Issue #30 - How to find your coach?
Try it out yourself.
Happy September!
It’s been a while since I took a full vacation to stretch my mind and wander around the coast. It feels good to be in the moment—staring at the Pacific surfs, hanging around Half Moon Bay, and slowly reading my Kindle.
Chris and I had been thinking about moving to Honolulu earlier this year. But an unexpected family event prompted us to delay the plan and figure out the next few months first.
Our current strategy is to be fully present, accept whatever happens, and enjoy the now. It has fared well in the past six months. Hopefully, the good luck would carry us through the next few months.
How do I find the right coach?
Today I want to address a question I got asked a lot. But first, I want to say: There is no right or wrong.
Does that disappoint you? Let me put it in the context of dating…
“How do I find the right person to date?”
Perhaps you have realized that the best way to know is to try it out yourself 😉
Thankfully, coaches offer a complimentary/discounted first session when you make a worthy inquiry.
What is NOT coaching?
While coaching makes your life better, it is important to clarify the expectations by understanding that coaching is different from consulting, mentoring, or therapy.
Consulting: someone uses expertise and analysis to tell you what to do
Mentoring: someone shares their experience so that you can learn from it
Therapy: a licensed professional treats you as a patient to normal functioning
What is coaching?
To me, coaching is a creative partnership that helps you build awareness, accelerate career growth, and carry out lasting life changes. If you don’t find that with your coach, it’s time to find someone else.
How to find your coach?
With that caveat, let’s talk about how you can find the coach that fits your needs.
Know what you want: Are you looking for professional help or therapy? Make sure that you do some research to understand what coaching really is.
Know your budget: What’s your budget? Elite exec coaches charge $2,500-$10,000+ while career coaches charge $700-$1000 for monthly engagements.
Take the test drive seriously: You don’t have to share everything about your life in the first session because you’ll get plenty of time to do so if that’s the right match. Instead, come with the toughest problem you are facing at the moment, get concrete questions/feedback, and validate them immediately. IMO, this is the most effective way to see if this coach works and maximize your investment.
Trust your intuition: In the first session, you want to see if you could trust and get comfortable with the coach. Just like dating, this is ultimately how you decide whether you are going to invest in the relationship.
Have a great week,
Charlene