12-Point Checklist For Selecting The Best
Business Or Executive Coach For You
By John R. Daley
Continued from page 1
There are a lot of coaches in the world. So here’s a 12-point checklist
that will help you cut through the clutter and select the one that’s just
right for you.
1. While it naturally takes time to build trust and you’re not likely
to spill the beans in your first meeting with a coach, you want to look
for a coach with whom you have great rapport… one who, in time,
you feel you could trust with specific details of your life as well as
your business… a coach who doesn’t judge you.
2. Determine if the coach has the experience, education, and
skills for supporting both your personal and business concerns. There’
s a funny thing about coaches. Some have formal training as a coach;
others don’t. Some with formal training don’t have the gut instincts
that another coach without specific coaching training has. The key is
to look at the total picture –– what the coach brings to the table, how
they can keep you from falling through thin ice, and to listen to and
follow your instincts.
3. Read the coach’s bio. Find out about the coach’s background.
Determine if he or she has worked through the issues you’re having.
4. Visit the coach’s website and see how the coach markets his
or her services.
5. Look to see if the coach is a part of an organization… if he or
she publishes books or articles… or offers products and services in
addition to coaching.
6. Evaluate how the coach works with clients. Many
organizational consultants direct you toward answers without
involving you in the solution. That’s not coaching. A skilled coach
engages you in dialog, gives you new perspectives, and ultimately lets
you decide what’s best.
7. Determine if the coach has “been in your shoes.” If you are
growing a business look for a coach that has grown a similar type of
business. That is not the same as looking for someone from your
industry. If you have sales issues, inventory issues, manufacturing
issues look for a coach that has been through those and more business
issues.
8. Look for testimonials and obtain references. Call those
references. Ask them to validate the coach’s work. Ask specific
questions such as “What was it like to be coached by this person? Did
they help you achieve your goals? Would you hire the coach again?”
9. Determine how the coach charges. While it’s difficult to know
in a single meeting if the coach is right for you –– and it often requires
about 90 days to bring about real change –– it’s always nice to know
that you could cancel the coaching agreement after 30 days if that’s
what you decide to do.
10. Look to see if the coach is a solo practitioner or part of a
coaching team. Coaches that work in teams often have the ability to
provide greater specificity of information and guidance than general
practitioners –– to bring in the “big gun” when it’s called for.
11. A good business or executive coach teaches you how to be a
coach with your staff and key people… how to work with them as a
coach to bring about changes in behavior and to increase productivity,
efficiency, and team spirit.
12. Make sure you fit with your primary coach. Trust your
instincts when deciding whether or not the coach truly understands
who you are and what you need.
We hope you’ve found value in our “coaching about how best to
select a business or executive coach.”
But, as they say, “This is only the tip of the iceberg.” To learn more
about how to select the right business or executive coach for you,
contact The Daley Group at 636-527-7627… or send an email to
CoachDaley@DaleyGroup.org.
Business Or Executive Coach For You
By John R. Daley
Continued from page 1
There are a lot of coaches in the world. So here’s a 12-point checklist
that will help you cut through the clutter and select the one that’s just
right for you.
1. While it naturally takes time to build trust and you’re not likely
to spill the beans in your first meeting with a coach, you want to look
for a coach with whom you have great rapport… one who, in time,
you feel you could trust with specific details of your life as well as
your business… a coach who doesn’t judge you.
2. Determine if the coach has the experience, education, and
skills for supporting both your personal and business concerns. There’
s a funny thing about coaches. Some have formal training as a coach;
others don’t. Some with formal training don’t have the gut instincts
that another coach without specific coaching training has. The key is
to look at the total picture –– what the coach brings to the table, how
they can keep you from falling through thin ice, and to listen to and
follow your instincts.
3. Read the coach’s bio. Find out about the coach’s background.
Determine if he or she has worked through the issues you’re having.
4. Visit the coach’s website and see how the coach markets his
or her services.
5. Look to see if the coach is a part of an organization… if he or
she publishes books or articles… or offers products and services in
addition to coaching.
6. Evaluate how the coach works with clients. Many
organizational consultants direct you toward answers without
involving you in the solution. That’s not coaching. A skilled coach
engages you in dialog, gives you new perspectives, and ultimately lets
you decide what’s best.
7. Determine if the coach has “been in your shoes.” If you are
growing a business look for a coach that has grown a similar type of
business. That is not the same as looking for someone from your
industry. If you have sales issues, inventory issues, manufacturing
issues look for a coach that has been through those and more business
issues.
8. Look for testimonials and obtain references. Call those
references. Ask them to validate the coach’s work. Ask specific
questions such as “What was it like to be coached by this person? Did
they help you achieve your goals? Would you hire the coach again?”
9. Determine how the coach charges. While it’s difficult to know
in a single meeting if the coach is right for you –– and it often requires
about 90 days to bring about real change –– it’s always nice to know
that you could cancel the coaching agreement after 30 days if that’s
what you decide to do.
10. Look to see if the coach is a solo practitioner or part of a
coaching team. Coaches that work in teams often have the ability to
provide greater specificity of information and guidance than general
practitioners –– to bring in the “big gun” when it’s called for.
11. A good business or executive coach teaches you how to be a
coach with your staff and key people… how to work with them as a
coach to bring about changes in behavior and to increase productivity,
efficiency, and team spirit.
12. Make sure you fit with your primary coach. Trust your
instincts when deciding whether or not the coach truly understands
who you are and what you need.
We hope you’ve found value in our “coaching about how best to
select a business or executive coach.”
But, as they say, “This is only the tip of the iceberg.” To learn more
about how to select the right business or executive coach for you,
contact The Daley Group at 636-527-7627… or send an email to
CoachDaley@DaleyGroup.org.
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The right mentor or
coach will give you the
strength you need to
succeed and the honest
feedback you need to
navigate your setbacks
and stay on target.
Denis Waitley
Read complete article
coach will give you the
strength you need to
succeed and the honest
feedback you need to
navigate your setbacks
and stay on target.
Denis Waitley
Read complete article
“What sculpture is to a
block of marble, education
is to the soul.”
– Joseph Addison, writer,
statesman
“Thinking is easy, acting is
difficult, and to put one’s
thoughts into action is the
most difficult thing in the
world.”
– Johann Wolfgang von
Goethe, German playwright
block of marble, education
is to the soul.”
– Joseph Addison, writer,
statesman
“Thinking is easy, acting is
difficult, and to put one’s
thoughts into action is the
most difficult thing in the
world.”
– Johann Wolfgang von
Goethe, German playwright
| 691 Trade Center Blvd, Chesterfield, MO 63005 636-527-7627 • Fax 636-489-4733 • www.DaleyGroup.org © 2006 Daley Group, LLC |
| Daley Group, LLC |