How to find a good coach

We are often arrogant about history.

Somehow we seem to assume that the people of earlier times were not as intelligent as we are today. In fact, many of their problems and needs must be similar or even identical to ours today. Nevertheless, we often don't appreciate the old.

That's why you hardly see any marketing for classic things. Who gives books, music or fashion from the seventies or eighties for Christmas? Yet many of these things have long since become retro classics, characterized by timeless elegance and modernity. Nevertheless, we often reach for the latest products from the 2024 model year when giving gifts - they seem to be the safer choice. Deep down in our subconscious, we believe that only the new with a lot of marketing effort is really better.

But sometimes, when the advertising backdrop quiets down and the marketing fades, we realize that classic things often fit our real needs much better.

Old school is cool. Not just for Christmas.

Coaching is just such a thing: modern and at the same time thousands of years old.

Coaching is simple and complex at the same time. At its core, it doesn't take much: an attentive, self-reflective and experienced coach who asks the right questions and actively listens. The result is a structured, personal conversation that can ultimately lead to invaluable, potentially life-changing insights. This dialog opens up new perspectives that help to understand deep-seated and complex problems differently - and perhaps better. This changes the way of thinking, which allows solutions to become visible and new habits and behaviors to emerge.

This mechanism was already systematized by Socrates (470-399 BC) and used specifically for the personal development of his students. Coaching is therefore by no means a new invention, but an ancient concept with timeless relevance.

Industrial society has professionalized services and established the profession of "coach" in the 1990s. Today, coaches fill an ever-growing gap between self-help groups and therapy services. According to ChatGPT, there are an estimated 24,500 to 31,800 coaches in Germany alone - exact figures are difficult to determine due to the lack of registration requirements.

Interestingly, this roughly corresponds to the number of licensed psychological psychotherapists in Germany. This shows how great the demand for support already is.

But this oversupply raises the crucial question: how do you find the coach who really suits you?

It works in a similar way to Christmas presents: if you allow yourself to be seduced by marketing, you can spend a lot of money - and with a bit of luck, be successful. But if you know exactly what you need and look specifically for consultants with classic, proven characteristics, you take responsibility for your own success.

This is exactly what this article is about.

Coaching in times of reorientation: my story.

The way we live together and the dynamics of today's working world mean that the need for coaching is constantly growing.

This is particularly noticeable in times of economic uncertainty, as is currently the case. Many highly qualified specialists in the automotive industry have to reorient themselves, be it through restructuring at manufacturers and suppliers or through the transition to new technologies. In such phases, career advice becomes increasingly important. Specialists are looking for support to reposition themselves, develop their leadership skills or take the next step in their career.

I know this from my own experience - I went through this process myself.

In 2017, I realized that the automotive industry would face massive challenges from 2020 onwards. My job, which I had done successfully and with pride up until then, would probably soon no longer be needed. This realization caused enormous stress. My biggest fears were:

Would my family be able to maintain their usual standard of living?
Would I just give up?

Up until then, I was proud of a career that - even if it wasn't always systematically planned - was on a steady upward trajectory. I was the competitive athlete, the successful management consultant, the top-level manager. What would my network think if I left this path? Wasn't a change of direction tantamount to failure? It took a whole 18 months of intensive reflection and systematic coaching before I had the courage to make a decision that completely changed my life - a decision I have never regretted: I quit my job, changed my life from the ground up and started my own business.

My assumptions proved to be correct. According to a study by the VDA, my job at the time is actually one of the professions for which demand has fallen the most. That is the power of coaching. It helps to overcome fears, develop new perspectives and make courageous decisions.

But not all coaching is the same. There are different approaches and types. Successful coaches are characterized by specific features and methods that make them particularly effective. If you want to find your way through this jungle, you should take a close look - because choosing the right coach can make all the difference.

Types of coaches.

First of all, it is helpful to differentiate between different advisors.

Career coach: This advisor specializes in supporting clients in their professional reorientation. Particularly in times of crisis, when professionals are looking for new prospects, the career coach offers valuable advice on career planning, job applications and finding a new job. A career coach works across all industries and also helps to use the professional network effectively and strengthen the personal brand.
Executive coach: This companion works with executives and managers to systematically and strategically drive personal development. In times of uncertainty and transformation, the executive coach is particularly important in adapting personal decision-making styles to new challenges and navigating through difficult phases.
Life coaches: They help clients to find their personal balance, manage stress and clearly define life goals. In difficult economic times, a life coach can help to mobilize the inner strength to develop not only professionally but also personally.
Business coach: This mentor supports entrepreneurs and managers in optimizing business processes, managing teams and scaling companies. Especially in times of uncertainty, a business coach can be crucial in developing a clear vision and strategy for the company.

