Workplace: Hire A Personal Coach?

1. Why should you “hire a coach”?

Anyone will benefit from hiring a coach if they are in a place in their life where they feel stuck or in a rut, and don’t know how to get out. When you can’t help yourself, it’s wise to go to someone else for help. A coach is just such that person. A coach can help you get out of your rut, and can offer experience and advice from a different perspective that may open your eyes and your mind to other avenues or ways of being that you hadn’t realized before.

2.How can you tell the difference between an effective coach and one that
won’t work for you?

It’s important to always surround yourself with people who have the same goals that you do, and with whom you are able to communicate. There is no exception when it comes to a coach. An effective coach will be able to off your advice and support that helps you move out of your rut. If you’re moving out of your rut, the coach is effective. If you aren’t, then he or she is not. It’s really pretty simple. The only trick is giving yourself and your coach the right amount of time to know if they’re working. Sometimes you know right away that it’s not right. Sometimes you think it’s not right and you’re wrong. Sometimes it takes a while to see things. It’s all dependent upon you — but the basic tenet doesn’t change. If you make progress, the coach is right for you.

3. What questions should you ask a coach before you hire him or her?

There are lots of questions you can ask about your specific situation, but in general, you should be clear on what you want from the coach, and what the coach is willing and able to do for you in what time frame. You should ask how often you will meet and/or talk and what kind of availability the coach will have and what kind of access you will expect in terms of phone calls, e-mails and in person meetings. Be clear on the charges for the coaching — whether it’s a flat fee or an hourly rate. How will you both know when the coaching relationship is over? What are the rules for ending the relationship and can one of you end it before the other or does there have to be a mutual agreement to end it?