36 WORKING WITHCOACHES
Part III: Ensuring Fit
Once the decision to hire a coach has been made, how does the client judge
whether a particular coach will be a good fit for the coachee and the organi-
zation’s needs? It is necessary to consider the appropriateness of the coach in
terms of background, ability, organizational fit, and human chemistry. This
will increase the likelihood of success.
Alignment of Values
Although alignment of values is rarely considered, a mismatch in values set
lead to failure. The coach’s values, demonstrated in his or her approach,
methods, and personal philosophy must be a good match for the organization.
A hard-driving organization that values internal competition over team har-
mony, for instance, would not be well served by a coach who works to in-
crease effectiveness by improving interpersonal relations. An organization
or iented toward short-term profits might be out of line with a coach whose
work is most effective at instilling long-range capabilities. Stark contrasts in
these points of view will lead to conf lict between coach and client, and re-
sult in a poor return on investment. It might even place the coachee in some
degree of career jeopardy.
Wisdom, Insight, and Intuitive Leaps
Has the coach walked a mile in the coachee’s shoes? The coach must be able
to understand the challenges of the person being coached. Ideally, the coach
has had direct, personal experience that relates to the coachee’s current con-
cerns and needs. Quite often, coaches who advise senior leaders have been
senior leaders themselves, or have worked so closely with such people that fa-
miliarity is very high. It shouldn’t be assumed, however, that because a coach
works well with senior leaders, his or her ability transfers automatically to
more junior levels. Pressures, responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities
can be very different.
Experience provides the coach with credibility. The coach should know
how to present him or herself in a way to make his or her messages heard and
understood. It doesn’t matter how wonderful the adv ice or counsel is. If the
coach does not project credibility, the message will go unheeded.
Technical knowledge or expertise can also matter, but is not nearly as im-
portant as one might think. The coach, to a certain extent, can actually be well
served by a lack of direct technical knowledge. This forces the coachee to ar-
ticulate issues in greater detail, and opens the door for the fresh perspective of