How to Choose the Right Coach for YOU, Using Your Emotional Intelligence

More people are hiring a coach every day. Choosing a coach is an important decision. To choose wisely, use your emotional intelligence - all parts of your brain, emotional as well as cognitive.

HOW TO START YOUR SEARCH

Start by doing the research.
· Enter "EQ coach" on a search engine, or "personal life coach" and investigate some sites.
· Look for coaches on www.coachville.com and www.coachfederation.org.

INTENTIONALITY

Decide what you’re looking for - life balance, business success, career change, getting organized. If you have trouble with Intentionality, and are at the "don't know" stage, there’s still a coach for you – try an EQ coach!

CATEGORIES

Coaches identify themselves in many different ways - business, corporate, EQ, ADD, relationship, career, personal life. There’s an accountability coach (http://www.goodingaccountabilitysystem.com ), a relocation coach, a real estate coach, an intuition coach (http://www.bemyguide.net ) ...

Be aware that even if you start out with a category in mind, i.e., relationship coach, most transformation involves all areas of our lives. A coach who works in a generalized cross-category may be a better idea (i.e., Motivational, EQ). Some clients hire several coaches - one for relationships, one for career. You can have it your way!

INVESTIGATE

Visit several sites. Check out the coach's training and credentials. Get some idea of the person’s background and preparation for coaching. (It’s unregulated and unlicensed, so it’s up to you!)

A number of coaches have backgrounds in marketing, psychology or social services, but it runs the gamut. If you want business coaching, you may be more interested to see an MBA, or that they've had success as an entrepreneur. (Kathleen Spike, www.coachingworksinc.com, for instance.). If no education or credentials are listed, you should be curious.

USE YOUR INTUITION

As you look over websites, use your EQ. Register your reactions. The website will represent the coach and you should be getting reactions. Don’t censor them. Do you like the colors? Are they calm and soothing? Energizing? Confusing? Disconcordant?

How does the photo of the coach make you feel?

How is the site arranged? Is it left-brained (linear, analyical, unimaginative) or right-brained (holistic, mind-map, creative)?

How organized is the site? This is Mama Bear, Papa Bear, and Baby Bear - whatever appeals to you. Too organized, not organized enough, or "just right" for you.

SIDEBAR: If the site is sterile and appears to have been designed by cookie-cutter, you need to ask yourself why it reveals so little about the person.

Are there typos, grammatical errors or other signs of incompetence or lack of caring? You want a coach who takes pride in his or her work. After all, YOU are going to be "the work."

What do you think about the writing, or, more importantly, how do you FEEL about the writing? Does it flow? Does it appeal to your emotions? How does the vocabulary suit you? Does it resonate with your style and educational level, or what you want in a coach?

TESTIMONIALS

Are there testimonials from actual clients on the website? Look for signs that working with that coach as touched clients, elevated and transformed them, motivated and energized them, helped them manage emotions better, solved problems and gotten results.

MAKE THE CALL

Most coaches offer a free initial sample session. Here you will learn a lot. Choose 3-5 coaches, email for an appointment, or just place the call.

Note your spontaneous reactions. Do you like this person? How long does it take them to reply to an email? Who answers their phone? How do you feel about their voice; you'll be listening to it a lot. Do they seem relaxed, self-assured, and experienced? Do they refuse to give any information or do they start right in coaching? How do they handle your questions about fees and procedures? Do they require a contract?

You can also submit a Request for Proposal on www.coachfederation.org and let coaches contact you.

CREATIVITY

Think of some creative ways to 'test' your potential coach.

*You might ask her what her Strengths are (StrengthsFinder Profile(tm) - http://www.susandunn.cc/assessments.htm ). About half my clientele are other coaches, and I've seen the Strengths profiles of many of them. While no particular strength makes for a better coach than another, if you’re looking for a PLAN, you might look for a coach who has Strategic.

*Ask her what she's say in a certain situation.

*Ask her what her most challenging client has been and why.

*Ask her why she went into coaching, and what she likes best about it.

*Ask her what books she's read this year.

*Ask her what music, poetry or art she likes.

*Ask her to describe a coaching success story.

Enter the coach's name on a search engine and see if she's done any writing on the Internet, has additional sites or businesses. For instance, if you look up "Kathleen Spike," you'll see has published books, written Internet articles, and was a successful entrepreneur before she began coaching.

FLEXIBILITY

DO give the coach a chance to display different aspects of his or her personality. It generally takes a session of two to get enough background information about you for a coach to start formulating a strategy.

AUTHENTICITY, TRUST RADIUS

Reveal who you are, and look for a coach who does the same. Trusting someone until given direct evidence to the contrary is an emotional intelligence competency.

OPTIMISM

Optimism is the facilitator of all the EQ competencies, and essential to coaching. Listen to a positive attitude as you talk with your coach.
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Think and feel your way through this important decision and you'll be pleased with your results! If you’d like some more tips, call me at 210-496-0678. I know many coaches personally, including many countries besides the US, and can help you shorten your search.