Whenever someone in Cyprus asks what I do for a living, I pause. Then I test the waters: "I'm a coach."

The response is almost always the same. "Football coach?"

I don't blame them. Coaching is still in its infancy here. Compared to the United States or Western Europe, where executive coaching has been a boardroom staple for decades, Cyprus
is only beginning to discover what the practice can do. But that doesn't make it any less powerful. If anything, the executives who embrace it here are getting ahead of a curve that is
only going to steepen.

So before you hire an executive coach in Cyprus, it helps to understand what coaching actually is.

The International Coaching Federation defines coaching as "partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximise their personal and
professional potential." In plain terms: it's a structured conversation between you and a trained professional, designed to help you think differently, act more deliberately, and perform at a
higher level without burning out in the process.

My mother still isn't entirely sure what I do for a living. And when I went to my insurance broker to arrange professional indemnity insurance for my coaching practice, we had the same
conversation. Football coach? Eventually we figured it out. What I realised in that moment was the importance of meeting people where they are before explaining what coaching really means.

So what actually happens in a coaching session?

I struggle to describe it sometimes. Because what happens in a good coaching session feels less like a meeting and more like something else entirely. Creative solutions to problems you've been carrying for years appear in the room. Not because the coach handed them to you, but because the right questions, asked in the right space, unlocked something you already had inside you.

That's what makes executive coaching different from consulting, mentoring, or training. A consultant tells you what to do. A mentor shares what worked for them. A coach helps you figure out what's right for you. And in a market like Cyprus, where business is personal and relationships run deep, that distinction matters enormously.

So what should you look for when hiring an executive coach?

1. Accreditation

Coaching is not a regulated industry. Anyone can call themselves a coach, which means accreditation is your first filter. Look for coaches accredited by recognised bodies such as the
International Coaching Federation (ICF) or the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). These organisations hold coaches to defined ethical and professional standards. But
accreditation alone isn't enough. It's the starting point, not the finish line.

2. Full-time commitment

Is coaching their primary profession, or a side project? This matters more than it sounds. A full-time coach has made a serious commitment to the practice. They've built their reputation
around it. They have skin in the game in a way that a part-time coach simply doesn't. When someone is all in, you feel it before they even say a word.

3. Investment in their own development

I ask my clients to invest in themselves, so I hold myself to the same standard. Look at what courses, certifications, and development the coach has pursued beyond their basic qualification. A coach who keeps learning brings more to the room. A coach who stopped the day they got certified is already falling behind.

4. Experience and coaching hours

How many hours have they coached? Who have they worked with? Have they navigated the kind of pressures you face? A strong executive coach doesn't need to have held your exact role, but they need to understand the environment you operate in. The pace, the stakes, the politics, the pressure.

5. References, recommendations, and reputation

Ask for references. Read reviews. Search their name on Google. Look them up on LinkedIn. See what comes up when you type their name into an AI. In Cyprus especially, reputation
travels fast. A coach who has been operating with integrity will have a visible trail of trust behind them.

But none of that is the most important thing.

All of the above matters. Accreditation, commitment, experience, reputation. They are all worth checking. But the most important thing you can do before hiring an executive coach is have a conversation with them. Not a sales call. A real conversation.

Coaching is a partnership. And like any partnership, it only works when there is genuine trust on both sides. Not trust that is assumed, or bought, or rushed. Trust that is earned. I always think about it this way: trust between a coach and client is like two hands coming together to clap. If only one hand is reaching, there's no sound. The magic only happens when both hands meet.

That first conversation tells you everything. Does this person listen? Do they ask the right questions? Do you feel safe being honest with them? Do they seem genuinely interested in you, or in closing a deal? Your instincts are data. Use them.

A final thought

The right executive coach won't rush you into a decision. They'll invite a conversation first. Because if they're serious about the work, they know that trust is the foundation everything else
is built on. And trust, as any good coach will tell you, cannot be manufactured. It can only be earned.

That's the standard I hold myself to. And it's the standard you should hold any coach to.

Hassan M. Al-Shohaty is an accredited executive performance coach based in Cyprus, and the founder of HMS Coaching. He works with executives in financial services to work less, earn
more and advance further without burnout. hellohms.com