A useful starting point is to ensure you are clear on why you are considering coaching at all. Without that clarity, even a highly capable coach is unlikely to create meaningful impact.
Before You Begin
Questions to ask yourself before engaging a coach
These questions help determine not just whether coaching is appropriate, but what kind of coaching relationship is likely to be effective. Click Prompts to help you reflect under any question to go deeper.
1
What specifically is prompting me to consider coaching now?
Go deeper
- What has changed recently that makes this feel timely?
- Is there a particular challenge, transition, or frustration driving this?
- What happens if I do nothing for the next 6–12 months?
2
What would a successful outcome from coaching look like in practical terms?
Go deeper
- What would be different in my day-to-day work or life?
- What would I be doing more of, less of, or differently?
- How would I measure progress or success?
3
Am I seeking support with skills, decisions, mindset, or something deeper?
Go deeper
- Is this about capability, clarity, confidence, or identity?
- Where do I feel most stuck or uncertain?
- What level do I sense this issue really sits at?
4
How ready am I to be open, challenged, and potentially uncomfortable?
Go deeper
- Am I willing to hear things I might not agree with at first?
- How do I typically respond to challenge or feedback?
- What might get in the way of me fully engaging?
5
What has or hasn't worked in the past when I've tried to address this issue?
Go deeper
- What approaches have I already tried?
- What helped, even partially?
- Where did things stall or fall away?
6
Do I want directive input, or primarily a space to think and be challenged?
Go deeper
- Do I want advice and suggestions, or questions and reflection?
- When have I learned or grown most effectively in the past?
- What balance of support and challenge works best for me?
7
How much time, energy, and financial commitment am I willing to make?
Go deeper
- What level of commitment feels realistic and sustainable?
- What might I need to prioritise or deprioritise?
- How serious am I about making this change?
8
What would make me trust a coach enough for me to be honest and vulnerable with them?
Go deeper
- What qualities or behaviours help me feel psychologically safe?
- What would build credibility and rapport for me?
- What would undermine trust?
9
Am I looking for accountability, insight, behavioural change, or all three?
Go deeper
- What do I feel I need most right now?
- Where have I struggled to follow through on my own?
- What kind of support would make the biggest difference?
10
How will I know if coaching is working for me?
Go deeper
- What early signs or shifts would I notice?
- How will I track progress over time?
- At what point would I reassess or adjust the approach?
The Discovery Call in Practice
What a discovery call looks like
The discovery call is typically conducted via video. Matthew offers a free, no-obligation 30-minute conversation to explore potential fit before any commitment is made. Identity of the potential coachee below has been anonymised.
Finding the Right Coach
Questions to ask prospective coaches during a discovery call
The aim is to assess both competence and fit. Click What to look for in the answer under any question to reveal guidance on interpreting the response.
1
What is your background, and what types of clients or situations do you most commonly work with?
Look for relevance and depth rather than prestige alone.
Strong answers will include:
- A clear description of the types of clients and situations they work with
- Pattern recognition – common challenges, transition points, leadership issues
- Examples that feel grounded and specific, even if anonymised
Be cautious of:
- Overly generic claims ('I work with all kinds of people on everything')
- An overemphasis on status without substance
2
What coaching qualifications do you hold, and are they accredited by bodies such as the ICF or the EMCC?
A credible coach should hold recognised qualifications.
Strong answers will include:
- Recognised coaching qualifications – not just short courses or unrelated training
- Accreditation or active progress towards accreditation with the ICF or EMCC
- The ability to explain what they learned and how it informs their practice
Be cautious of:
- Reliance on life experience alone
- Dismissal of qualifications as unnecessary
3
Do you adhere to a formal code of ethics, and can you explain how that informs your work?
Look for:
- Explicit adherence to a recognised ethical framework – confidentiality, boundaries, client autonomy
- The ability to explain how ethics show up in real situations, not just 'I follow a code'
- Awareness of limits, including when not to coach
Red flag:
- Vagueness or overconfidence without reference to boundaries
4
Do you undertake regular supervision, and how does that support your practice and your clients?
This is often overlooked but is an important mark of a serious practitioner.
Strong answers will:
- Confirm regular supervision with a qualified supervisor
- Explain that supervision supports reflection, challenge, and safeguarding client interests
- Show openness to being held accountable in their own practice
Weak answers may:
- Dismiss supervision as unnecessary
- Show little understanding of its purpose
5
How would you describe your coaching style in practice (e.g. challenging, reflective, structured, flexible)?
Look for clarity and congruence between what they describe and how they show up in the conversation itself.
A good coach should:
- Describe how they actually work – degree of challenge, structure, use of tools
- Acknowledge that style flexes depending on the client
- Be transparent about what they will and won't do (e.g. advice-giving versus facilitation)
Be cautious if:
- The style sounds overly rigid, or
- So vague that it is meaningless
6
How do you typically structure a coaching engagement – frequency, duration, review points?
A strong response will:
- Set out a clear but flexible framework – session frequency, duration, review points
- Include some form of goal-setting and periodic review
- Balance structure with responsiveness to the client's evolving needs
Weak answers tend to be:
- Overly loose ('we\'ll just see how it goes'), or
- Overly prescriptive with no room for flexibility
7
How do you handle situations where a client may need support beyond coaching (e.g. therapy or specialist advice)?
Look for:
- Clear recognition that coaching is distinct from therapy, consulting, or legal/financial advice
- Willingness to refer on when issues fall outside their competence
- Comfort in naming their own limits
Red flag:
- A coach who implies they can handle anything
8
How do you measure progress or success within a coaching relationship?
Strong answers typically include:
- Collaborative goal-setting at the outset of the engagement
- Regular check-ins against those goals
- A mix of subjective (insight, confidence) and objective (behavioural change, outcomes) measures
Be cautious of:
- Purely intangible measures with no accountability, or
- Overly rigid metrics that ignore the human element
9
Can you give an anonymised example of a client situation similar to mine and how you approached it?
Look for:
- Anonymised but specific examples demonstrating their thinking and approach
- Evidence of process – how they worked, not just what the outcomes were
- Reflection on what was learned from the engagement
Weak answers are often:
- Superficial or overly polished
- Light on insight into how the coach actually operates
10
What should I expect from you as a coach, and what would you expect from me as a client?
A strong coach will:
- Clearly state what they commit to – confidentiality, presence, challenge, professionalism
- Be equally clear about what they expect from the client – honesty, commitment, follow-through
- Position the relationship as a partnership rather than a service transaction
Be cautious if:
- Expectations are entirely one-sided
- They are not articulated at all
A strong coach should be able to answer these clearly and without defensiveness. More importantly, their answers should align with what you have already identified as important in your self-reflection. The purpose of these questions is not to elicit "perfect" answers, but to assess credibility, self-awareness, and alignment. Strong responses tend to be clear, specific, and grounded in real practice rather than theory or vague claims.
The Bottom Line
Overall indicators of a good fit
Across all answers, look for:
Clarity over jargon
Thoughtfulness over rehearsed responses
Appropriate humility – they know their limits
Consistency between what they say and how they show up in the conversation
Finally, the 'fit' question is not purely rational. If the answers are strong but there is little sense of trust or ease, that is relevant data. Conversely, a good rapport without substance is unlikely to sustain meaningful progress.
Ready to start a conversation?
Book a free, no-obligation 30-minute discovery call with Matthew to explore whether coaching is right for you, and whether we are the right fit for each other.
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