The comment on the previous post was thoughtful and insightful. I got some more ideas after reading this comment.
First, the purpose of a free call is not to help you. Most coaches and consultants use the free call to see if you’re a good fit for each other. If a coach says, “I don’t think I can help you; I wouldn’t know where to start,” he is being honest. Ideally, he would figure out that he can’t help you during a get-acquainted call, but sometimes they just need more time. Ideally, he would recommend a resource but (a) some coaches don’t know appropriate resources and (b) would you really want a clueelss coach to make a referral?
Second, it’s, appropriate for a coach to say, “I don’t agree with what you are asking me to do. You want a new career; I think you need to focus on your current career.” By way of analogy, suppose you want plastic surgery. Your plastic surgeon could say, “I will not do this; I do not feel the benefit outweighs the risk.” Or she might even say, “I think you want this surgery for the wrong reason and I won’t do it.”
Third, nobody forces you to work with a coach. But if your company pays for outplacement, or if you’re working with a state employment service, someone else is writing the check. You play by their rules. After all, when an insurance company pays for a service, they can (and often do) decide who you are allowed to see.
Often outplacement services are paid a fixed fee so they are motivated to move everyone out as fast as possible. They play the odds. Sure, some people will get a job faster by switching fields, especially today. But until recently you’d get a job faster by staying in your own field. And often outplacement agencies do not attract top coaches.
In my experience, coaches tend to err on the side of optimism. They say, “Sure you can find a new career! It’s easy.” So if you are paying a coach, they’re actually cutting themselves off if they discourage you. After all, can a coach really help you if she’s convinced you don’t need a career change? Better to say so upfront.
Delighted to see some controversy! Let’s have more.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Cathy, what an amazing post. You are generating lots of honest back-and-forth thru this and other posts.
We’re in an especially difficult job market now and it is difficult to determine where positive thinking and the honest motivating of others morphs into misleading hype-y marketing.
You touch upon interesting ethical questions — I hope this conversation continues!
-Diana
Cathy,
I’m sorry, but comparing someone who wants a career change to someone who wants too much plastic surgery is pretty ludicrous! The two situations are not the same at all. Here’s a better analogy: Someone suffers from headaches, so they go to see a doctor. But the doctor immediately brushes off the patient’s concerns. Without asking any questions or doing any testing or probing, the doctor says, “Your headaches are no big deal. You don’t need to treat them.” How would you feel if this happened to you? You’d probably walk out the door feeling baffled, wondering why the doctor was so dismissive. You’d also feel patronized and maybe even a little angry.
Being in the wrong career or being underemployed can be a very painful experience. I’ve been there and I know. No career coach–no good career coach, that is–could possibly decide within a few minutes that a client doesn’t need a career change. If the client’s situation is really so complicated that the career coach doesn’t feel qualified to handle it, then yes, I would expect the coach to recommend some other resources. If the clueless coach doesn’t know of any appropriate resources, as you say, then this coach really shouldn’t be in business.
Also, I had to laugh at your comment that “most coaches tend to err on the side of optimism.” Where are all these optimistic career coaches? I haven’t met very many. And neither have the friends and colleagues I’ve known who have consulted with career coaches. You’re right: No one is forced to work with a coach. However, if you do consult with one, it’s reasonable to expect the coach to at least listen to your concerns–instead of immediately brushing them off.
If someone wants to change careers every year, or has a history of not getting along with their supervisors and coworkers, then yes, I suppose the career coach (like the plastic surgeon in your analogy) would be justified in turning the client away. But cases like this are few and far between. I think the problem is that many coaches only want to work with the easy clients. Counseling a client through a career change demands a certain level of expertise. Unfortunately, a lot of career coaches just don’t have the expertise or the patience.
Thanks for the controversy!
I don’t disagree with “B.” Certainly that is one possible scenario. But the plastic surgery analogy seems to hold also. It’s not just about “more” surgery but sometimes whether to have the surgery at all.
You’re right about making a quick diagnosis. That’s why I don’t offer free consultations. But an experienced coach may pick up on signals.
I am very surprised to hear your comment on patience; if you are willing to pay for 3-6 months of coaching, why wouldn’t the coach go along with it? Outplacement coaches are paid on a fixed fee basis and they want you out of there.
And I’m afraid I keep meeting optimists myself.
Cathy,
Maybe things are different on the West Coast, but here on the East Coast, I’ve haven’t met many “optimistic” career coaches. Yes, I’m sure there must be some out there. But based on my experiences, and the experiences of some of my friends and colleagues, career coaching can be pretty darn depressing. I once (true story) chose root canal surgery over meeting with a career coach. The dentist, at least, didn’t make me feel that my future was hopeless. And a friend of mine, an attorney with a very impressive professional background, would be depressed for days after meeting with his coach. After several months of this, he stopped seeing her because she made him feel like he was “doomed.”
You ask: If you are willing to pay for 3-6 months of coaching, why wouldn’t the coach go along with it? I wonder that as well. Part of the problem, I believe, is that there are a lot of bad coaches out there. Mind you, I’m sure there are many highly qualified, professional career coaches in every part of the country. But the reality is that anyone can call themselves a coach, and a lot of people who do, really don’t have the expertise or the patience to deal with career change. Career transition is a lot of work, for both the client and the coach. Some coaches would rather take the easy way out and try to talk a client out of making a change.
Also, most of the coaches I’ve known were former HR professionals who tend to focus on resumes and career history. Yes, yes, I know there are always exceptions. But when it comes to making hiring decisions, the average HR professional will probably lean towards hiring the “safe” choice—someone with the “right” credentials and a career history that “fits” the job description. (I’ve been told this outright by HR professionals–this is not just based on my own personal experiences.) I think many HR people tend to carry this philosophy with them when they become career coaches.
I’ve seen about a half dozen career coaches over a 20-year period. The best was a psychologist. His focus was on self-actualization and helping clients find fulfillment in their careers, not on having the “right” resume or the “right” background for a particular position.
I still say that something is wrong if your coach is making you feel more, not less, depressed. Of course, you’re not going to “click” with every coach you consult with–and that’s OK. But if your coaching sessions are a real downer and your coach is dismissive, then that’s a red flag to look for another coach.