Many coaches are called, but not all should be chosen

Hiring a professional coach is one of the most important things that you can do for the growth and development of your career. But the same due diligence that you would take for seeking out a dentist, a lawyer, or a medical doctor is the same care that you should take when it comes to hiring a coach. Coaches don’t perform medical procedures, nor do they defend you in court from a high-priced lawsuit. But what they do is equally as important. Coaches are hired to help you make life-changing transformations in both your personal and professional life. That means sharing and revealing some of your innermost secrets as well as your deepest hopes and darkest fears. I have had clients tell me that they have “never” discussed the things that they have shared with me with their spouse or their closest family or friends. That speaks volumes. Therefore, this illustrates the vital importance of being certain that the person that you call coach; and that you invite into your life is a professional that is not only tried, tested and true but they are worthy of your invitation, and they have earned the right to be hired and be called your COACH. Therefore, I feel compelled to outline 10 questions that you should use when questioning and considering potential coaches for hire.

1. What is your coaching experience (number of individuals coached, years of experience, types of coaching situations, etc.)? This question is extremely important because the coaching industry is NOT regulated. Therefore, anyone can “call” themselves a coach. If you search LinkedIn, you will find hundreds of profiles with the word “coach” in them. An experienced coach should have years of experience as a coach with a proven track record of success as a coach.

2. What is your coach-specific training (an ICF-accredited training program, other coach-specific training, etc.)? Professionally trained coaches have hundreds if not thousands of hours of coach training. They have completed an approved training program that requires rigorous professional standards which includes coaching hours, mentorship, supervision, competency assessment, exams, and an assessment of your coaching skills and abilities. This also includes strict adherence to the strong code of ethics. There is a reason that a coaching certification is coveted and sought-after certification and credential.

3. What is your coaching specialty or areas in which you most often work? Understanding a potential coach’s coaching specialty is also important because you would be much better served by hiring a coach that specializes in an area in which you are seeking to be coached. Why? This is beneficial because this means that this coach has a lot of experience working with clients like you; and/or they have been coaching similar issues and challenges that you are facing. This is not so much about them being able to provide you with the answers or offer solutions, as much as it is about having more up close and personal experience with the experience and understanding of your coaching subject matter.

4. What types of organizations do you work with most often? And, at what levels (executives, upper management, middle management, etc.)? If you are looking for a leadership coach, it would best serve you to know what type of leaders and what types of industries and organizational the coach has experience with. Especially if the coach is going to be working with coaching teams and needs to understand the cultures in which they work. Because let’s face it, different industries have very different cultures. In addition, there is also a very different dynamic to coaching an Executive leader with years of experience vs. coaching a brand new leader. Therefore, the more experience and understanding a coach has within a respective industry and level of leadership, the more effective they will be as a coach.

5. What types of assessments are you certified to deliver? Assessments and coaching go together like a hand and a glove. A coach should be not only certified but extremely efficient in their ability to facilitate and interpret the results of a personality or leadership survey. The results of these surveys are often used to assist the coach and the client in creating goals and objectives for the coaching relationship. So, if a coach is unable to analyze and interpret their feedback or the results of the assessment, this could impact the coaching outcomes. This could in turn be extremely harmful to you and your career.

6. What are some of your coaching success stories (specific examples of clients who have succeeded because of coaching)? An experienced and successful coach should be able to demonstrate their current and past successes for a potential client. This means presenting references, case studies, recommendations, etc. They should also be able to articulate what outcomes and return on investment the client will receive by hiring them as their coach.

7. Are you an ICF Member? Do you hold an ICF Credential? There is only one gold standard professional coaching association: The International Coaching Federation (ICF). They are the leading global organization with 35,000-plus professional coaches, and the only independent and internationally recognized coach credentialing program. It is the crème de la crème of coaching. Therefore, if you are seeking to hire a coach, make sure that they are certified and credentialed through ICF. If you look at LinkedIn, you will find many individuals that profess to be “certified” but this does not mean that they are certified via ICF. They may hold a certificate of completion of their coaching training, or they may just be calling themselves certified. However, you will need to be 100% sure that they are a credentialed and certified coach through ICF. Most importantly, if they are not a certified coach, they are not held to the code of ethics. This means that you may be hiring a coach that is unethical and can be breaking the law. So make sure that you are protecting your career, your development, and your career by hiring a coach that will uphold the integrity of its clients as well as the integrity of the coaching profession. For more information on the International Coaching Federation (ICF), check them out at www.coachingfederation.org.

For a confidential coaching conversation, please contact me at nikki@theiopcoach.com.

Nikki Trotter is the Founder and CEO of IO, LLC., a transformational coaching company. I specialize in coaching professional women in leadership from the front line to the C-Suite. I help my clients master the art of resilient leadership to take control of their careers with courage, clarity, and confidence.

Do you know why your employees are failing?

If you have ever had an underperforming employee you know that it is absolutely no fun at all. It is not only difficult it can also be disappointing because as leaders we put a lot of time and effort into #coaching and #developing our employees. So, when we have an employee that is failing to meet deadlines, produce quality work, and generate key outcomes, it can be physically, mentally, and emotionally draining and frustrating. But before you can help them, you really need to understand the reason they have not been successful in performing the roles and responsibilities of the job in which they were hired to do. If this is one of your leadership challenges, check out these 10 reasons why your employee may be underperforming.

