Business Coach Training for Practice and Experience

It makes sense that business coach training includes practicing coaching.  Specifically, it makes sense that it includes coaching, being coached, and observing coaching.  Ultimately, learning to do something well calls for actually doing it.  The value of being coached to learn coaching includes understanding the experience.  In this way the coach is aware of some of what the client is going through during the process.  The opportunity to observe coaching further enhances the learning because both sides are observed and each person approaches it differently.

Perhaps you have heard the expression “practice makes perfect” and the subsequent alternate version that “perfect practice makes perfect” too.  While it is unlikely that the practice be perfect when learning, certainly practicing the right techniques in the right way is how to learn. 

In the Certified Professional Coach program, during the coaching practicum the trainer is there for immediate feedback.  Additionally, the trainer asks the coach to reflect on what they did well and what they want to improve.  Feedback is also provided by the person being coached and the observer.  This provides tremendous value because insight from different perspectives expands awareness.

During the Certified Professional Coach program a specific process is provided and followed.  This enhances learning of powerful questions as well as learning process.  During the Certified Master Coach program the coach and the client design their own process.

Experience over time coaching is, of course, an opportunity to further refine and enhance coaching competencies.

Coach Training for Career Coach Certification

While the concept of career coaching on the surface seems to define what happens in the career coaching relationship, the reality is that what happens varies by coach and the type of career Coaching Certification they have engaged in, and also by individual client.

Typically, coaches develop their own specific process for a career coaching engagement after completing their coach training.  Example processes include:

• Review resume and social media profiles; develop search strategies; practice interviewing
• Explore values and determine ideal type of work; develop resume; strategize networking
• Complete various inventories on skills and interests; strategize focus on types of jobs; begin looking; develop resume
• Training classes on various components of a career search; individual coaching for implementation
• Exploration of career history; consideration of current opportunities; consideration of possibilities for creating desired position

Some of these processes include training and/or consulting in addition to coaching.  While completely different, each approach has validity.  One important consideration is to ensure transparency with the blend of roles.  This means discussing with the client when it is training, consulting, or coaching.
The career coaching process is conceived in the career coach certification training and may be based on areas of expertise for the coach or alternatively it may be adjusted or created based on what is appropriate for the client.  As a coach, share your areas of expertise and discuss options for the process.  As a client, select a Coach Training that you connect with and that offers the expertise you seek.

Coach Training - Executive Coaching Training

It is noteworthy that some resist the idea of coach training stating either that it will stifle the coach or that it is unnecessary.  Consider this: hundreds of years ago there was no requirement for doctors to have medical training.  Does training stifle their work?  Is it unnecessary?  Alternatively, are you interested in hiring an untrained financial planner because they will be more creative and training is unimportant anyway?  Is training necessary for mental health professionals, HR professionals, or engineers?  Does it stifle their creativity?  Of course executive coaching training makes sense for a professional.  Executive coach training supports creativity because once the foundation is in place each coach creates a unique approach.What is the purpose of executive coaching training?  Consider coach training on the topic of ethics.  It seems this is a given and most feel they are ethical.  Do they know what they don’t know?  For example, how does confidentiality apply in coaching when there is a difference between what a sponsor (the employer paying for coaching) and the person being coached want?  How long does a coach keep records?  Training provides information on ethics.  In the Certified Professional Coach class there is a discussion and specific examples are provided.  There is an opportunity to ask questions.  The complete Code of Ethics is reviewed.
If a coach is untrained or their training failed to include ethics, how will you feel about hiring them?
Ethics are one example of the reasons training is so important.  Developing coaching competencies is another vital part of coach training.

Enhancing Coaching Competencies with Life Coach Training

In keeping with the core value of excellence, life coaches want to continue learning and enhance their coaching skills to better serve their clients.  It is fast becoming a requirement that coaches have life coach training through the expectation of those hiring a coach.  As other professions have before, coaching is now moving toward self-regulation with the International Coach Federation, ICF.  To become a member of the ICF, 60 hours of training is a prerequisite, and continuing education is mandatory to maintain membership.

  

What are the different approaches or opportunities for enhancing coaching competencies?  Possibilities include: life coach training, learning exercises, self-evaluation of competencies, planning implementation of learning, practice and experience, feedback, peers, a coach, self-directed study, and continuing education. 

When enhancing coaching certification skills, it makes sense to consider strengths and to consider areas for development through life coach training.  As a guide for professional coaches, the International Coach Federation list of 11 Core Competencies is described fully on their website at http://coachfederation.org/credential/landing.cfm?ItemNumber=2206&navItemNumber=576http://coachfederation.org/credential/landing.cfm?ItemNumber=2206&navItemNumber=576.  Also listed there and providing excellent additional awareness is how these competencies are evaluated for professionals seeking credentialing beyond the membership (http://www.coachfederation.org/files/IndCred/ICFCompetenciesLevelsTable.pdf).

As a note: The Certified Professional Coach program is designed specifically to develop the 11 Core Competencies with training, learning exercises, self-evaluation, planning implementation of learning, practice, feedback, and continuing education.  In the Certified Master Coach program this is taken to an even higher level.