How then should you go about evaluating whether a coach is at the top of their game or a ‘rookie'?

Here are some criteria to help you make a more informed decision.

• Do they have a successful track record coaching in different industries and in different countries? A good breadth of experience adds to the coach's expertise and this in turn can help benefit other clients. Also, find out what level they coach at in their client organizations - junior managers or the CEO?

• How will success be measured? For any coaching programme to benefit a client it must, in my view, be results orientated.

• Why do they coach? A revealing question to ask as it will help you discover their motivations and self-awareness. A coach who isn't self-aware is unlikely to be able to fully understand the person they are coaching.

• Do they have real business experience? A successful track record in business before they became a coach enables them to fully understand the challenges a coaching client faces and enables them to ask more insightful questions.

• How do they develop themselves? I'm a strong believer that a coach (or professional speaker or workshop leader) should continue developing themselves and their skills. This can be achieved by a coach having a coach or by attending continuing education courses or simply by being an avid reader.

• Is there a personal chemistry match? As you meet your prospective ask yourself "will I feel comfortable working with this person?"

• Do they ask ‘good' questions? Think of coaching as a spectrum where on one end the coach is asking very directive (telling type) questions and on the other end non-directive (open) questions. Although both ends of the spectrum have their relevance the non-directive end of the spectrum is more effective. So get a feel for whether your prospective coach asks ‘good' non-directive questions.

• Do they listen? Now this may seem a really obvious point to make. But it is so relevant. Does your prospective coach listen well?

• Will the coaching programme be flexible to your challenges? As you embark on your coaching programme your challenges may change, perhaps there will be a change in company leadership or a takeover. Your coaching programme must be flexible as your challenges change.

For information about Roger's executive coaching programmes please click here.