Hiring a coach is one of the best investments if you are serious about making changes in your life. The ongoing personal attention of a caring yet detached coach who can provide the vantage perspective to your situation may be the very sidekick you need to get unstuck and move forward. But how do you choose the right coach? Here are things to consider when choosing the ideal coach to work with.

5 things to consider when choosing the right coach who can be a catalyst for the desired change.

WHAT DO YOU NEED?
Before you can begin searching for a coach, you will have to do a little bit(or a lot) of introspection, what do you need right now? What do you want to accomplish in life? What is the right direction for your life? What have been your greatest achievement so far? What have been your biggest disappointment? What would you say has been holding you back from achieving certain dream you have?
Having some idea of your needs will allow you to pick a professional that has the right hold of specialization. The specialization of a coach can be particularly helpful in overcoming the obstacles that are standing in the way of your happiness.

BACKGROUND AND SPECIALIZATION
A coach that has a good background in several techniques would be ideal. Certification is equally important because it tells you that the professional is properly trained to practice coaching.
Check out the coaching credentials of prospective coaches. what training have they had, what did this involve, how do they invest in their own development and are they independently accredited by say the international coaching federation? This isn’t essential but you will get a sense of the value of they place on their own development- in my view a must. And crucially do they have a coach? If they don’t you might want to question the extent to which they value coaching and what in turn does this say about their own value as a coach?

YOU CAN ALSO ASK FOR REFERENCES
A coach that has satisfied clients will be happy to refer to you. Meeting somebody who has already experienced the coaching technique of that professional can be very beneficial and help you get all of your questions answered.

PAYMENT FOR SERVICE
Finally consider what you are prepared to pay. Coaching fees vary enormously across the profession and are not always indicative of the quality of the coach. Think of coaching as an investment and decide how much you are prepared to invest to achieve what you want. Whilst these are just average figures you may find yourself paying between $100 to $500/hour. Coaches targeting themselves at the corporate market charge more.

Take your time and do your research once you find one, a good coach will listen to you, provide honest feedback, help you understand and overcome obstacles, pinpoint your strengths and help you work on a long term personal development plan. Choosing the right person to coach you will help to lead towards the best possible results.