How to choose the best coach for you

10 things to consider when choosing a coach

It’s important to take your time when choosing a coach that you want to work with so that you make sure that you get the person that is the best fit for you. These are the top 10 things that I recommend that you look for in a potential coach. These are the things that I pay attention to when I’m considering working with a new coach.

1. Someone who you resonate with

While the coach-client relationship is a professional one, it requires a lot of vulnerability to really speak openly and authentically. Being as vulnerable as possible will allow you to get to the root cause of whatever’s holding you back, rather than simply dealing with surface level stuff. It’s important when choosing a coach that you pick someone who you feel you can trust and who you can speak with openly and honestly.

2. Someone who can hold space

By choosing a coach who is non-judgemental, someone who accepts you exactly where you are and how you are, you’ll find it so much easier to open up and share exactly how you are feeling and what you’re thinking. The extent to which you’re willing to be open and honest will reflect in the progress that you’re able to make.

You also want to choose someone who gives you the time and space that you need. You never want to feel rushed, or that you need to fit in with someone else’s timeline as you’re working through your personal challenges.

3. Someone who is empowering

I hate being told what to do (unless I specifically asked a question about how to do something). Look for a coach who really listens to you, who can pick up on patterns and who can ask you good questions and/or use tools and techniques that help you to reach a new level of self-awareness and new insights.

4. Someone who genuinely cares about you as a person

You can feel it when someone sees you as a number or a dollar sign – and it’s not a nice feeling. Look for a coach who specifically asks you what you want from them as a coach – how you want to be supported.

5. Someone who balances structure with flexibility

Ideally, you want to work with a coach who has a proven framework or process but one that is flexible enough that it can be adapted to suit your individual needs and requirements.

6. Someone who is happy to meet with you before you sign up

This is essential – both so you can check that you resonate with each other and so that you can ask any questions that you might have. Look for a coach who is open and clear about what’s included/not included in the package that you’re signing up for.

7. Someone who is a lifelong learner

I think the best coaches are committed to learning – both in terms of their profession and what they can offer to their clients – and to their own personal growth and development.

8. Someone who is both good at what they do and LOVES what they do

Look for a coach who has both the skills and an obvious passion for empowering people to be their best. You can’t have one without the other.

9. Someone who can see what you can’t

All of us have blind spots – things that we don’t know that we don’t know. An experienced coach can help to shine a light so that you can see what you couldn’t before. Similarly, a good coach will be able to see that you’re capable of so much more than you are currently able to imagine for yourself.

10. Someone who considers and allows time and space for integration

Reaching a new level of awareness, discovering a new insight and creating a new empowering belief are all inspiring outcomes that you should expect to get from coaching. But to actually make a real difference to your life, they need to be integrated. A skilled coach will support you to apply your new awareness in a practical way.