I’ve been sitting with this question. I keep hearing lots of folks in the coaching world talk about how important it is to work with a coach who’s ‘done it’… whatever “it” might be.
Sounds good. But is it sound advice?
I have spent thousands of dollars on coaching myself. And when I hire a coach, I’m interested in finding someone who can help me achieve a goal I’m working toward—and get better results than I’m getting on my own. But I’m not so concerned with whether they’ve done exactly what I want to do. In fact, I’m not looking for someone who will push their approach, methods or tactics down my throat. I’m looking for someone who will look at me, my situation, and my goals and help me craft my own way of getting there.
As a coach, this is the approach I take with clients. I’m a strategist and I’m always trying to find the best strategy for the individual and their goal. I feel I shouldn’t limit my clients just to strategies I’ve used successfully—when I know there are other options that might be a perfect fit for them. I’m not trying to create a bunch of ‘mini-me’s’… I’m trying to uncover the uniqueness of each client and unleash that in the most direct and powerful way possible. I don’t believe that what works for me is guaranteed to work for you… because your goals, priorities, values, strengths and timeline are probably really different than mine. And I want to give you the strategies, tools and tactics that fit you and your goals best.
But I do understand that people want coaches who are able to stand on their own success and walk them through the process with clarity and confidence. And one way we can ‘measure’ that is if someone has the results we’re looking for.
So when does it really matter? When must you have a coach or mentor who’s walked the path before you and proven that their system works—for them? And when are you more interested in finding a coach who can help you carve out your own unique path?
For me, I’d definitely want a fitness coach who was fit themselves. If I hired a financial coach, I’d want to know that they’ve helped others grow their finances and that they practice what they preach. But if I’m hiring a business strategist, I’m more interested in a coach who can help me create a customized approach rather than giving me the same advice they gave the last guy, or be limited by the business model they use, without much consideration if it’s right for me.
So, what do you think? When is it critical that you work with a coach, mentor or consultant who’s been there, done that? When is it more important that they be able to offer you strategies aligned with you, even if they’ve chosen not to use it in their life?
