The Comprehensive Manual for Hiring a Coach

The term "coach" has been around since the nineteenth century, and it has been used for private teachers. Later on, coaches became dominant in sports, but in recent decades, coaching has become applicable to almost every field due to the fact that it is a relatively new phenomenon. In addition, there are many questions and difficulties related to coaching.

In this guide, we will address the most common questions and challenges facing the process of hiring a coach. We will also inform you about the tasks of the coach, whether you need one, and how to pick the right coach for you.

What are the tasks of the coach?

A coach is a person who helps others improve a particular skill or process; That is, they assist a person or a group of people to achieve a specific goal.

Here are the coach's tasks:

• Assisting you.
• Answering your questions.
• Guiding and helping you.
• Comforting you when you fail.

Everyone who has participated in team sports knows that coaches aim for a certain goal which is winning. They do their best in guiding their team to improve themselves so that they can win. However, the coach does not win by themselves, but rather it is the players who do it and the same applies to any type of coaching.

When do you need to hire a coach?

Generally speaking, It's good to hire a coach when you're serious about a particular skill or process.

Here are some examples:

1. Building a career: 

Some coaches can help you practice interviewing techniques, negotiate raises, and change professions, etc.

2. Building a business:

A coach can assist you to develop your business by offering advice on matters such as employment, marketing, and sales strategy, etc.

3. Learning a skill: 

A coach can teach you any kind of skills, such as writing, programming, tennis, playing guitar, and language learning, etc.

4. Fitness: 

There are plenty of coaches in the health and fitness domain. You can hire a coach to improve your strength and stamina as well as to improve your diet, and so on.

As you can see, all of the above examples focus on a skill or a process. Let’s suppose that you establish a business that has experienced good growth for two years and you want more. An experienced business coach in developing a company can assist in this process. Generally, you should hire a coach when you seek to succeed in something, otherwise, it will be a waste of time for both of you.

When it comes to business and jobs, hire a coach when you are ready to progress and evolve because it's illogical to hire a coach when you have just started your business. When you start a business, it is better to read books and take training courses first. Get your first clients or customers, then hire a coach who can help you develop your business.

Benefits of hiring a coach:

1. Coaching saves you a lot of time:

The politician Otto von Bismarck says: " A fool learns only from his own mistakes, while a wise man learns from the mistakes of others."

Coaching is designed for people who are serious about their progress, and it is also about investing in your time to the maximum. Although there are no shortcuts in life, you can definitely buy time. When you intend to do something on your own, you are relying on your own experience only and that's time-consuming. And as an amateur in a field, you will make the same mistakes as beginners. Therefore, it would be better to rely on the knowledge and experience of experts to avoid making those mistakes.

2. Accountability pushes your progress forward:

Too many of our goals often fail because they are either unrealistic, or there is no one to help us sustain our progress, and here lies the importance of having coaches as they can inspire you to achieve your small and big goals as they assist you to stay focused and on track. Also, having someone who encourages you in the meantime can greatly affect your motivation.

Most of the time, we are our biggest enemies when we try to improve ourselves, our jobs, and our lives. Coaches can offer you an unbiased point of view and constructive criticism, and with the help of a coach, you will see beyond your restricted beliefs.

How to pick the right coach?

Now that you've decided that you need to hire a coach, how can you find the right coach that suits your needs? For example, hiring coaches is often more expensive than taking an online course. Furthermore, you will be working with the coach for a long time depending on the skill or process you are trying to improve.

In short, choosing the wrong coach will cost you a lot of money and time, so you have to choose the right coach that fits your needs. Here are some things to keep in mind and several questions to consider in the process of finding the right coach:

Essential certificates and experiences:

An executive coach with considerable experience in running multinational companies is not the best option to coach an independent entrepreneur. Consider the following questions while looking for a coach:

• Did the coach you want to assign help people to face similar challenges as yours?
• What did the coach achieve in their personal life?
• What kind of clients did they work with previously?
• Did their clients achieve what you aim to achieve, and have they accomplished significant success?

Instead of relying on certificates and expertise, you can count on the results and what the coach accomplished in their personal life. In other words, If they cannot establish a successful business, they are not expected to teach others how to do so.

Determining the best coaching method:

What type of coaching do you prefer? As the pandemic spreads, most coaching happens virtually. Methods may vary, but the most important point here is to be sincere in choosing what you prefer. For instance, some people need to hire a local coach. This is right, especially if you are looking for a coach to work out with, and you likely want someone who can easily correct your posture or modify the way you perform to maximize the effects of your workout.

The importance of harmony:

This is quite obvious, but it's always important to consider the harmony between you and your potential coach. Talk to them for 15 minutes or so, that would be good enough for you to feel inspired and that also encourages you to resort to them for improving your skills. That usually means that the coach is helping you commit to your duty and that they are inspiring you to grow and evolve. Different coaches may offer distinct methods, points of view, and activities in each session. That’s why it's good to have discussions with your coach to determine whether they are optimal for you or not.

In conclusion:

Whether you decide to work with a coach or not after reading this article, remember that there isn't only one way to achieve success because each coach has their method, and some coaches won’t be appropriate for you. So, if you decide to hire a coach, try working with them first, if they aren’t optimal for you, then look for someone else. All you should care about is making progress in your life and career, and a good coach should help you do that.