Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Factors To Consider When Looking For An Executive Coach

By Edna Booker


Finding a mentor can be a difficult task if you do not know how to tell apart someone who will be a good mentor from someone who will not make a great mentor. A good mentor will add a lot of value to your life, while a bad mentor will end up wasting your time. To increase your chances of finding the right executive coach, there are some things you should be on the lookout for.

Always investigate the person you are considering to choose as a mentor. Your investigation will reveal various things about their life. Such details are important due to the nature of relationship you will have with the person. For instance, it is more advisable to find someone who is familiar with the line of work you are in and whose philosophy in life is similar to yours.

Find a person you connect well with. This is because if you aren't comfortable with the person you choose, you will find it hard to share your personal challenges with them. The coach's temperament should complement your own. You should be able to have a relationship, which has mutual respect and trust. Just keep in mind that you are not looking for a lifelong friend, but for professional help.

The mentor should be an empathetic speaker. They should give you ample time to talk while they listen keenly. Avoid someone who keeps on interrupting you or does not take time to try and understand what you are saying. This can end up being quite frustrating for you. Moreover, your mentor should be discreet and not share with other people any personal information you disclose to them.

Availability is quite an important aspect. Your mentor should make time to meet with you occasionally. This means that your schedules should complement each other so that you can have time to interact. You can organize for face to face interactions or you can use other methods to communicate, if it is not possible to physically meet. You can be mentored for a few months or you may choose to prolong your relationship to a year or more.

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.

A self-assured person who has direction in life will make for a good mentor. They will be able to give you the guidance you need and they will not hesitate to challenge your decisions when they feel that you are not doing your best. An achiever and someone who has done quite well for themselves will inspire you to do your best and achieve more than you possibly thought you could.

A mentor who has some level of mentoring experience is better paced to help you. Find out if they have successfully coached other people before. Also, consider someone who has undertaken some kind of training program in coaching. They will have better coaching skills and will be better placed to help you than someone who has not been trained.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment