Would you trust your friend to fix your car, even if he is not a mechanic? Would you trust your senior neighbour to cut your hair, even if he is not a hairstylist? How about trusting your five year old nephew to fly an airplane?
All of the questions above are apparently redundant, and what is more obvious is that you shouldn’t trust other people to make your life choices for you as well. Never let anyone tell you how to live your life. However, finding a professional to guide you to reach your personal goals is a completely different matter. If a qualified life coach is what you are looking for, in the following list you will find some serious questions to ask before you decide to hire one.
#1 The Question of Proof
Before you make any step and decide to even address the person that you are considering employing as your life coach, there is a matter of credentials and certification. This is basic knowledge, and your personal coach is probably counting on that question so don’t be afraid to check every fact. Ask for referrals, discuss previous employment, validate the certificate and don’t be afraid to express any doubt that you might have.
Your personal coach will certainly have no problem in responding to this seemingly invasive inquires, unless he, or she, is hiding something. Your personal progress is your private matter and you shouldn’t let anyone address it before you make sure that that person is competent. Certified life coaches are well aware of their influence and impact, and if they are genuinely trying to help you they will understand your concern as well.
#2 The Question of Guidance
If you are experiencing any troubles regarding hesitancy and reluctance, if you are not sure what your main goal is and how are you going to achieve one – that is all a part of the process. Your personal coach will help you to figure out and sort your ambitions. However, avoid succumbing to influence at all cost. This may be a redundant question if you are dealing with an honest person and a professional, but even the best can be fooled and sometimes your agreement can be interpreted as an attitude.
State your expectations, your limitations and underline your comfort zone. If you fall under the influence of your life coach, no matter how sincere and helpful that person is, you will end up even more confused and your sessions will not be as productive as they could be. Have an attitude, open up and give talk therapy a chance.
#3 The Question of Progress
Genuine life coaches will never give you an estimation of the final results, nor will they tell you the exact date when you can achieve them. To make sure that you are hiring an authentic professional, look for a disclaimer similar to the one that you can find on the bottom of the page of the EverCoach coaching academy website. Their services are underlined as a help-program, not an empty promise that you will gain x amount of money for x amount of time and similar hoaxes that you will find online. If your potential life coach is advertising services by giving out any assessment of that sort – simply navigate away from that page and look further.
The question of progress is a question of collaboration. Your bond with a life coach will help you significantly, you will have a corner stone to rely on and, ideally, you won’t have to ask for an ETA on those results – they will simply show.
Apart from all the suspicious allegations aforementioned, if you find your ideal life coach then find a way to trust him/her as well. Mutual trust will only benefit your cause, and your coach will certainly become your friend at the end.
