CEOs and VPs of Human Resources are increasingly using the services of executive coaches to assist in enhancing executive performance. In some cases, a coach is employed to assist an executive who is highly competent in the technical aspects of his or her job, to improve interpersonal and influence competencies. In other situations, a need is identified to bolster a specific skill such as public speaking or strategic planning. The following are criteria that should be considered when hiring an executive coach.

Experience: The popularity of coaching has encouraged a large number of individuals to "hang out their shingle." While many of these individuals are very competent, others are capitalizing on this popularity.When speaking with prospective coaches, determine their experience and credentials in two major areas:

1. Skills required to support behavior change. An advanced degree in counseling psychology, clinical psychology, social work or industrial psychology can be very helpful in qualifying a coaching candidate. This should not be a vehicle to screen out candidates, but only a consideration to be reviewed.

2. Expertise in the skill area to be coached. If the corporate executive requires assistance in dealing with the national media, then ask for examples where the coach has been successful. Ask for several references to calibrate the examples. While many coaching skills are applicable to all cases, pertinent technical experience also needs to be considered.

Industry Familiarity: Ask the coach for examples of assignments and references in your industry. This should not serve as an automatic qualifier or disqualifier; however, it increases the credibility of the coach, as perceived by the corporate executive. Understanding the culture of an industry and its particular jargon can help in building the coach/client relationship.

Approach: Ask the coach to describe his or her approach and theory base for coaching. Have the individual review the tools used in coaching, such as: multi-rater surveys, psychological inventories, shadowing and interviewing. Ask the coaching candidates for the length of time they typically work with clients and the reasoning behind this time-line. Determine if this individual is someone who works collaboratively with the client organization, while maintaining confidences or is he or she a lone-wolf. Successful coaching assignments involve support and feedback from key individuals within the organization as well as one-on-one coaching.

Compatibility: Matching a coach to a specific executive is of critical importance. Consider the coach's experience with people at the relevant organizational level in other companies. Whenever possible, ask the person to be coached for his or her preferences. It is quite awkward, three weeks into the coaching assignment, for the executive to request a new coach because "this is not a good fit for me." Consider having the person to be coached meet with two or three coaches.

Sourcing Coaches: Competent coaches can be identified through colleagues in other organizations, consultants who are currently providing you services, and members of your professional associations. When doing your research, ask your associates for the range of coaching fees, based on their experience.

I strongly recommend that you start now to acquire information on the coaching resources that are available in your area. Don't wait until a situation develops that requires immediate attention. The better informed you are, the more effective will be your response to the coaching need. It is not uncommon for organizations to have several coaches, who have been educated in their company and its culture for future assignments.