Ed Modell: Hello! My name is Ed Modell. I am a professional coach and a member of the International Coach Federation. Have you've been thinking about hiring and working with a professional coach to help you or your business achieve something? The public is becoming more aware of the benefits of professional coaching. And many more individuals and groups are turning to coaching to work towards their goals. If you're thinking about hiring a professional coach to assist you with reaching personal goals or to help your company achieve strategic objectives, the first one it conducts a research. Studies have demonstrated that professional coaches can assist everyone, form a stay-at-home mother who wants to return to the workplace, to international companies wanting to develop better leaders and improved teamwork amongst their staff. There's plenty of data on sites such as coachfederation.

org that proves coaching works. You'll also want to set your personal detailed objectives for working with a professional coach or your company's objectives. Remember, it's not the coach's job to set your goals. Coaches help clients work towards achieving their goals and objectives. So having clear goals in place at the beginning of your coaching partnership is important. With this in place you'll want to speak to at least three coaches before making a final selection. Much like hiring a professional to complete a home repair project or hiring a company to carry out a project for your business, you want to hear from several people. The first coach you speak with may not be the right one for you. After completing your interviews you'll need to think about the pros and cons of hiring each professional coach you interview. When making your final selection it's important to consider several factors. Has the coach completed coach-specific training? Whether or not you felt comfortable with the coach? If the way they provide coaching sessions fits with your preferences? Once you've made your final choice you want to make sure you have a contract in place with your coach. Like any business venture, it's important to protect your investment by having a contract in place. With a contract you'll know what it is and isn't included in your professional coaching partnership. I encourage you to refer to these tips as you research hiring a professional coach.