If you are seriously thinking about starting a relationship with a business coach it’s important to check their levels of congruency.
What does this mean? Well, simply put “do they practice what they preach?” Here are the two questions to ask them….’Do YOU have a coach?’ And ‘Are you paying them?’
DO YOU HAVE A COACH?
Why, at the end of the day, would you want to have the person who coaches you extol the virtues of coaching if they themselves aren’t being coached?
Surely, if coaching brings such benefits both personally and to the business then they themselves should have a coach? Why should they have the right to coach you and put you through the rigours of a coaching relationship if they aren’t willing to make the same commitment to a coach?
ARE YOU PAYING THEM?
So, to the second question.
‘Are you paying them?’
There are a lot of coaches out there. And it’s my belief that most, if not all, are probably very genuine people who really do want to help others. The coaching community tends to be a very supportive one….which is a good thing. The trouble is though, that there are relationships formed between coaches whereby they act as coaches to each other as “accountability partners”.
This also is a good thing. Accountability after all is what maintains momentum.
The trouble is though that there’s ‘no skin in the game’ if there’s no transfer of money. A coaching relationship should be one that delivers a return on investment many times more than the investment made. People don’t truly value what they get for free.
And if you pay for coaching then unless you are mad (!) you’ll want to squeeze every last penny’s worth of value from the relationship….meaning that you’ll push yourself much more to do everything that’s required to get results.
That’s why I believe paying for coaching is important. If YOUR prospective coach doesn’t pay for coaching why don’t you ask them if you too can have coaching for free….and then, when they pick their jaw off the floor, ask them why you should pay?
Just a thought.
