8 Things to Watch Out for When Choosing a Coach

Two young princes were given a task. One was to go out and find an evil person. The other was to go out and find a good person. Both went around the entire day and came back to report they could not find any! The good Prince could not find any an evil person, and the evil prince could not find a good person. It all boiled down to their perceptions.

'The world is after all a reflection of our thoughts.'

I remembered this story from the epic Mahabharatha when I read this article, 8 Things to Watch Out for When Choosing a Coach So You Don't Get Scammed Inc. Magazine .

Was the author just unlucky with all the five attempts to find the right coach, or was she going with some pre-conceived notions? It is not about the author but about how we are all wired....

'Everyone needs a coach,' as the famous @TedTalk clip goes, with @Bill Gates and @Eric Schmidt sharing their views on it. But the responsibility to find the right coach lies with us. We should not escape responsibility. For your own sake.

• The coaching field is?no doubt saturated : There are 50K ICF coaches globally. Even if we add all other global coaching bodies, we need more real, professional coaches.
• It seems like everyone, and their mother is a coach these days: Just as we all are selling (@Daniel Pink), we all are not as good as mothers. If we are like mothers, with all their unconditional love, we need no coaches!
• Instead of short courses and jumping into 'helping' coaches and then retreating to the misplaced sense of comfort of a full-time job, professional coaching demands the rigor of the journey... Training hours, mentoring hours, coaching practice, assignments, and a test for ICF credentials. It is a marathon.... Along the way, set up the business/practice of coaching. It demands a separate set of (entrepreneurial) capabilities.

While everyone needs a coach, not all are cut out to become a coach. Let alone Being!

• Looking for a business partner or a life partner, would you settle for the fifth just because you did not connect with the first four? Perhaps it was just the wrong connection!
• A friend is not a coach. A coach will be your best friend, giving safe, non-judgemental space.

Here Is my Checklist of Coaching?Red Flags

Hire a professional coach - one who is

1. trained on the coaching framework
2. certified after completing the required elements
3. credentialed (eg, ICF)
4. experienced, and
5. continue on self-work

Does a professional coach guarantee success? No!

Hence, the client has the option to exit the relationship anytime. Use it.

The golden triangle of professional coaching includes coaching skills, the business of coaching, and deep work!

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