I'm a physician living in the Seattle area and will be moving into my first leadership position in a few weeks. I have a strong clinical background, have published extensively and have received good feedback on my teaching skills. Unfortunately, I have not received any training on leadership. One of my colleagues has suggested that I could benefit by hiring an executive coach to assist me particularly during my first 100 days in my new position. What type of criteria should I use in selecting a coach?

Congratulations on your new position. Moving from a clinical position to one in leadership is a challenging task. As you have noted, the first 100 days will be both exciting and daunting. People will be less concerned with your clinical skills and more interested in what you can do for them and the department. I believe that a qualified coach could make a tremendous difference for you during this period. In particular I would consider the following:

• Experience

  At your level, I believe that you should be looking for someone who has at least 10 years experience coaching healthcare leaders. Ask if they have experience with onboarding (coaching newly appointed leaders).

• Philosophy

  Once you have identified three coaching candidates be prepared to interview each. You might want to start with telephone interviews and then meet with the top two candidates to make your final decision. Ask about their philosophy of coaching. Try to determine if the coach's approach makes sense for you. How directive are these individuals (Do they tell you what to do or involve you in the process)? Do they come across as people who want to tell you what to do or are they more inclined to explore options? Can they help you construct a plan for the first 100 days or are they more informal in their approach?

• Availability

  How often do they meet with coaching clients? Do they work face-to-face or on the phone? What is your preference? Can you contact them by email or phone with questions between meetings and is this included in the base coaching fee?

• Conduct Due Diligence

  Get references from the top coaching candidate and call each reference personally. Ask for concrete examples of benefits received from the coaching experience.

• Show me the money

  Get a written proposal from the coach who best meets your needs and ask that it include the coaching fee, confidentiality statement and objectives to be met. Consider taking the proposal to your management and determine if they will pay all or a portion of the coaching fee. I know of cases where physician leaders have negotiated fees for a coach during the interviewing process. Naturally, it is more difficult to pull this off once you have accepted the job offer.

Reaching out to qualified advisors is the sign of a mature leader. I believe that you are on the right track. Let me know how things work out.

Copyright , Mark J. Campbell. All rights reserved.
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