Mentor Coach Tips

Coaching, Credentials, Competencies, and Confusion

You didn't have to go too far in the coaching world during these past weeks to run into the ruckus around the International Coach Federation's proposed move to a single professional credential, intended to comply with ISO standards.

Whether a long-time coach who has already earned ICF credentials, a member of the ICF assessor team, or a newer coach getting started on a professional path, everyone has questions, opinions, concerns.  Much of the more thoughtful dialog is posted at Coaching Commons.

For me it's a reminder of the importance of the second and foundational ICF coaching competency: Establishing the Coaching Agreement ... the ability to first explore fully what is wanted, establishing measures of success, and ensuring both coach and client are clear about the purpose ... fully understanding WHAT before running off to figure out HOW.

I'm still not clear about the importance of this proposal ...for me, the coaching profession, or clients.  Am hoping this becomes clearer in the upcoming weeks.  But it's easy to imagine just how differently this would be playing out if the ICF had paid more attention to first building an understanding around the purpose.  Ah, well ... that's the beauty of this profession.  Every situation is an opportunity to learn.

Meanwhile, you might want to stop by the site www.ICFCoachesTakeaStand.org and join with 600+ coaches in a call for a do-over.

Demystifing Coach Competencies

If you are involved in the ICF credentialling or CoachU certification processes ... or thinking about it, check out the new credential distinctions recently posted by the ICF. There's a description of what's expected for each competency ... at ACC, PCC, and MCC levels.

Takes much of the mystery out of the oral exam process -- whew! More importantly, use these as guides to ramp up the effectiveness of your coaching -- work toward and critique coaching sessions against the model of the next level for you.

The Credentials/Certification Maze

Most coach training programs offer their graduates "certificates" -- proof that you fulfilled the program's learning requirements, passed exams, had certain coaching experiences.

Coach Training Institute has its Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC).  Coach U mixes up a pretty hearty coaching certificate alphabet soup: CECG (Core Essentials Certified Graduate), CUCG (Coach U Certified Graduate).  You can even be a Certified Coachville Coach.  And there are countless other programs, each with its own certificate.

But the designations that every professional coach should set their sights on are the credentials from the International Coach Federation: ACC, PCC, MCC.  Other professions have used an independent credentialing process to make it easy for consumers to benchmark proficiency -- think of the accounting profession's CPA or financial planning's CFP.  As the ICF works to increase the visibility and awareness of coaching, the value of ICF credentials in the marketplace will also increase.

Check out the ICF credentialing requirements.  Key points are:

• number of training hours (60 for ACC; 125 for PCC)
• coaching experience (8 clients and 100 hours for ACC; 25 clients and 750 hours for PCC)

Next, decide if you'll do the "portfolio" approach or the ACTP approach -- essentially, completing an oral exam through the ICF or as part of your coaching school's certificate program.  Coach U students: since the current requirements for CUCG requires 20 clients and 500 hours, don't wait -- as soon as you have 100 hours, use the portfolio route to apply for your ACC.