Hiring a Coach

Note: Clients #1, #4, and #7 are never quoted, nor were they tallied with percentages as they did not meet client eligibility requirements, and serve as trial interviews only.

The following are excerpts from the advice given in response to the question, “What advice would you have for professional women considering hiring a coach?”

Client #2: First, don’t be afraid to hire somebody, and once they have made the decision to seek support in their endeavors, I would suggest they interview a couple of coaches . . . Look for someone with whom you are compatible.

Client #3: Just do it! I can’t imagine anybody who couldn’t benefit from that kind of partner in life. If nothing else but to take a closer look. A life well examined is a life worth living. It is important to take stock, and a coach will make that process very efficient.

Client #5: Definitely do it. Find the right coach for you. Have a complimentary coaching call. Word of mouth is great, but you don’t know how you are going to interact with that person. You should see how your rapport is, how you connect with that person, if you can trust them, if you can speak freely and feel heard. Ask them to challenge you so you get a sense of how they would do that, and how they will be with you. That’s how you will know depending on how you communicate with them.

Client #6: I think the coach is the key to the process. If you have come to the decision to hire a coach, you are on the right path. Interview a couple of coaches and go with the one who makes you think, who challenges you to change your ideas. Go with one who listens and responds to you, not just gives you advice. Go with the one that would stay in contact with you and never lets up on you. I get daily e-mails, often in response to something I might have said. Her e-mails are inspirational, and focus my attention on something I need to hear at the moment. Go with a coach you feel really cares about you.

Client #8: There are a lot of people who call themselves coaches. They come from different backgrounds of knowledge, wisdom and experience. You need to find the right person. You might interview the coach. Just chat about things such as your goals and what you anticipate doing while in the coaching process. My husband believes coaches should be credentialed. Soon the public will become more savvy and require certain credentials.

Client #9: If I could have afforded it, I would have had my partner in there with me coaching for our business, because the same skills and tools that my coach gave me personally would have applied to the business. I absolutely think this is the best thing for professional women - - to have a coach to help you balance your life, to help you reach your business goals as well as your personal goals at the same time . . . Coaches guide you along. It is like having your personal God, or Jiminy Cricket.

Client #10: I would definitely say, “do it”. First, identify areas where you feel you would benefit by having a coach with certain skill sets that match your need. For me, the match wasn’t there . . . One of the observations I have made, both in therapy and in coaching, is that when you get insights, a magical thing happens.

Client #11: I would advise looking for a coach who is well organized and would follow from one session to the next. I would look for a coach that set a plan of action in the first meeting, and I would look for real honesty in the first meeting. You must immediately be able to establish a bond that assures that the coach is acting, not in his or her own interests, but in the client’s interest. It is necessary to have that level of trust.

Client #12: Do it! You’ll never be the same, during coaching or after coaching. I don’t think you will be as likely to develop your full potential and do it while living your values. It’s just like the strongest train in the world and the best conduction still needs tracks for the train to go down. I think the coach is the person that keeps you on track.

Client #13: Everybody needs a coach. It’s like breathing air. You’ve got to have it for balance. As professional women, we feel a lot of pain, but you can’t see what is causing it. We have blocks - - but you can’t see them, so you can’t fix them. When you can see them you can fix them. A coach can help you see them.

Client #14: I would say that if you think that everything is moving along the way it should, it can be even better because a coach can help you fine tune things so everything works well together. I believe that most professional women have a pretty good idea of where they are going, where they should be, and how things are working. Coaching makes everything come together by focusing on things that are important to you - - blending them so that you have a balance in your life. It helps having someone who is non-judgmental. Friends and family are sometimes very judgmental, and have an agenda. You don’t find that with a coach.

Client #15: Expect the unexpected and stay open. I really wasn’t sure what a coach could do for me or the kind of conversations we would have. This has opened my eyes. Go in with an open mind about what your coach can do for you, because it is probably a lot more than you realize.

Client #16: Talk to quite a few (coaches), because the relationship must be of trust, mutual respect and you have to be coming from the same place. It really has to feel right. You definitely have to be in tune or comfortable, a feeling of connection. You have to be comfortable with the person, the price you’ll pay, and the time you’ll talk. You have to be ready to invest the money in yourself. If, when the coach tells you the price, your insides go “Oh my gosh, that’s so expensive”, maybe you’re not ready, or maybe that’s not the right coach for you. For me, investing in myself was not even a question. When people asked me how I spend on a coach, I knew I was ready, because the price didn’t even affect me. I knew I needed to be coached, so I cut back in other areas to do this. You either find the money, or you’ll juggle things around. You must have faith in the coach, in yourself, in the universe, and that you’re heading towards something that is going to change your life.

