Mentor Coach Tips

Coaching, Credentials, Competencies, and Confusion

2009-10-08T16:34:09-04:00

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.

Responding to Demand

2009-08-26T10:56:51-04:00

Be sure to read yesterday's Wall Street Journal article on demand for professional coaches. How are you helping even more business leaders be at the top of their game, despite the recession?

From the article:

Even with the recession, many coaches say some companies are retaining their services to help them get lean and efficient. Coaches also said they are seeing an increase in individuals hiring coaches on their own.

Do YOU Have a Coach?

2009-08-06T15:35:38-04:00

Eric Schmidt, Google's CEO, says everyone needs a coach. "One thing people are never good at is seeing themselves as others see them."

So I'm wondering, Coach, do you have a coach??

Mining the ICF Global Client Study

2009-06-19T13:08:40-04:00

Be sure to take a look at the latest ICF Global Coaching Client Study. (ICF members can download the Executive Summary and some of the by-country data for free.)

The big news -- but not surprising -- is that coaching clients are looking for results. 78% said "the effectiveness of the coaching process" was very important in selecting a coach. (And another 18% said it was somewhat important.) Contrast this to 44% for "explanation of the coaching process" or 30% for "cost of coaching" -- points that newer coaches often worry most about in conversations with prospective clients.

In addition, client focus groups distinguished coaching as an "action plan," rather than "exploratory," process. Clients are looking for credible pathways to success; they want a return on their investment. Happily, 96% of the respondents were very pleased with their coaching experience -- they would repeat it. Hard ROI numbers are more difficult to come by. The study came up with a median ROI of, for individuals, 3.44 times their investment and, for companies, 7 times their investment.

So right from the start -- even before the client hires us -- we coaches have to take seriously ICF Competency #2 "Establishing the Coaching Agreement" ... find out what's important to the client and why, how the client defines success and how it will be measured. Figure out the game you're going to play together before you get on the field!

Lots of info in the study ... and all good for thinking about how we talk with others about what we do and the value we bring.

Achieve Online Identity Nirvana

2009-05-12T15:25:20-04:00

Expatriate Coach Anne Egros recently shared this nifty little digital identity test in her blog.

Visit the Reach Online Identity Calculator, answer a few easy questions about how often and when your name shows up in a Google search, and find out if your web presence is digitally disasterous, dabbling or distinct.

In this era of branding, standing out in the crowd by being clear about who you are, who you serve and what you offer is important.

New coaches often get stuck worrying over a website. Yes, a website helps communicate your message and establish credibility. But so does showing up in thoughtful, relevant ways around the web -- in blog posts, Amazon book reviews, social networking sites. Start with a LinkedIn.com profile and keep building.

Here's the source article for the complete story: What's Your GQ? Build Your Google Quotient

btw, by writing this post I just added to Anne's digital identity ... see how it can grow on its own?