Cathy Liska When choosing a coach, in addition to asking about training received as noted in the previous post, consider the skills they have developed. The International Coach Federation (ICF) has a list of eleven Core Competencies as detailed in a previous blog series. When you are choosing a coach, these are the skills that indicate the effectiveness of your coach.
As an easy reference for you now, the skills include:
- Meeting Ethical Guidelines and Professional Standards
- Establishing the Coaching Agreement
- Establishing Trust and Intimacy
- Coaching Presence
- Active Listening
- Powerful Questioning
- Direct Communication
- Creating Awareness
- Designing Actions
- Planning and Goal Setting
- Managing Process and Accountability
Assessing the skills of a coach is possible in several ways:
- Research your coach online: visit their website and LinkedIn profile, read their bio and available recommendations.
- Ask people you know for referrals.
- Research the training they received.
- During the interview, assess how the coach interacts with you and manages the conversation.
A coach honors your investment of time and money in the coaching relationship by taking training and developing their skills to provide a quality service. Choosing a coach who demonstrates their commitment to professionalism in this way means you receive the value you want from the coaching relationship.