Whether you are thinking about sourcing an external coach, or developing coaching in-house, the Association for Coaching UK offers some practical tips on what to look for in a coach.
 

The value of coaching is recognised as a powerful tool for the development of people within an organisation and provides a ‘safe’ forum in which employees can be open and honest about their barriers to success and develop an action-plan to overcome them.

Many companies embark on coaching by inviting an outside coach into the organisation, who may work with just a few individuals within the company, often at senior level.  Once they have seen the advantages of coaching, then it is not uncommon for a company to implement a more extensive coaching programme within the organisation, so that others can benefit from a similar approach.

Selecting an external coach
Gladeana McMahon, Chair of the Association for Coaching UK says: “No coach can be all things to all people, so it is important to set out who will be coached and what it is you want to achieve from coaching.” 

The coaching industry is largely unregulated and so in developing a short-list of external coaches, you may want to set a minimum number of years of practice or experience within a particular industry or level of management. The Association for Coaching has a directory of coaches available on its website which includes those who have achieved Association for Coaching Accreditation Status and those who are members, who have demonstrated a certain level of experience before being accepted.

Once the shortlist has been developed, it is essential to meet with potential coaches, to get a flavour of their experience, how quickly they might fit into the organisation and to get a feel for how they will approach coaching.  When appointing a coach, the following should be considered:
 

1. What is the niche of the coach and what experience have they had?
2. What coaching models and tools do they have a preference for and might they be a good fit with your organisation?
3. What is their approach to coaching confidentiality, feedback and evaluation? How will they provide valuable and meaningful feedback, without compromising the coachee’s confidentiality?
4. What are their communication skills like? Can they communicate in simple language and in a way which will engage with people at various levels of the organisation?
5. Do they continue their own professional development and if so, how?
6. Can they provide examples and references of how their coaching approach has been successful?

Selecting an in-house coach
McMahon explains: “An organisation’s approach to in-house coaching can vary. Some will appoint a full-time coach, while others may have a number of nominated coaches who are allocated time for coaching, alongside a primary job role. Selecting the right person as an in-house coach is crucial, if the coach/coachee relationship is to be developed effectively.” 

Can a line manager be coach?
There is no definitive answer to this, it may depend on whether there is a clear coach/mentoring relationship already present. However, many organisations select non-line managers as coaches, to avoid any conflict of interest and to maintain impartiality. 

So, what are the qualities that should be looked for in an in-house coach?
 

1. Personal attributes should include approachability, impartiality and the ability to maintain confidentiality – chit-chat ruins coaching relationships
2. They should be able to maintain effective work/coach boundaries
3. They should be good communicators and facilitators
4. They should be able to feedback information appropriately
5. They should be prepared to undertake their own personal and professional development

Coaching supervision
Many in-house coaches may have previously mentored people within their organisation, yet will have received little specific coaching training and development. If they are to grow effectively in their role as coach, they will need the resources and time for their own self-development as well as continued support by a ‘supervisor’. In the early days of developing in-house coaching, a supervisor may be an external coach, with a specialist coach supervision qualification and significant experience of coaching which can be shared with their in-house coaching counterparts.

It is advisable that the in-house coach should join a professional body, so that they have the opportunities to attend coaching workshops, training, conferences and join online discussion forums. It would also be advisable for them to work towards a professional qualification in coaching.

For more information please see the Association for Coaching website.