Do You Need a Coach?

Whether it is for a competition or even just a simple lifestyle change, hiring a coach to guide you through your journey can be a huge stress relief. Secondly, it can also help prevent making the mistakes that those who have tried before you have made as well. But before you hire a coach ask yourself this:

---

Are you ready to be coached?
and...
Have you considered what your motivation for getting a coach is?

---

All too often we see a coach being called out for being a bad coach on social media, yet very rarely do we see a coach calling out a client for being a bad client. The reality is, we have both bad coaches and bad clients in this industry, however all too often the finger is too easily pointed at the coach when the client wasn’t ready to be coached in the beginning.

The most critically important question you can ask is:

Are you ready to be a good client?

As a current client or a potential client looking for a coach in the future, have you or did you ask yourself that question? Were you or are you ready to be a good client?

• A good client is self-motivated
• A good client not only listens but also asks appropriate questions
• A good client is not coach reliant
• A good client is willing to be challenged
• A good client is receptive to change
• A good client is willing to learn

A good client in the case of being teamed up with a good coach provides the mortar for the bricks that the coach is using to build a wall. As a coach attempts to build the wall, if the client is non-responsive or resistant to listen, learn and be challenged, then the mortar will not bring the bricks together like it should.

In essence, the coach-client relationship is only a success when both parties are on the same page and ready to be involved in a partnership. One can not be great without the other!

So before you search for a coach, ask yourself if you are ready to be the best client you can be. If your mindset doesn’t match your intentions for success then I would suggest waiting until they do, as it is critically important that as a client you are receptive to information and responsive as well.

So what about the coach?

• A good coach is knowledgeable
• A good coach is there to help you find your own motivation, not provide it
• A good coach is receptive to change
• A good coach is willing to listen and adapt
• A good coach is accepting of a challenge
• A good coach is not dismissive of information without researching

One of my favourite quotes:

Good advice not followed, is sh*t advice.

A good coach is able and willing to adapt.

When looking for a coach, these fundamental principles of what makes a good coach and a good client should always be at the forefront of your mind. Focus less on their image and the perceived quality of the coach and focus more on the knowledge they provide and their ability to adapt, their willingness to acknowledge when they are unsure but will research further and their ability to recall information and provide a logical, yet factual response to valid questions.

Just remember, every coach has to start somewhere and it is not always possible to pick a coach purely based on his or her perceived image or lengthy client history. This is where in my opinion, knowledge and the intent for application reign supreme over application.

Now that may sound weird to some, as most look for results when choosing a coach, but just remember there are 1000 ways to skin a cat. A popular coach with 100 testimonials showing tremendous weight loss may appear to be great, but the reality may also be that they simply starved their clients into fat loss without consideration for their physical, psychological and social health.

But I digress, keep an eye out for “what to look for in a coach” as I will write about this at a later date.

Final Notes

Before hiring a coach ask yourself if you are ready to be a great client. While a coach can pave the way to your success it is not their job to motivate you to achieve your goal but instead provide you with the knowledge and guidance to enhance your application.

In order for a positive result to be achieved, both the client and the coach must be ready to be good at their individual jobs. So if you are unsure of your motivation, aren’t receptive to change or aren’t willing to be an active learner, you are not ready to be coached.

Conversely, if you are keen to learn, are motivated intrinsically to be better and you are a self-sufficient client looking for a coach to provide guidance, assurance of knowledge and someone who can challenge you, then do your research and find the best coach for you.

Do you need a coach? Only you can answer that… just make sure you are honest with yourself and the coach you choose!