Client #17: Do it! Do your homework before selecting one. Go on the Internet, ICF and Coach U. See who’s out there and their qualifications. Research the credentials of your potential coaches. Interview them and make sure you feel very comfortable and at ease with them. Try it for six months. I would encourage women to work with women. Do it face to face when you can.

Client #18: Do it yesterday. I think there is value in it both for men and for women. I think my male colleagues would benefit even more because they aren’t encouraged to be open to self-discovery. It is probably a good idea to interview. Give it at least a three month period.

Client #19: Just do it. It will change your life. I think you should look for somebody you connect with and somebody who can lay out how they perform their coaching. How they would work with you. An introductory coaching call is a good idea. At the end of the call, you’ll know.

Client #20: Don’t hesitate to explore the options because it means tremendous value to you. In exploring the idea, talk to a number of different coaches and really trust your feelings around who is the best person for you to be working with at this time. Don't just go with the first person that markets the idea to you. I think there are two things that are most important. If somebody takes these two steps, then everything else should fall into place from there. Who coaches are, and what they do in working with you, which I consider the coaching process, will further you to what you want to work on. When you want to get from point A to point B, coaches can help you get there, even when you didn’t think you could do it.

Client #21: Anything that is important to you is worth getting by any means necessary, whether it is coaching, praying, meditating, whatever, because your peace of mind is priceless. I have gained peace of mind. That is the ultimate. When you are dealing with your “gremlins”, they’re really working on your nerves, and your peace of mind is knocked off balance. When you can find that balance, that is when you find peace of mind. I would say to black women, “stress kills everyone, and in, the black community, stress is the number one killer. From a racial standpoint, a lot of black people aren’t getting into coaching. A lot of blacks say if it doesn’t have God in it, don’t do it. Too many of us are sitting around waiting for the knight in shining armor. Do what you need to do. Try coaching. Just make that move.”

Client #22: Just do it. Get someone qualified. Call ICF or CTI, or Coach U. Interview them. Find out how long they have been doing it. Take it seriously and find who you’re a good match with. Try word of mouth. Call someone that has been coached, or someone who knows someone who has been coached. It’s O.K. not to know where to start. If you know something’s not right and you want it to be better, go into it and just start.

Client #23: Don’t be afraid to go find a coach or someone to help you. Don’t be afraid to seek help. If you go to find someone, and the person doesn’t fit your needs, find someone else. There are resources on people doing coaching that can be used. Your geographical area does not bind you because you do it by phone. Also, you need to be open and willing to change. Your coach is the facilitator, but you are the one that has to do the work, to change. Your coach wants you to succeed. Coaching has been a profound transformation. It has had a profound influence in my life. It is really had a true impact, and I want to share what it has done for me in my life with others.

Client #24: I would recommend coaching. One of the things my coach says is that in transitional times, coaching can be particularly helpful. Plan on committing part of each day to the process, and find someone you can work with. Find a good match. Use word of mouth referrals, and also interview coaches. Ask them to spend five or ten minutes discussing and identifying needs and goals, and see how they would coach me around those goals. Go with your gut. See if you connect. I would also ask something that had to do with flexibility of scheduling. Another thing that might be helpful is to look or their brochures, web pages, or other information they provide. If you relate well with how they word things in writing, it will probably work in real time. Coaching is one of the few ways you can pull together all parts of your life. Coaching helps you see how all your roles (career, wife, mother, friend, etc.) tie together as related to your values. Relating everything together and helping it blend better equals balance.

Client #25: Having a coach takes the pressure off yourself that you have to do it all alone. Instead, stand in the perspective that if I could hire somebody to be on my team to help me be the best that I can be, why would you not do that. It is a step out of that traditional belief that you have to do it alone. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength. It is a sign that I’m really committed to where I want to go, and I’m going to get as much help as I can. The other thing you have to look at is, “What is the risk around not doing it?” Ask yourself, “What could happen if I do it, and what am I giving up if I don’t do it?” I think that is the bigger risk. Usually what we are giving up is our dream, or our goal or whatever. So we tend to think, “I’m going to pay $400 a month, or whatever. What if it doesn’t pay off?” The better question is “What is the risk of not doing it?” Instead of looking at the risk of doing it, look at the risk of not doing it, because that is a huge risk.

Client #26: Give a gift to yourself. You deserve it. Sometimes the journey is difficult, but it is worth it.