Making the decision to hire a life coach is one that many consider, but since it’s become one of the fastest growing industries, how do you know who to work with? Here are 5 questions you should ask any life coach you’re considering working with:
What experience do you have working with people who are trying to achieve my outcome?
Coaching of any type is very personal and should be tailored to meet your objectives and goals. Knowing your life coach has had experience helping people achieve goals and outcomes similar to the ones you desire is important. This doesn’t mean that he or she can’t help you if your outcome is different, but just like visiting New York is very different than reading about it, coaching people in various situations in a real-life environment is different than watching a YouTube video about it.
Have they done what you’re trying to achieve?
Now, some of the best coaches in the world of sports haven’t been as great as the people they coach, but knowing the road ahead can help you avoid roadblocks and costly mistakes. If you’re looking for help in your business, then has your coach run their own business other than life coaching? If you’re looking to repair a marriage, then it’s worth knowing the status and history of your coach’s relationships. They don’t have to be perfect, in fact, most learning experiences come from mistakes, but transparency and real world experience trump theory any day.
Where did they get their education and experience?
Yes, it’s true that to be a great coach you don’t need a fancy degree, but having some base level of education in the area you’re practicing certainly does help. This can come from a variety of sources and doesn’t have to be formalized, but if your potential life coach’s only education was watching the Secret, you may want to consider looking elsewhere.
Do they have testimonials or reviews you can see?
Life coaching can be extremely private and higher-end life coaches that work with celebrities and people in the public eye often sign an NDA, but any good life coach should be able to point you to at least 1 reference that you can check in with. In my experience working with high-profile clients, they are happy to sing your praises if you’ve helped them change their lives. You don’t need a lot of references: 1-3 should serve you well.
Why did they get into coaching?
Inevitably your coaching should ask you your “why”, so you should ask theirs. Look for a reason that comes with a sense of purpose or calling. All the great coaches I know have been coaching people in one way or another the majority of their lives. It may not have looked like life coaching at the time, but it was coaching. This is one reason so many fitness professionals find themselves becoming life coaches – it’s a calling.