4 Kinds of Coaches and When to Work With Them

There are lots of coaches out there. So how do you know when you’re ready for a coach, and which kind of coach you need? Having been a professional coach for over a decade and having had many coaches over the years, here’s a lens to use to think about what kind of coaching might be profitable for you right now.

The Expert

Some coaches act like consultants, giving advice and summarizing best practices to help you apply them to your life or business. Hiring one of these is like outsourcing part of the personal growth or learning process, a way of being more efficient with your time by letting a professional prioritize and condense what you need to learn to succeed. This kind of “expert/coach” can increase your confidence about the plans you develop, identify weaknesses in strategies, and help you strengthen your processes to build more stable success into your life. Some of them will help you hack your life with neuroscience, or boost your success with negotiation. Whatever the flavor, hiring one is a way of buying bandwidth and brilliance, and can help us move with greater speed toward our goals.

The Lifter

Other coaches mesh the dual responsibilities of a true friend: understanding support and honest challenge. This coach looks for intuitive ways to motivate us, while also providing the (sometimes uncomfortable) accountability that rescues us from delusions of progress. Sometimes we’re not getting anywhere, we’re not trying as hard as we think, and we’re living in a false comfort that the situation is “temporary.” Nothing will change until we do, and this kind of coach is born to help us stop procrastinating. Sometimes we’re defeating ourselves by overworking, cutting ourselves down, or chasing conflicting purposes. This coach really listens, works to understand the nuances of what we’re facing, and helps us with living more whole and in harmony with our meaning and purposes in life.

The Transformer

Then there’s the coach who is all about transformation. Wherever you are when you start working with this coach, you’ll hardly recognize yourself after they’re through with you. With a transformation coach we get to tear apart our assumptions, wake up to the voices in our heads (and figuring out where they’ve come from), and rethink the future in light of a more intentional personal narrative. With this coach we think into our identities, and unpack the implications for everyday living. We’ll often learn about our strengths and begin building on them, and look to the future to see who we really mean to become. A great transformer doesn’t just help us become who we’re trying to be; they help us make sure that we’re actively becoming ourselves.

The Explorer

When I first began training in the techniques of coaching, there was another kind of coach I read about. You could think of this person as a human mirror. Rather than telling you what to think or pushing to any predetermined conclusions, this kind of coach asks curious questions, reflects your thoughts back to you, and provides a space for processing beliefs and behaviors without judgement. Like the stereotypical “how does that make you feel” we often attribute to psychotherapists, we might wonder how helpful a reflection can be. But all you need to see the value of a mirror is to have none at hand. Sometimes we’re not ready to “try harder” on failed goals; we need space to discover what we haven’t been seeing, without the pressure of achievement or decision maintenance.

If you’re interviewing coaches to select the right one for you and ask them which of these they’re able to do, chances are they’ll say “I can do all of that!” They’re probably right, too. Coaches can assume a variety of roles to speak into our lives. That’s why it can help if you’re aware of what you’re needing.

Sometimes the lines can get blurry, or our needs shift. Maybe you’d use a different title to describe the thing you most need from your coach than the words I’ve used. That’s okay. The key is doing some reflection to figure it out. And whatever it is, don’t be afraid to ask for what you need. If you’re not sure what kind of coaching would be most valuable to you right now, feel free to grab a free session with me and we’ll do a little Exploring to figure it out. 🙂

You’re Ready If...

If you’re frustrated with your current situation, anxious about a decision or some uncertainty in your future, feeling pressure from failure or fear around something you don’t yet have the skills to deal with, or discouraged over being stuck or burdened, you’re probably ready for a coach.

Readiness can also show up in the form of inspiration for something you want to accomplish, hope for change or growth, or a burning passion to learn, grow, or connect with the world in a new way.

One mindset that really boosts the value of coaching is if you see yourself as ready for help, support, or fresh ideas. We really don’t have to do everything alone. And often, an outsider will think of things that would never occur to you because you’re too familiar with your own situation.

You’re Not Ready If...

Maybe it seems like there would never be a time when we couldn’t benefit from coaching. In my experience, having someone think with you and ask genuine questions or offer a shared space to brainstorm is always valuable. But hiring a coach is an investment of money, time, and focus. Sometimes really being ready to get your money’s worth out of coaching means making sure you budget a little extra time and attention, not just setting aside the funds.

You’d be amazed what setting aside even 45 minutes a week for reflection and thinking will do to expand the value you’re getting from coaching sessions. Maybe hiring a coach is the elbow you’re wedging into the closing door of your overwhelming schedule, and that shared thinking time is all you can manage; awesome. Start there. But as you work with your coach, look for ways to spend a little time with yourself between sessions to unpack and implement or even simply reflect on the things that you cover in sessions. Over time, you’ll reap even greater benefits from your investment in coaching.