Professional coaching: how to choose the right coach?

Professional coaching is in full “boom”. From 2013 to 2017, the number of professional coaches worldwide grew by 18%, from 45,000 to 53,300. There are two reasons for this increase: a good one and a bad one. The good news is that the demand for coaching from companies, managers and executives is on the rise. The bad thing is that coaching is a profession that is not regulated. Anyone can declare themselves a coach if they wish. The problem, if you are not familiar with this profession, is to trust a coach who is just the name of it... In this article, discover the 3 questions to ask yourself (and to ask) before trusting a professional coach‍

What is the professional experience of the coach before his coaching career?

In theory, a coach must first have evolved within one or more companies To management or management positions before starting a career in business coaching. However, before starting professional coaching or any other support, there is A few questions to ask if you want to be sure you trust the right person:

What is the coach's experience as a manager or manager?

It is important for the future coachee to ask himself questions about the professional experience of the coach who will accompany him. At Talentis, for example, coaches all have significant experience in a large company (at least 10 years), in managerial or executive roles. If I work in a large group, it's better to have a coach who understands the challenges and the workings of the group!

Can you describe his career as successful?

To do this, check in particular how long the coach stayed in his various functions.

Why did this person decide to become a coach?

This criterion is very important because it speaks of the motivation of the person concerned. Did she choose to become a coach out of spite, or is it a Carefully considered choice Responding to deep aspirations ?

What is the cultural fit of the coach with the company?

Every business has its own culture. It is therefore a good idea to check whether the coach's values match those of your company.

What is her experience in professional coaching?

What is the coach certification?

It is important to find out about the school where the coach was certified. At Talentis, we only recruit coaches who have been certified in recognized schools such as: Transformance, HEC, INSEAD, Coaching Academy, CTI, etc... Moreover, becoming a professional coach cannot be learned in 3 days. To be considered credible, a certification must have a sufficient number of days (at least 15 days). However, most certifications are obtained in more than 15 days, spread over a period of 18 months to two years. The coaching profession is very rich and does not include only one discipline. As a result, a coach can be certified in individual coaching without being certified in team coaching. It is therefore recommended to check whether the coach concerned has been trained in the field that concerns you.
During his training, the coach will learn to Mastering tools, of templates And methods of supporting change Who are specific. But that's not all! Know all the “basic” coaching tools is not enough to claim to be a good coach. Once certified, the coach will choose one or more theoretical field (s) (NLP, Systemic Analysis, Transactional Analysis, Gestalt...) that he will dig to be able to diversify its tools. It is indeed important for the coach to have good diagnostic grids and solid tools to address the various situations encountered.

The coach is in a logic of permanent learning

Like any profession, the Professional coaching is constantly evolving. A professional coach is required to be interested and trained in different tools and postures, both on coaching topics, but also on what happens outside the company. The objective: to know exactly what will impact businesses in the future in order to respond in the most appropriate way to the needs of employees and organizations.

The coach is supervised

The practice of supervision is also essential when working as a coach, whether individual or collective. During the sessions, the coach dialogues with a supervisory coach and shares his coaching experiences with him. The supervisor provides him with an essential mirror effect to allow him to progress, and at the same time, to help his clients progress. At Talentis, all coaches are supervised regularly.

Is the coach interested in my challenges?

The number of years of experience as a coach is important (at least 5 years. It is also interesting to ask the coach what type of person he is used to supporting (employees, managers and managers), and in what type of company (SMEs, large groups, startups). For example, if I am a Marketing Director in a large group, I will make sure that the coach in question already has one or more successful experience (s) of coaching a person at this level of position and in this type of organization. Admittedly, verifying all of these points during the discovery interview alone can be complicated. That's why we encourage every coachee to find out about the coach's career via Linkedin, but also via his professional network or his old references. Another solution to make the right choice is to contact coaching companies like Talentis. We guarantee you a team of professional, experienced coaches whose referencing criteria are in line with those mentioned above.‍

What is the posture of a good professional coach?

Beyond the resume, make sure that the coach respects the ethics of coaching. Here is a Typology of coaches that we would have every right to be wary of:

• The “guru” coach: The latter has been present in the company for a long time, he has coached almost everyone, has shown a lot of influence within the organization and seems to know everything better than everyone else without ever accepting feedback. At Talentis, for Ensuring respect for coaching ethics, we systematically offer a “pool” of coaches when it comes to supporting several individuals.

• The “indiscreet” coach: In this case, it is easy to check the ethics of the coach in question. Just ask him who he has already coached at the company and see if he gives any names. If this is the case, it would be better to be wary because the next person mentioned could be you!

• The “seductive” coach: From the start, he does not try to challenge you or make you grow but seeks to please you, to flatter you.A good business coach is like a sports coach who is there to allow his athlete to win his next competition. He is not in a quest for recognition and agreeableness, but in this mission to make his champion succeed.

• The “non-responsible” coach: Support always starts with one or more specific objectives defined by the coach and the coachee. You must therefore check that the coach feels responsible for the goals you have defined, and that he makes you work precisely on these objectives. Without a goal, there is no coaching success!

• The “inquisitive” coach: During coaching, the coach must of course ask questions to the person he is supporting in order to help them progress, but not only that. It also has the role of giving feedback, challenging the person, giving options... Coachees often complain about coaches who only ask questions without bringing added value to the exchange.

• The coach with an “unhealthy” relationship with money: Whether he offers too high rates or, on the contrary, he is uncomfortable with the simple mention of his remuneration, pay attention to the coach whose relationship with money does not seem healthy.

When he arrived in France in the early 1980s, coaching often appeared to be a fanciful practice because it was recent and unknown. Today the situation has changed a lot. According to the ICF, 86% of companies that used coaching would say they had a satisfactory return on investment. Although the effectiveness of professional coaching has now been established, the choice of coach remains strategic and can be taken as a precaution. In this article, we have listed the criteria for choosing a coach. These criteria are those that we have been using at Talentis since 2003 to recruit the partner executive coaches with whom we work.

Have the talents of your company supported individually by Talentis Executive Coaches!