Factors To Consider When Looking For An Executive Coach

By Edna Booker


Having a mentor can help to propel you to your next stage in life. The extra insight and guidance that they give you can be quite instrumental in helping you become a better person and improve your career prospects. Since there are so many coaches that are available, it may be hard for you to decide who to specifically select to mentor you. Following some guidelines will increase your chances of finding the right executive coach, who is a good match for you.

Find out more about the individual you are interested in. This includes their life and academic background and work experience. This will help you know if the person will be able to identify with you and give you the guidance that you need. If possible, try and find someone who is in the same industry you are in. In addition, ask them how long they have been coaching and what made them decide to mentor others.

You must rapport well with the person you select. You can tell this from the initial interview you have with them. If you don't connect, then your relationship may not work out quite well. However, don't go on the other extreme and try to find someone you can be friends for life with. Keep in mind that you want to find a person who you can have a respectable and professional relationship with.

Your mentor should be patient with you and have good communication skills. You can assess whether they have these characteristics when you are talking to them for the first time. Observe how they conduct the conversation and if they are interested in what you have to say.

Decide how long you will need a mentor and find someone who is available for that time period. You should be able to meet from time to time. If face to face meetings are not possible, you can organize other convenient ways of communicating with each other.

Know which methods the professional will use to asses you. This is because your boss or the human resource department may need them to provide an assessment of you after having interacted with you. Your mentor can use various tools in addition to their own observation of you. You do not want someone who will subject you to too many assessments using various tools, as they will be relying too much on data to evaluate you.

Find someone who is self-confident and has a strong personality. They will be able to challenge and guide you better and cause you to want to become a better person as their enthusiasm will rub off on you. Avoid someone who will be too timid to correct you if they think you are doing something wrong.

Even though there is no certification for this line of work, try and find someone who has at least undertaken some kind of formal training program as a mentor. This will assure you that they have a good idea on how to go about the whole mentoring situation. Check if they have been successfully able to mentor other people.




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