will help you to gauge whether they’re a strong fit for you and your ambitions.

Sample Questions:

·      What coaching styles and principles underpin your style?

·      What types of goals do you most commonly help your clients attain? 

·      Do you feel like your coaching style aligns well to the goals I’ve shared with you?

·      Is your style more coach or client led? 

·      How will you work with me between sessions?

The introductory session with any coach is designed to gauge the chemistry and outline  what the coaching engagement will look like for both the coach and you as the client. It’s important to make sure that you’re partnering with a professional and someone that you have Chemistry with. We tend to overlook our gut feeling but it’s invaluable and first impressions tend to be correct most of the time. Come prepared, ask some of these questions to gauge the coach and learn more about what they’re bringing to the table, and go with your gut. Did you guys gel? Were you easily able to build rapport? Were they the whiskey on the rocks or the warm cup of tea? Only you will be able to understand what it is that you need to quench your thirst. We hope that this has given you more clarity to read through that worn-out label and to ensure you know what you’re drinking before buying and imbibing.

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Author: Mike Densmore