I used to believe that people gave little or no thought to finding themselves a coach or really understand the benefits that coaching can provide.  However, this simply is not true. 

As our lives have become increasingly hectic and more pressured, the coaching profession is seeing more people exploring and experiencing first hand the benefits of this relatively new industry.

For those who would like to appreciate the benefits of professional coaching, this article provides information around what you should be looking for in a coach.

Coaching is a relatively young profession of only around 10 years’ standing.  The world of coaching is almost completely unregulated and, as it stands today, anyone can become a coach from simply reading a book, attending a course or just deciding that their life skills sufficiently qualify them to coach others.

Given the current lack of regulation, your challenge will be to determine whether a coach is any good, whether they meet professional standards or work within an ethical framework. 

Professional Affiliation

Whilst it is acknowledged that this unregulated situation cannot continue and as coaching services become more widely used and recognised, there will be drive for increased regulation and accreditation.  There are already a number of associations and coaching bodies that provide recognition and support to their members, such as the International Coaching Federation (ICF) or the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC).  When considering a coaching service, you should ensure that the bodies are made up of professional members and not tied or affiliated to one commercial organisation or training company.

According to the ICF: ‘Often using a coach that has not been formally trained results in an inadequate or ineffective coaching experience for clients.’ 

Back in September 2006 Ology took the decision to align their coaches with the International Coaching Federation (ICF).  This benefits both me and my clients as we abide to the ICF code of ethics, setting out a framework of what is and should be expected from the coaching relationship.

Track record

A good indication of a coach’s ability is to ask about their coaching of previous clients; simply ask to read testimonials and recommendations from current and past clients.

I have heard some professionals and clients say that you should look for a coach who has experience of the same industry or work environment. If you are looking for a mentor I would agree with this. However coaching is about challenging, taking action and being held accountable, it is not necessary to come from the same background to achieve this. In fact I think that it can be beneficial to have different perspectives as this can lead to new possibilities!

As long as you can communicate effectively with your coach, you should not just select a coach based on your comfort zones, if you stay comfortable there is an argument to say that we get lazy!

I believe that all of us do or would benefit from having a coach. If you are considering employing the services of a coach, be diligent in asking the coach if they have been specifically trained in coaching skills and currently hold or are in the process of acquiring an ICF credential.

Don't be misled in thinking a coach is competent because they have other professional credentials or set high fees!

However there is only one guaranteed way to know what coaching could do for you. I suggest you contact your local Ology coach and try it out?

By Chris Haslam - Ology Coach, Sevenoaks

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