Kenny Goodman had a successful career in Recruitment and then built several businesses and sold them before turning his focus 6 years ago to coaching and mentoring in the digital space in the UK, the US and Australia. He is a world expert who is regularly invited to speak at high-end seminars and conferences around the globe. Goodman points out that there are literally no barriers to entry in the coaching profession and no need for credentials or certification, even though there are many organizations prepared to sell to, and train people to pedal their own certifications.
The Coaching Industry has experienced massive, uncontrolled growth over the past 10 years. Coaching is one of the fastest growing professions on the planet and a quick Google search reveals over 115 million results. A 2012 International Coaching Federation Global Coaching Study found more than 43 percent of respondents viewed untrained individuals who called themselves coaches as the biggest obstacle facing professional coaching and the report estimates the coaching industry at about $2 billion in revenue per year. According to Goodman: “It’s just not acceptable that people and businesses in need of help are exposed to a menagerie of so called coaches with neither the experience or track record to be able to help effect meaningful change. It’s no wonder the word ‘coach’ creates skepticism.”
Coaching is about helping your client see exactly where they are now in order to gain the clarity and focus needed to create an effective plan that will get them where they want to be. It’s about helping the client achieve transformational results using a wide range of methodologies that depend on the specifics of the engagement. Coaching is about the client, not the coach. It is not just about a process, or a set of generic questions learned during a certification class. Coaching is about helping clients get where they want to be and is about people who place their trust and money in the hands of others, many of whom lack specific and relevant experience and nous in order to provide quality coaching.
Goodman says: “Continued use of the term ‘coach’ and ‘coaching’ by individuals who lack real life and business experience is a significant threat to the viability and credibility of the global coaching profession. I don’t believe you can be an effective coach when all you have done, at best, is completed a 6 week self-proclaimed certification program and have only ever theorized. Clients deserve better than that. You could never imagine someone who has never engaged in sport, coaching a sports team in an elite competition. It completely lacks credibility.”
A recent article in Forbes Magazine provides sage advice: “Get personal recommendations. Look for experts. Take advantage of free or low-cost training before spending serious money and learn how to avoid scammers.” Expert coaching can help people and businesses grow and transform but there are many things any intending coachee should ask in order to choose an ethical, experienced coach who is likely to deliver results and to minimise the risk of a poor coaching experience.
Here are 7 suggestions:
1. What is their coaching experience and can they give you relevant examples to demonstrate that they have experience that suits you?
2. Has the coach got a track record of success and do they have the relevant experience?
3. Do they use proven models and approaches and is there a clear coaching process?
4. Does the coach ask you to clarify what you want and expect from the coaching? A good coach will seek to understand your objectives and how coaching will work best for you.
5. Do you feel a strong sense of rapport with the coach and do they give you confidence they have good listening skills and then are able to give you solid actionable steps?
6. Does the coach fit? You need to be 100 percent comfortable the coach will suit you and help deliver the results you desire.
7. Is the coach a generalist or do they specialize in exactly what you need help with? You wouldn’t want a GP to perform heart surgery on you so why would you go to a generalist business coach to help you formulate a powerful sales funnel for your business?
Goodman’s advice to anyone considering engaging a coach is: “Speak to current or previous clients to get a good indication of the results they achieved working with this coach. Also find out what the Coach’s actual background is. Have they trodden your path, are they honest about the mistakes they made on their journey and do they have real live testimonials from happy clients who have also walked in your shoes? There are some amazing life changing and business changing coaches out there and when you find the right one, your learning and growth should be exponential. Choose the wrong one and you could end up losing your time, money and sanity.”
For more information, visit http://www.FindTheEdge.com.