If you're not sure if coaching or mentoring are right for you - or what to expect from such a relationship - then help is at hand...

Before you start looking

Professional coaching and mentoring, like all professional services, attracts a commensurate fee. If the coach or mentor is creative they will work with you to strike a balance between your ideal requirements and what you are able to afford right now. It is not just the cost of the programme that must be taken into consideration, but also your motivation to change and how much time you are prepared to commit both to the coaching or mentoring process and also to achieve ‘assignments’ in between.

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Questions to ask yourself

• What personal benefits or performance improvements are desired? If it is a company programme think about what you want personally as well as what the company is likely to expect you to achieve.
• Who will be paying for the programme, will it be you or your company?
• How much are either you or your company able to spend, in total, on your development?
• What proportion of this budget can be allocated to coaching or mentoring?

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Structure and length of the programme

Ideally a programme should be designed to suit your precise needs in terms of structure, content, style of delivery and overall duration. This may sound a bit vague, but a programme could last from a few weeks to many years. There is a great deal of flexibility in coach or mentor programme design and it will usually depend on your needs.

If you feel there is a discrepancy between what you want to achieve and your available budget or time, consider breaking down your objectives into individual goals or steps which you can approach individually. One way of doing this is to focus purely on the issue of finding enough free time and/or capital to engage in this process at the level you would like. When this has been achieved you can move forward onto some of the other goals you would like to achieve.

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Delivery method

Whether the programme is face-to-face, email, telephone or video based or a mixture or these this is likely to impact on both the cost and the effectiveness of the programme. Email and telephone on are often less expensive than programmes conducted entirely face-to-face. Video via webcams and internet telephony is becoming more accessible and popular.

Ultimately, a programme should be designed and delivered creatively and flexibly to meet your needs personal preferences, budget and learning style.

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Qualifications & Experience of the Coach or Mentor

There are a plethora of training options for coaches and mentors. Ask your coach or mentor for details of their own prfessional development and credentials related to coaching someone like you. Also look at the coach or mentor's career and life experience and how they incorporate other disciplines (eg management, psychology, sport, creative arts, HR etc) into their practice

The most important thing is that you are satisfied that they are right for you and will give you the right service to move you forward.

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References & testimonials

Many coaches and mentors will ask previous clients to provide references and will happily make these available to you. Be aware that the psychology profession has restrictions on the use of references in some parts of the world. Talking to a coach or mentor's previous clients is probably the best way to find out about the benefits of coaching and mentoring and the style and skills of the specific professional in question. Coaches and mentors also use a variety of styles and tools that may or may not suit you so it is worth asking about this area specifically.

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Contracts with the coach or mentor

A written agreement or ‘contract’ is very important as this document will set out in writing what services you have agreed to pay for and what outcomes and deliverables you are entitled to expect for the money you have paid.

The agreement will also outline issues such as termination and what monies you will owe if you decide not to continue with the programme, as well as the compensation or reduction of fees you may be entitled to if elements of the programme are not delivered. It also outlines the etiquette and expectations both parties can expect from each other.

More about coaching contracts

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Do I really need a professional coach or mentor?

Coaches and mentors can also be found within the circle of friends, family or colleagues and it is not strictly necessary to engage in a formal programme. People are, however, tending to opt for formal programmes as, although it is possible to mentor someone who is close to you, it takes a high degree of maturity and expertise to do so effectively.