Get a Coach (Mentor): Part 3

What to look for in a Coach / Mentor?

This is not a comprehensive list of characteristics, but these are the things that helped me make that choice.
Experience:
* Practical: this is really “table stakes” – someone who has real personal experience under the bar – they know what it feels like to have weight on their back…
* Certifications – external verification that they know something – are good but I really look for practical experience.
* Has “been there” so knows.
* More Experience: someone whose breadth of experience is greater than my own in order to call upon other resources outside of the primary focus.

Results:
* Performance relative to what you want to achieve. They have solid results.
* They hold you and themselves accountable for achieving the objectives.

Communication:
* Trust & Honesty
* Fact based
* Asks good, relevant questions

Problem Solver:
* Able to break things down into component parts to “rebuild”.
* Knows what the “end” should look like / feel like.

Focus:
* Focused on the problem at hand – not distracted by other activities, they are not employed in the business or at the gym to do something else. They are there to fill a role as a coach. Not another job… not their own workout… not doing something else.

Compensation:
* Trade? Money? Something – this is valuable… the quickest way to take something for granted is to not put a value on it or pay for it…