What Questions Should I Ask my Business Coach at Our First Meeting?
What are Your Core Values?
One essential question that I’ve found most people forget to ask or find out about is: “What are your core values?”
If our values aren’t aligned, it won’t be a great experience because we don’t have the same things driving us. Core values should be the foundation for everything you do in business. Working with a business coach who doesn’t value the same things [as you] won’t result in good, strategic advice that will help move your business forward.
Balancing Professional Aspirations with Personal Well-Being
Ask your coach, “How can we develop a strategy to balance my professional aspirations with personal well-being?”
This question is essential because it underscores the integral connection between career success and mental health. It initiates a dialogue about tailored strategies that take into account your individual goals and challenges, ensuring that your professional journey is sustainable and doesn’t compromise your well-being.
The discussion should also target how to handle stress, manage feelings of overwhelm, and recognize signs of burnout. It’s a proactive approach to combine career progression with mental resilience from the start.
How Can You Help Me Get Hired?
The best question to ask a potential career coach is, “How can you help me get hired?” It’s the coach’s job to be realistic and also talk to you about strengths and weaknesses as they relate to the market conditions.
A good coach will talk to you about what the market looks like, as well as things you can do to stand out against competitors. Some coaches have very different approaches from their clients, and this will help you understand if your coach is a good fit for you personally. It’s important to be on the same page early on, as this helps avoid any setbacks you may have in the future.
Ultimately, it is your choice on how you would want to proceed, as the coach just gives you the best course of action.
Ask About Goals and Expectations
One of the best things to do when starting a new relationship with a business coach is to be clear about your goals and what you’d like to accomplish with the coach. Define how they can best support you.
Once you’re clear, ask the following essential question in your first meeting: “If I were an ideal client for you, what are the top five things that I would be regularly doing (in and out of sessions) that are critical to accelerate my personal and business growth?”
Why is this question important? Because many people can see a coach as having all the answers rather than partnering with you. What you bring to the relationship matters. This approach provides a helpful framework, allowing you to benefit from the success strategies their answer provides and know how they measure a session’s effectiveness. The response will also reveal if their coaching values align with yours, which is vital.
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