According to the Harvard Business Review, the typical length of engagement with a coach is between seven and 12 months. I have also found this to be true in my experience over more than a decade of working with clients. The average duration for most of my customers is somewhere in the 6-9 month range. The shortest time frame I’ve experienced is three months. After all, it takes at least 21 days of repetition to form a habit. On the other hand, there are some clients I’ve worked with for more than seven years.
Why Such a Big Difference?
The time frame is largely dependent on the goal you want to accomplish. Someone looking for a business coach may want help longer than someone looking for personal coaching to initiate life change. You may find that you start off with one goal and through the process of working with a coach, you see the benefit and expand your goals to multiple areas, continuing the relationship. If you’re a business owner who initially started with a coach for life coaching, you may see the benefit of business coaching and transition there.
How Do I Know?
You may not know how long you want to work with your coach as you start the process. A good coach will never ask you to sign a contract, pay for months in advance or ask you to commit to a certain number of sessions. In fact, before you agree to work with a coach, you should have an exploratory session so you and the coach can decide if you’re a good fit. At that point you should plan on working through the process for at least three months before deciding you’re ready to move on.
I’ve been providing personal, business and teen coaching for many years. If you’re looking to learn more about how a coach could help you in your personal or professional life, fill out my contact form and I’d be happy to meet with you.
