Innovation Coach: 4 Questions You Should Ask Before Selecting One

The emergence of the innovation coach is the newest hot topic in the innovation community. While executive coaching is a well-accepted tool to improve overall organizational and personal performance, can the same be said about innovation coaches?

The impact of executive coaching is proven to have an impact. The Economic Times report “Coaching resulted in an ROI of almost six times the program cost as well as a 77% improvement in relationships, 67% improvement in teamwork, 61% improvement in job satisfaction, and 48% improvement in quality.”

So what is the definition of executive coaching?

“An executive coach partners with his/her clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”

If we use this as a foundation, I would propose the following as a definition of an innovation coach:

“An innovation coach partners with his/her clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires and equips them to maximize their ability to innovate.”

While we have yet to study the impact of innovation coaching to the level of executive coaching, from my experience, a proven innovator can have a significant impact on you and your organization.

Avoid an innovation coach who has never achieved a major innovation success.

Phil McKinney

So how do you choose an innovation coach?

1) Is this innovation coach an innovator?

Take a hard look at the background of the person and see what they have done.  The vast majority of innovation coaches have never been innovators.  How can they teach and mentor something they’ve never done? What roadblocks from the 7 Laws of Innovation have they run into and how did they solve them? Avoid those that have never achieved a major innovation success.

2) Who else are they coaching?

A great innovation coach has a loyal and dedicated following and a benefit of any great coach is the community they can create.

3) What is it about this innovation coach that is attracting this following?

Beyond personality, a great innovation coach is bringing to the relationship skills, experiences, tools, and tricks that have impacted their clients. What are they?

4) Can I translate the approach from the innovation coach?

Each innovation coach has an approach/philosophy and not all are easily translated depending on you and your organization. Find one that is a match.

I have a growing belief that innovation coaches will become as widely accepted as executive coaches. The impact of coaching on you and your career can be significant if you select the right one for you.

Looking for an innovation coach, check out Techtrend, an innovation agency with the expertise and experience. You should also check out Innovation Tools where innovation coach bio's and backgrounds are available.