At its best, business coaching can connect you with a mentor and supporter who helps you generate ideas, make plans, and execute them. But at its worst, it can cost you time, energy, and money — without much to show for it.
It is helpful to think about how you hired your CPA, attorney, barber/hair stylist, or even car mechanic. We have all had to hire somebody at some point, and we know how frustrating it is to learn the hard way that you hired the wrong service provider! But not everybody has gone through the process of hiring a business/executive coach. How will you know if you’re choosing the right fit for you/your company before it’s too late?
There are several things to consider when hiring a business/executive coach:
- Are their values compatible with yours?
- Have they led, managed, and supervised a for profit enterprise or division? E.G. Businesses, community service groups, non-profit organizations, etc.?
- Do they have experience in your industry? What do they know about your specific industry?
- Do they have longevity as a coach? – Not a newbie or 90-day wonder!
- What have their results been?
- Do they have references and or testimonials?
- Do they have a strong track record?
- What coaching experiences do they have? Do they align with your needs?
- Is there personality a match with yours?
- A great match for a coach must be someone you see yourself developing a great relationship with
- They will be someone you confide in
- They will be someone that will keep your discussions confident
- They will be someone you can brainstorm with
- They will be someone to help hold you accountable
- A great match for a coach must be someone you see yourself developing a great relationship with
- Interview them!!!
- Do they listen or do they talk a lot/over you?
- Are they a “know it all?”
- Do they give you a good feeling about working together?
- Do they demonstrate a broad level of experience?
- Great coaches are generalists
- Great coaches are pragmatic
- Great coaches know how to ask the right questions
- Somebody that knows how to coach, not just a “know it all” on a few topics
- Coaching is not consulting; coaching is asking and listening
- Coaching is finding the right strategies for you and your team
- Coaching is helping you discover
- What credentials do they have?
- Business coaching training? Affiliations?
- Leadership coaching training?
- Training on assessing and understanding people?
- Are they available and reliable?
- Does the coach have availability to meet your needs?
- Can you rely on the coach for meetings?
- Does the coach over promise and under deliver? Or the reverse?
One of the reasons we offer a complimentary consultation is so that we can get to know you and your business, and you can ask us questions about our values and methodologies and our approach to coaching clients. This allows us to see if we are the right fit for one another or if we need to refer you to someone else. We will never take on a client if we don’t see a successful coaching experience for both parties.
If you’re interested in learning more about the services we offer, or in setting up a free consultation to see if we are a good match for what you need, please call 570-517-7100 or email Jenny at admin@paramountbusinessdevelopment.com