Does ICF-Approved Coach Training For Life Coach Certification Really Make A Difference?

In the ICF-approved Coach Training for Life Coach Certification program, participants are asked how they benefited from the material. Participants share they are going through a shift in their thinking of how to approach employees, mentor and coach clients. In The first section participants said simply understanding the difference between coaching, consulting and counseling changed how they worked with clients. The section on ethics solidified the understanding with specific information and guidelines.

After the third section in the program, understanding people, participants shared how it influenced their work. For one, it completely changed the outcome of a conversation with an employee seeing coaching as an exit process, it became the process to get back on track and bring value to the company. For another, a coaching client was struggling with a situation, and simply understanding differences people meant knowing the questions to ask and how. The client has new insight, and felt great about the plan of action they created.

Communication and language are the focus of the fourth section. Studies show that the number one deficiency in the workplace today is people skills and communication skills. Sixty percent of North American companies are hiring coaches. Coaching is one of the fastest growing industries. What does this mean to you? Coaching skills enhance your career, open doors, and create new opportunities in the workplace. Life or executive coaching certification gives you both the tools and the credibility to either advance your career or begin a business of your own, or add value to your current business.

Consider Ethics vs Core Values to Become a Business Coach and in Career Coach Certification

What is the difference between having a Code of Ethics and Core Values? I find variety in how these are explained without a concrete comparison. What are the implications in your career coach certification and training to become a business coach? Consider this: the Code of Ethics defines rules of conduct toward customers; Core Values are beliefs from which our behaviors and communication develop.

How does each influence people, teams, and companies? If the Code of Ethics is written by an industry or company, it serves as a teaching tool and guideline. Often each employee or professional is expected or required to comply with the Code of Ethics. Core Values might be different because individuals may or may not agree with the values. So if values are personal in nature, are corporate values simply accepted if required? Or are values about behavior and communication while at work only?

What is the impact on coaching clients? If a coach does not subscribe to, consider, or develop a Code of Ethics and/or Core Values, during their career coach certification and training to become a business coach, is the client aware enough to ask? Whether or not the client asks, the process means there is some education and thought involved, and generally the quality of the relationship is enhanced. How does openly communicating these with the client further enhance coaching?

Life Coaching Certification versus Executive Coach Certification

The perception of a person with a Life Coaching certification is often mistaken as similar to a friend, mentor, or counselor. The perception of a person with an Executive Coach certification may be mistaken as a consultant, advisor, or mentor. Both Life and Executive Coaching are very different from the other fields. Consider how the perceptions develop, the actual process of coaching, and the difference in experience and effort between Life and Executive Coaching.

Many people have a desire to help and coaching is an uncontrolled industry, so an abundance of “Life Coach” businesses are available. The experience people have with these businesses varies. Sometimes it is great – the client feels their coach did a great job. Sometimes it is poor -the client gains a negative impression of coaching, sharing those thoughts. Sometimes it is counseling or mentoring not coaching, leading to distorted impressions. A quality life coaching or executive coach certification prepares the coach to empower the client to explore goals, moving towards creating what they want in life.

Businesses are increasingly savvy about the difference between consulting and coaching. As a result, the specific training of the coaches, the coaching model used, and the expertise of the coach are factors in the decision to begin a coaching relationship. The primary reasons for hiring a coach are transition, leadership development, and to serve as a sounding board. Long-term success results from a well-trained coach who recognizes the client is their own best expert.

From ICF-Approved Coach Training to Group Coaching

Take the group experience of your ICF-approved coach training into your practice. How was your learning experience enhanced by the group experience? What are the unique benefits of learning and working with a group of adults that share a common thread? Each time I consider all the different ways for learning, I go back to the spark created with a group that wants to learn meeting live.

During coaching certification, we learn and hear the information from our trained expert and coach, what do we gain from the other students? In my experience I gained support, confidence, feedback, encouragement and the ideas that come from talking, sharing and brainstorming with others.

In discussions with others we see different ways of thinking in action and we gain inspiration. Now think about any group learning experience you have had that inspired you, motivated you, and called you to action. What in particular did you like most? How specifically did you learn and benefit?

Now think about applying this experience from your ICF-approved coach training to group coaching after earning your coaching certification. Give clients who share a similar focus or goal a very rich experience that complements individual coaching sessions, or even be the primary coaching environment. Your knowledge of group learning will become the power of group coaching.