Coaching topics.

Coaching teaches you to look at existential questions from new perspectives and to find answers that provide orientation and clarity.

For highly qualified specialists whose jobs are changing or disappearing, a large number of pressing questions arise:

Professional and personal goals: What do I really want to achieve professionally and personally? What wishes and dreams have I perhaps suppressed up to now?
Responsibility towards others: Who do I have to take into consideration - family, children, parents? And for how long? What compromises am I prepared to make?
Dealing with the shock: The loss of my job is a shock - how do I deal with it constructively? How do I overcome negative, irrational thinking?

Example: The fear of not finding a new job and "pushing supermarket baskets together" in the future is widespread, but often irrational.

Fears and concerns: What unspoken fears are holding me back? Example: A common fear is that there won't be enough money - although this is often not rationally justifiable.
Social environment and status: What expectations do family, friends and colleagues have? How important is status to me and am I possibly caught in a status trap?
Skills and further development: Which of my skills can I continue to use? What do I need to hone? What should I learn anew? And how do I go about it?

Those affected often tend to brood for a long time and fail to come to a decision - with noticeably negative effects on their mood, sleep, well-being and performance. In such situations, it can be incredibly helpful to talk to another person. Sharing ideas and adopting new ways of thinking often opens up perspectives that you can't see on your own.

This process is often the easiest and quickest way to gain clarity and regain the ability to act.

The search for a companion.

Despite the wide range of services on offer, it is not always easy to find a good coach, especially if you are under a certain amount of time pressure. Here are some tips on where to find a good coach:

Recommendations: The easiest way to find a good coach is through recommendations from colleagues, friends or acquaintances. Personal experiences are often the most reliable sources.
Online platforms: B2B platforms, such as CoachHub or end customer offerings, such as Greator provide a broad, easily accessible selection of coaches with different specializations. These platforms usually also offer matching algorithms to select the coach that best fits your challenges.
Social media: Many coaches are active on social networks such as LinkedIn or YouTube. Here you can get in touch with coaches directly and ask them about their working methods.

Coaches are often certified.

Certifications are used to guarantee the professional execution of activities - be it legal advice, real estate and insurance brokers, architects or teachers. However, the situation is different for consultants: Certifications are hardly comparable here, as the legislator has no way of regulating the nature of a deep, structured conversation between two people or of bindingly certifying the quality of the conversation.

A "TÜV test" for mentors is simply not feasible. Even science has not yet provided any clear, standardized criteria that would make such regulation possible. Coaching therefore remains a field in which quality depends heavily on the individual competence, experience and personality of the mentor - aspects that cannot simply be captured in standardized certificates.

This is why coach certifications are not protected and are awarded by private institutions. These offer training courses that anyone can attend. These training courses, some of which are excellent, improve marketing and increase the coaching's chances of success. However, these certifications are no guarantee of coaching success.

If you are looking for a good consultant, you should think about how you did it 200 years ago. You don't have to do without the Internet, but you do have to understand modern marketing.

9 criteria for consultants in the automotive industry

For good coaches, their traditional craft is their best marketing. When filtering consultants, "classic" criteria help. A good executive coach in the automotive industry ...

is busy but easily accessible,
has relevant training and references,
has a comparable background, e.g. a career in the same or comparable industry, and understands the business situation,
follows a process that she/he can easily explain in the initial interview,
explains what the process has been derived from,
understands psychology and thinking habits,
uses scientific diagnostics as an anchor,
is demanding, structured, gives homework,
is properly paid for his/her time.

A good coach is a professional.

He or she should promote new ways of thinking and must therefore have broad, relevant experience. The mentor is intensely interested in people, but does consulting to feed the family. A one-off hourly rate is around €200, with B2B prices being higher and B2C lower.

Only amateurs give advice for little money or for free.

If a consultant meets the above criteria, you should definitely arrange an initial consultation. These are often free and offer the opportunity to get to know the person, their approach and their process better.

Many employers have recognized how valuable coaching can be and work with selected coaches. This offers companies a huge opportunity: by providing qualified coaches, they can significantly accelerate the process of change and achieve positive results for everyone involved. Especially for employees whose roles are changing or who receive a severance offer, a coach should be made available immediately.

The life-changing insight that mentoring can provide is invaluable.

Successful mentoring always leads to greater clarity and performance, better decisions - both professionally and personally - and therefore pays off financially many times over. At the same time, it improves health and well-being while reducing unnecessary stress, as numerous scientific studies have shown.

Of course, a good coach comes at a price. But the tried and tested rule applies here: buy cheap, buy twice. To avoid the risk of wasting money, you should go for the "classics" on the market - experienced consultants who know what they are doing. With them, the positive effects of support are not only likely, but almost guaranteed.