Here's how I pick my coaches.
Coaching is an unregulated industry (like lots of industries!) and I personally think that it’s a good thing right now, but it can contribute to mild intimidation when trying to find your own coach. Here’s how I do it!
One of the wonderful things about creating your business as a coach is that there is no standard industry regulation. I believe it's one of the best things for clients, but that can also make choosing your first coach mildly intimidating.
Here's what I mean by unregulated:
There is no single governing body that defines and qualifies coaches.
Lots of businesses are like this, actually. And there are different measures of regulation for different reasons. You can just open a design firm if you want. Or a boutique. Or a surf shop or a tech company or a handmade leather bag company or a coffee shop.
I'll share a bit of what I think about that below.
Here are (a few of) the positives–
MORE INCLUSIVITY | Those who don't have thousands upon thousands of dollars (and years upon years of time) to spend on degrees can build careers of distinction based on what they're truly good at helping others do, often times because they've done it themselves.
REGULATION ISN'T ALWAYS ABOUT CONSUMER NEEDS | Much of what we consider regulation doesn't always lead to better results for patients / consumers. A lot of regulation is about the state or other regulatory bodies being able to make money off of the work of others. That's not new, of course. And many times regulation is steeped in racism, misogyny, bigotry, classism. It can be as much about keeping people OUT as it is about keeping you ‘safe.’
BUREAUCRACY SLOWS INNOVATION IN INDUSTRIES | Once industries are heavily regulated, they often move at a snail's pace and not at the pace that actual humans need for their own health / growth. Bureaucracy, right? So, the pace at which a coach innovates on behalf of her clients is often incentivized because, frankly, that's how she gets more clients. She has to keep improving to stay in business.
SO MANY COOL OPTIONS | Do you have an issue that you'd like help with but you're not sure where to turn? There is most likely another human out there like you (if not many many more) and often there will be a coach to help you, too. It's truly amazing how we are taking initiative to solve the issues of our communities via coaching– often times at very low cost or free. You just have to look.
And here are some ways that I find it makes finding your first coach mildly intimidating–
FINDING A MATCH | It might be really hard for a consumer to know if the coach can truly help them. But keep in mind that this is also true about any medical doctor or therapist.
THERE ARE NO INDUSTRY STANDARDS | So, since there is no large-scale regulating body it's really hard to know what method (if any at all) a coach practices. This is actually one of the reasons I got trained at The Life Coach School and why I often tell clients that. I want them to be able to look into the school's philosophy (if that matters to them) when they're making a decision about whether to hire me.
ANYONE CAN CALL THEMSELVES A COACH | I personally think we need more coaches out there helping people manage their emotions, because I look at the world around us and see so many issues that stem from internal emotional conditions. But, again, that's MY (and many of my colleagues) framework. Not everyone is in it for the reasons you might consider are ‘right’ or at least aligned with what YOU need. And that is totally fine because we need all sorts of problem-solvers out there. But you might need to spend some time vetting, researching, asking questions and maybe even scheduling consult calls (where coaches often answer questions or give you insight into how they coach).
Here’s how I pick my coaches (and really anyone I want to work with). This is specific to me, my preferences and how I navigate the world. You might have another way. Use this as a framework to establish what is important to YOU.
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I define my problem and my result as well as I can ahead of time.
What am looking to do / change? What’s the issue I’m having? What would mean success to me at the end of working with someone?
I set up a consult call.
On the call, I can ask any questions I have, and I can get a sense of if we’d be a good fit.
I take a peek at the social media and website of the coach.
I’m a designer, so this matters to me (sometimes). I’ll be the first to admit that before I got certified as a coach in 2016, I almost didn’t sign up because the brand look and feel was giving me very weird vibes. But honestly, I’ve solved that in myself and no longer equate good coaching with good branding. However, there are other reasons to check them out. Looking at content and websites can help you understand more about how this person works and what the believe.
I read testimonials and reviews.
I think these can be helpful but also remember that we’re all different and how we see value is different, too.
I also just go off of my own gut instinct.
Often, I can just tell if something is a good fit for me with nothing more than my own intuition and my thoughts about my coach. Buying into your own healing is actually more important than any reviews, likes, website, branding or philosophy a coach might have. Your own growth requires your participation. Don’t forget that.!
Good luck hiring a coach! If you’d like to schedule a consult with me, please do so here.
