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Travelling

WHAT IS PROFESSIONAL COACHING?

HISTORY

The field of professional coaching is relatively new. The coaching industry as we know it today began around 30 years ago. Coach training organizations, Coach U and the Co-Active Training Institute (CTI) (f.k.a. Coaches Training Institute) were both founded in 1992.

 

Seeing a need to help grow the profession, the International Coaching Federation (ICF) was founded as a non-profit in 1995 by Thomas Leonard (founder of Coach U) and in 1998 the ICF merged with the PPCA, founded by Laura Whitworth (who also co-founded CTI). In addition to the ICF, two other professional coaching organizations were founded to strengthen the credibility and effectiveness of the profession: the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) (founded in 1992) and the Association for Coaching (AC) (established in 2002).

 

I am a proud member of the ICF as well as a PCC credential holder and am trained and certified through the Co-Active Training Institute. Given the extensive impact coaching can have, it is important to work with a coach who is trained and certified (or be in the process of certification) by an accredited organization. Below are more details about the coaching profession created by the ICF. Please use this information to help you find and engage with the perfect coach for you!

COACHING DEFINED

  • Partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential

  • Client-driven

  • Focuses: setting goals, creating outcomes, managing personal change

THE COACH'S ROLE

  • Discover, clarify and align with what the client wants to achieve

  • Encourage client self-discovery

  • Elicit client-generated solutions and strategies

  • Hold the client responsible and accountable

WHAT COACHING ISN'T

  • Therapy

  • Consulting

  • Mentoring

  • Training

  • Athletic Development

WHY HIRE A COACH

There are many reasons to hire a coach. According to the ICF below are some of the most common: 

  • Optimize individual/team work performance (43%)

  • Improve communication skills (39%)

  • Increase productivity (38%)

  • Expand career opportunities (35%)

  • Increase self-esteem/self-confidence (34%)

  • Manage work/life balance (34%)

  • Improve business management (32%)

TYPES OF COACHING

  • Numerous disciplines and niches; lots of overlap

  • Main specialties (according to coaches) cover broad spectrum

    • Leadership (25%)

    • Executive (18%)

    • Business/organizations (16%)

    • Life vision and enhancement (13%)

  • Overlap between personal and business coaching

CHOOSING A COACH

  • Credentialed Coach Finder

  • Geography a factor for in-person; virtual/telephonic engagements also an option*

  • Interview 3 coaches; request 2 references/coach

  • Connection counts

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*99% of my sessions are via video conference. 

WHAT TO EXPECT

  • Written coaching agreement (with clear start and end dates)

  • Assessments/pre-work

  • Emphasis on powerful questions

  • Accountability for your goals and actions

QUESTIONS TO ASK A POTENTIAL COACH

  • What is your coaching experience?

  • What is your coach-specific training?

  • What is your specialty?

  • What types of businesses do you work with most often?
    At what levels?

  • What is your coaching philosophy?

  • What types of assessments are you certified to deliver?

  • What are some of your coaching success stories
    (i.e., specific examples/case studies)?

  • Are you a member of ICF? Do you hold an ICF Credential?

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