Hey, Coach!
Lately, I’ve been asking our portfolio founders and operators who excel in their roles as a starting point to help others access great coaching recommendations quickly. I don’t assume someone else’s endorsement would be an excellent match for you, but I have compiled a handy Coach directory along with some tips to find your own.
Good-to-knows
Coaching Isn’t “One-Size-Fits-All”.
Coaching is highly personal, and connecting with someone who suits your style is essential. I’ve observed that doing the work to find the right partner pays forward, so we curated a list to help others get started fast.
Understand Your Objectives.
Before you meet with coaches, consider what you’re hoping to achieve. Are you looking for someone who has ‘walked a mile in your shoes’ or has experienced a similar journey to you on the challenges and potholes you may encounter? Perhaps you’re looking at how to master a specific outcome and need coaching on forming a plan. Maybe you’re just looking for an independent, trusted sounding board?
Here are some ideas that may trigger working with a coach on:
- You just took on capital and are now looking at managing a board or an executive team for the first time.
- You are experiencing conflict or concern around relationships with your co-founders.
- You must have a crucial yet difficult conversation with a critical team member and need coaching on the best approach.
- You want to be intentional about scaling your culture and seek guidance on how to do it purposefully.
- You are time-poor yet wish to unlock the motivations of each individual on your team to speed up a healthy dynamic.
It turns out many founders feel unsure and overwhelmed about diagnosing what they need — a great connection with a coach will open your mind up to growth opportunities in a psychologically safe way.
Find a Value-Adding Fit.
While your coach doesn’t need to have been a founder before, it can be helpful, especially if you’re sitting in the often lonely CEO seat or a first-time founder managing everything life throws at you. All coaches are highly skilled in empathizing and understanding. If they have worked in a scaling tech company or with other founders, this is a good signal they appreciate your context.
Explore the Methodologies.
As part of your introductory call, ask how they typically work to set clear expectations. For example:
- How frequently will you engage?
- How will they structure your sessions?
- Will they need to interact with other members of your team?
- How long do they find themselves working with an individual on average?
Every coach is unique and will likely possess a variety of approaches in their toolkit. Get a sense of what a partnership will look and feel like to help you understand how to optimize your time working together. If working across your team, alignment can create a more powerful and robust coaching experience rich with context. Still, some coaches prefer to focus their energy on CEOs and founders alone. Seek out the right fit for you.
Book an Introductory Connection / Trial Session.
Effective coaching demands a complete level of trust on both sides; it’s a mutual bilateral engagement that creates a foundation to explore topics and situations that may be awkwardly bespoke and personal once you dig in. Most will offer a 30 or 60-minute connection call. Set up a call with 2 or 3 potential practitioners on your list. Observe whether they listen, ask questions, can connect the dots and share helpful insight. Make sure you vibe; you’re looking for someone you’re comfortable holding you to account and help lead you to positive change by pushing you outside of your natural comfort zone.
Talk to References cautiously.
Seek recommendations yet stay unbiased. What worked well for a friend may not work for you. Listen for their adaptability, experiences and strength of the partnership they have previously encountered with others.
If curious, I do have a coach. Every ‘athlete’ does. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of having someone on your bench dedicated to your success. Enjoy the journey; those around you will thank you for your time and effort invested. Onwards!
I’m also curious about hearing about your experiences and feedback — connect with me here.
👉 Find the Coach Directory list here
✨We’re all ears if you have coach recommendations; drop me a line at talent@creandum.com.
Explore more:
📚 Trillion Dollar Coach (a personal fav from the Valley legend Bill Campbell)
📺 No time? Watch the Highlights
