Do you feel stuck? Have you determined that you need a coach to help you move from point A to point be? Now what?
First of all, it takes courage to get to the point of recognizing that you are stuck and need a change. While this is a great first step, it is an equally important to step to ensure that the coach you hire is one who would meet your need, so that you do not remain stuck.
Here are 5 things to consider when hiring a coach
- Know Your Why: What are the goals you are trying to achieve? What would be the success measures? You may need to clarify further what you mean by the success measures you are looking for. For instance, if you say you want to feel peaceful, what does that mean? What makes these important to address at this point? What have you looked at on your own, and what don’t you have that you would need a coach to support you on? Answering these questions would help you with the other four steps.
- Know the Coaching Relationship: It would be important to know what coaching is and what it is not, so that you can determine the coaching relationship you desire. As a little as this may seem, it plays a major role in a coaching relationship. This might require you doing some research. This is also the point where you ask questions of the coach, about his process, and share with him what you are looking for in a coach. With this, you can both decide whether you are a good fit. This is also where you inform the coach how you what him or her to support you.
- Know What You are Willing to Invest: There is a common saying that “nothing good comes easy”. When hiring a coach, you need to determine what you are willing to invest, which includes time and resources. This goes back to the question of what makes the outcome you seek important at this time? The level of importance you place on achieving your goals, will determine what you are willing to invest. The willingness to invest both time and resources will drive the next step.
- Know What You are Willing to Change: According to Albert Eistein, “insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.” Part of the reason why most of us stay stuck is unwillingness to allow for change. Coaching, however, is about being willing to change. When deciding to work with a coach, it would be important to check your mindset, and determine whether or not you are ready to let go of some of some habits and commitment to things that have not served you well so far. At the same time, there needs to be a willingness to commit to doing things that would support your forward movement.
- Be Willing to Trust the Process: Coaching is a process that requires trust on the part of both the client and the coach. The coach you hire needs to understand that you are capable to explore the issues you are dealing with and with his or her support come up with solutions yourself. You as the client, need to trust the coach, as well as the process, so you can achieve maximum result. It would also be important to trust yourself that you have within you, what it takes to make the change you desire with the coach’s support. Your coach is there to “shine the light” on what you may not have looked at.
Hiring a coach, like establishing any other relationship is very important, and requires a thorough due diligence. Proper due diligence would help you and your coach to have a good relationship and would help you and your coach keep each other accountable, and would very likely get you unstuck and help you achieve your goals.