1. They don't know that they have to do it. Your employee may not be aware that they are responsible for a specific duty or task. Review their job functions with them at least on a quarterly basis to ensure that they are doing the job that they were hired to do, and they are doing it confidently and effectively.

2. They don't know what they're supposed to do. Check-in with your employees daily to see how they are feeling about their work, and to see if they are facing any major or minor obstacles that are keeping them from excelling in their roles.

3. They don't know how to do it. Sometimes our employees would rather "fake it until they make it" for the fear of not being seen as competent or being deemed as a "bad hire." If this is the case, try to stress-test your employees' abilities by quickly addressing the challenges or issues they are experiencing.

4. They don't think your methods will be effective. This is a great time to find out what methods your employees believe would work best for them. Tap into that and empower them to get their work done with 100% complete autonomy.

5. They think their approach is better. Again, encourage your employees to stretch their abilities and capabilities and find the solutions to their own problems by thinking outside of the box and creating a psychologically safe space for them to fail and learn from their mistakes.

6. They think there is something more important for them to do. Your employees are hungry and they know that their talents may best serve you as a leader and the organization in a different capacity or space. Set them free and allow them to spread their wings by doing additional tasks and responsibilities.

7. They don't think there are any positive incentives for them to do. These may be your high performers, yet they are not highly rewarded. Recognize them often and make sure they know that they are respected and above all; valued.

8. They have personal situations that stand in their way. Remember that your employees are more than just an employee. Therefore, if your employees have personal issues that are affecting their professional life, they will not be as successful or impactful as they can be. Develop more empathy and become the servant leader that they need; especially when your employees' home-life is affecting their work-life.

9. They think they are already doing it. Sometimes an employee may truly believe that they are doing a great job, yet in your eyes, they are missing the mark. Level setting expectations and clearly articulating what they are lacking, and what they need to do to improve is the most effective way to help your employees hit or exceed their target or goals.

10. Nobody can do it. Employees know when they have the "it" factor. They know that they are hard to replace and that their skills are coveted. Don't allow this mentality to become complacent and produce work that is below the line. Keep them engaged in highly visible and challenging projects and assignments.

For a confidential coaching conversation on how to coach and develop your employees more effectively and create a winning team, please contact me at nikki@theiopcoach.com.

Nikki Trotter is the Founder and CEO of IO, LLC., a transformational coaching company. I specialize in coaching professional women in leadership from the front line to the C-Suite. I help my clients master the art of resilient leadership to take control of their careers with courage, clarity, and confidence.

What is your communication style?

Are you communicating effectively? Or is it just an illusion?

Have you ever been misunderstood for how you communicated with a colleague, friend, or family member? Now think about whether you have ever been misunderstood for what you communicated to that colleague, friend, or family member? I would guess that the misunderstanding was probably more about how it was said vs. what was actually said. Why? Well, this happens because HOW we communicate doesn't have the same impact as WHAT we communicate. How we communicate is always more about our body language, for example, using certain hand gestures, animation, and/or using paraverbal communication in the words we use, etc. While what we say is an extension of who we are and our innate personalities etc. In fact, most misunderstandings in communicating are a direct result of how we communicate, the differences in our communication styles.

To be a more effective communicator, we must not only recognize and understand our communication style, but we must also learn how to flex our style so that we can accommodate others. Below, is a quick and easy way to quickly identify your style as well as identify another person's communication style; and adapt your style accordingly. Check out these 4 different styles and determine which style best reflects how you communicate:

1. Direct - A direct communicator likes to get to the point when they are talking; they are often poor listeners; they are very firm in their handshake; they often prefer to maintain a distance; they are bold in their movement and their workspace displays power. They are highly assertive and low in expression.
   

2. Spirited - A spirited communicator loves to tell a good story; they don't hear details because they are not good listeners; they are very enthusiastic in their expressions and handshake; they like being close in proximity; they are quick in their movement and their workspace is usually cluttered. They are high in assertiveness and high in their expression.
   

3. Considerate - A considerate communicator doesn't offer opinions; they are primarily sympathetic listeners; they have a very gentle handshake; they don't like to be hugged; they are often slow in their movement and you will probably find personal photos of family and friends in their workspaces. They are high in their expressions and low in their assertiveness.

4. Systematic - A systematic communicator is very precise in their verbal communication; they listen for facts; their handshake is brief; in their personal space they avoid touching and enjoy the distance; they have a very controlled movement and they are

extremely tidy in their workspace. They are low in their assertiveness and low in their expressiveness.

*hrdq, 2021

It takes some willingness and effort to expand beyond one's style to interact with others. It is generally appreciated, however, and it may make the difference between success and failure in an interaction. So, which one of these represents the way you communicate? Are you a Direct, Spirited, Considerate, or Systematic communicator? Please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts and your communication style.

If you are interested in becoming a more effective communicator, my 3-month program will help you to communicate with IMPACT by (1) communicating with executive presence, (2) influencing others with or without authority, and (3) creating a compelling and winning brand of communication as a leader. If you are interested, and you want to learn more, contact me at: nikki@theiopcoach.com

Nikki Trotter is the Founder and CEO of IO, LLC., a transformational coaching company. I specialize in coaching professional women in leadership from the front line to the C-Suite. I help my clients master the art of resilient leadership to take control of their careers with courage, clarity, and confidence.