John Knotts | President and Owner of Crosscutter Enterprises — Your Success Incubator.
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When it comes to education, experience or certification, which is best when looking for a coach or consultant? What should be the most important consideration?
Everyone has an opinion, typically based on their own personal biases. Instead of providing an opinion piece on what I feel is important, let us examine each of these three options for their pros and cons.
Education
Education is a process of delivering and receiving systematic instruction. It typically occurs in a school or university, but formal and informal education can occur in many different ways. Education is based on theory and understanding, with little to no application. It expands the mind to new ideas and options and is enlightened and structured in its approach.
However, as Woody Allen would say, “Those who can’t do, teach.” Education alone makes one smarter, but not capable.
A book-smart coach can only repeat what they have learned. They have no real-world application to judge applicability and effective implementation. Coaches with a 100% educational background typically tell people what they should do but seldom understand the why, the when or the how.
Experience
Experience is the applied knowledge of your trade. Experience is measured as broad and deep. Broad experience spans multiple different situations. Deep experience might be specific to a single industry or even one client. Where education fails, experience flourishes. A coach with experience has learned from application—the more the better.
However, experience can be a disguise. Consider the game of golf. There are a lot of people who golf all the time. Trust me, I have played with many. The funny thing about experience and golf? Every golfer who golfs a lot thinks they are a pro. And they are quite willing to give you advice on what has worked for them. But this does not make their advice good advice.
When we do something—anything—without learning the theory and understanding behind it, then experience is our only teacher. What we know is only based on what we have experienced.
Coaches who coach solely based on experience will only tell you to do what has worked for them. They typically know the what and the how when it comes to getting things done but often fail to grasp the why and the when.
Certification
So, where does certification fit into this decision, and why is it important to consider when picking a coach?
Certification provides the specific approaches and methodologies to accomplish a specific task. The best certification programs include formal training, an exam to test your understanding of the material and an observed application of the requirements.
When someone is certified, you can be certain they have a solid ability to understand and apply the things they need to apply. However, certification alone means “just educated enough to pass.” The certification does not necessarily imply strong experience in the subject. A coach with a recent certification and little experience can cause more harm than good.
Those with certification typically know the why, the what and the how. But without experience, they often lack the when.
The Right Combination
The answer to the question, “Which is best for a coach or consultant?” is all to some degree. A solid combination of education, experience and certification is most important for someone who will advise others.
Would you put your future or the future of your business in the hands of anyone less? If a combination of everything is required, then what type of education, experience and certification should someone look for?
Higher Education
To firmly understand the subject, typically you want a master’s degree or doctoral level of education. While a bachelor’s degree is often concentrated on one subject area, the education required is broad with a limited focus on the specific subject.
It is good to look for someone who also practices lifelong learning by continuously reading, researching and taking classes to stay current. Additionally, the field of study is important. When trying to find a life coach, a degree in technology and information systems means little. You would want to look for someone with an education in things like teaching, psychology, behavior, etc.
Broad Experience
Breadth and depth are important when it comes to experience. Someone who has a broad background with little depth in any one area struggles to understand what really works in a specific situation. Those who are deep in one area struggle to translate their experience to another area.
Finding someone who has worked on several projects across several areas will ensure that you have someone who can work well anywhere. The type of experience is important, too. If you are looking for a business coach, it is best to find someone who has run businesses of their own.
Multiple Certifications
Certifications boil down to your specific need. However, it is good for someone to possess multiple distinct types and levels of certification. Doing your homework in this area is important.
If you are looking for a business coach, a single business certification in project management—Project Management Professional (PMP)—for example, is not broad. They will look at everything through a project management-based lens.
Instead, you might want to consider someone with both project management and agile certifications, Lean Six Sigma process improvement certifications, as well as a discipline in change management and organizational behavior. Individuals with many different, yet related certifications possess a large assortment of tools in their tool bag.
Putting It All Together
When it comes to what to look for in a business coach, the right answer is a strong education, experience and certification background. You and your business are worth the best. Anything less could cause more problems and be a total waste of time and money. Search smartly!
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