Assessment Certifications: Qualified coaches often have certifications in leadership assessment tools like Hogan, DISC, EQ-i 2.0, or 360-degree feedback instruments. These enable more comprehensive coaching approaches.

Industry or Functional Expertise: While coaches don't need your exact background, relevant exposure helps. A coach working with tech executives should understand the industry's pace and culture even if they weren't a tech executive themselves.

Advanced Degrees: While not essential, degrees in psychology, organizational development, or business can indicate depth of knowledge. MBA-level business understanding helps coaches engage credibly with executive challenges.

Red Flags in Credentials

Be cautious of coaches who:

• Have no formal coaching training or certification
• Completed only brief "coaching certification" programs (under 60 hours)
• Can't explain their theoretical approach to coaching
• Claim credentials they can't verify
• Rely entirely on their executive experience without coaching preparation

Part 2: Experience That Indicates Capability

Relevant Coaching Experience

Volume of Coaching Hours: Ask how many hours of executive coaching the coach has completed. PCC-level coaches have at least 500 hours; experienced coaches often have several thousand. More hours generally indicate more developed skills, though quality matters as much as quantity.

Similar Client Profiles: Has the coach worked with leaders at your level, in your industry, or facing similar challenges? A coach who primarily works with mid-level managers may not have the sophistication for C-suite coaching, while a coach focused on startups may not understand corporate dynamics.

Relevant Outcomes: Ask about results with similar clients. A coach helping you with executive presence should have track record examples. One helping with strategic thinking should demonstrate relevant impact.

Business and Leadership Experience

Executive coaches benefit from understanding the environment their clients navigate. Consider:

Corporate Experience: Has the coach held senior roles themselves? They don't need identical experience, but exposure to executive-level challenges helps them understand context without needing extensive explanation.

Industry Exposure: Even if not from your industry, has the coach worked with similar industries? Someone who has coached across financial services, professional services, and technology understands different organizational cultures.

Organizational Understanding: Can they engage with discussions about board dynamics, organizational politics, strategic planning, and talent management? This requires either direct experience or extensive coaching exposure.

Questions to Assess Experience

• How many executive coaching engagements have you completed in the past three years?
• What percentage of your clients are at the C-suite or senior executive level?
• Describe a coaching engagement similar to my situation and the outcomes achieved.
• What types of executive challenges do you have the most experience coaching?
• What industries or functional areas do you focus on?

Part 3: Fit—The Often Overlooked Critical Factor

Why Chemistry Matters

Research consistently shows that the quality of the coaching relationship is the strongest predictor of coaching outcomes—more important than the coach's methodology, credentials, or experience. A highly credentialed coach with whom you don't connect will produce weaker results than a good coach with whom you have genuine rapport.

This doesn't mean credentials and experience don't matter—they do. But once you've established baseline qualifications, fit becomes the decisive factor.

Dimensions of Fit

Communication Style: Does the coach communicate in a way that resonates with you? Some executives prefer direct, challenging feedback. Others need more supportive approaches. Neither is wrong, but mismatches create friction.

Thinking Style: How does the coach approach problems? Analytical executives may struggle with highly intuitive coaches. Creative leaders may find overly structured approaches constraining.

Values Alignment: While coaches shouldn't impose values, fundamental misalignment creates problems. A coach who prioritizes work-life balance may frustrate an executive who values intense dedication, and vice versa.

Challenge Tolerance: The best coaching involves productive discomfort. But too much challenge destroys trust while too little enables avoidance. The right coach calibrates challenge to what you can productively handle.

Confidentiality Comfort: You need to feel genuinely safe sharing struggles, doubts, and failures. If something about the coach makes you guarded, you won't get full value.

The Chemistry Session

Most qualified coaches offer chemistry sessions—typically 30-60 minutes of initial conversation before committing to an engagement. Use this time wisely:

Notice your reactions. Do you feel heard? Understood? Appropriately challenged? Trust your intuitions about the interaction quality.

Share a real challenge. Don't just discuss logistics. Bring an actual issue and see how the coach engages with it. Does their approach feel useful?

Ask about their coaching philosophy. How do they think about their role? What do they believe creates change? Their answers should resonate with your own beliefs about development.

Discuss potential friction points. Mention areas where you've had difficulty with feedback or development in the past. See how the coach responds.

Check logistics compatibility. Can they accommodate your schedule? Are they available for between-session support when needed? Do they work in person, virtually, or both?

Part 4: The Evaluation Process

Step 1: Define Your Needs

Before evaluating coaches, clarify what you're looking for:

• What specific outcomes do you want from coaching?
• What developmental areas are most important?
• What's your preferred working style?
• What logistics requirements do you have?
• What's your budget and timeline?

Step 2: Generate Candidates

Referrals: Ask trusted colleagues who have worked with coaches. Personal recommendations from people with similar roles and challenges are valuable.

Professional Networks: HR leaders, board members, and executive development professionals often maintain lists of vetted coaches.

Coaching Organizations: ICF's coach finder, coaching firms' rosters, and executive development companies can provide candidates.

Due Diligence: Verify credentials, check references, and review any available thought leadership or publications.

Step 3: Conduct Chemistry Sessions

Schedule chemistry sessions with your top 3-5 candidates. Come prepared with:

• A brief overview of your situation and coaching goals
• A specific current challenge to discuss
• Questions about their experience and approach
• Clear criteria for what you're evaluating

Step 4: Check References

After chemistry sessions, request and check references for your finalists. Ask previous clients:

• How would you describe the coach's style and approach?
• What results did you achieve through coaching?
• What was most valuable about working with this coach?
• Was there anything you wish had been different?
• Would you hire this coach again?

Step 5: Make Your Decision

Trust both your analysis and your intuition. The right coach should:

• Meet your credential and experience requirements
• Demonstrate relevant expertise
• Generate positive chemistry
• Have strong references
• Make you feel confident about the potential partnership

Part 5: Practical Considerations

Pricing Structures

Executive coaching typically runs $300-$1,000+ per hour, with senior coaches charging more. Common structures include:

• Hourly: Pay per session, typically 60-90 minutes
• Retainer: Monthly fee for a set number of sessions plus between-session support
• Package: Defined engagement (e.g., 6 months, 12 sessions) at a set price

Higher prices don't guarantee better coaching, but very low prices may indicate inexperience or desperation. Focus on value rather than finding the cheapest option.

Engagement Structure

Most executive coaching engagements:

• Run 6-12 months
• Include sessions every 2-4 weeks
• Feature some form of stakeholder input (360 feedback, sponsor conversations)
• Include between-session communication
• Have defined goals and measurement approaches

Organizational Involvement

If your organization is sponsoring coaching, clarify:

• What information, if any, will be shared with sponsors?
• How will progress be communicated without violating confidentiality?
• What's the organization's role in goal-setting?
• Who owns the coaching relationship—you or the organization?

Conclusion: The Investment Is Worth Making Carefully

Selecting an executive coach deserves the same rigor you'd apply to any significant professional decision. Rushing the process or defaulting to convenient options often produces disappointing results.

Take time to define what you need, evaluate candidates systematically across credentials, experience, and fit, and trust your judgment about who can best support your development. The right coaching relationship can be genuinely transformational—and finding it is worth the investment in a thorough selection process.

Ready to find your ideal executive coach? Explore our network of certified coaches and book a chemistry session with coaches whose backgrounds match your needs. Our matching process helps you quickly identify coaches with the right credentials, experience, and style for your situation.