Self-Care For Coaching Readiness as Taught in Business Coaching Training, Career Coach Certification, Executive Coaching Certification and Life Coach Training at The Center for Coaching Certification

As taught in business coaching training, career coach certification, executive coaching certification, and life coach training at the Center for Coaching Certification, coaches are in the business of coaching because we want to make a difference for others. Coaches are passionate about helping people improve and achieve. In our enthusiasm for other people, how well do we coaches take care of ourselves? While we recognize the importance of balance, how often – in our motivation for coaching and our willingness to work hard – does our own balance go by the wayside?

Interestingly, the Code of Ethics for coaches, as published by the ICF, includes recognizing personal issues that may impair ability to coach effectively. As taught in business coaching training, career coach certification, executive coaching certification and life coach training at the Center for Coaching Certification, The obvious personal issues include experience, training, and expertise. The less obvious issues include mental, physical, and emotional energy levels – all connected to self-care. This means that self-care for coaches is an ethical responsibility — so that we are at our best when working.

Specific Tips for Self-care:

• Exercise at an appropriate level.
• Eat right.
• Schedule a minimum of one day a week for being off-line.
• Plan a fun time out at least every other week.
• Know yourself for maximum hours to work and your relaxation time requirements.

Summer is coming and ideally plans include a vacation or staycation – this supports balance and is part of self-care too, so enjoy knowing having fun and relaxing is doing the right thing!

Coaching Program Assessment and Adjustment Business Coaching Training, Career Coach Certification, Executive Coaching Certification and Life Coach Training at The Center for Coaching Certification

As taught in business coaching training, career coach certification, executive coaching certification, and life coach training at the Center for Coaching Certification, effective planning and engagement are an excellent foundation for a coaching program. To support ongoing success and sustainability, plan to assess the coaching program process and outcomes on a regular basis. One simple check is to survey the people involved. What follows are examples of questions for coaching program assessment surveys.

Assessment survey for program administrators:

• What have you learned through the coaching program?
• What feedback is coming in?
• What is the level of support for the program?
• Which policies are working well?
• Which policy changes do you recommend?
• Which coaching tools are working well?
• What changes to coaching tools do you recommend?
• What additional coaching tools do you recommend?
• Which resources are used often?
• What changes to resources do you recommend?
• What additional resources do you recommend?
• How can the coaching program be enhanced?

Assessment survey for the coaches and coachees:

• What are your thoughts on the coaching process?
• What is working well?
• What do you recommend be changed?
• What additional coaching tools do you want?
• What additional resources do you want?
• How is the coaching making a difference?

Assessment survey for the bosses, peers, and direct reports of the coachees:

• What changes are you noticing since the coaching began?
• What are the benefits of the coaching program?
• What are your recommendations to improve the coaching program?

Based on your organization and culture, change, add, or delete questions.

As taught in business coaching training, career coach certification, executive coaching certification and life coach training at the Center for Coaching Certification, when you survey people involved in the coaching program, it is best to share a report on the responses and to share the plan for changes as a result of their input.

Brand Your Coaching Niche As Taught in Business Coaching Training, Career Coach Certification, Executive Coaching Certification, and Life Coach Training at The Center for Coaching Certification

Branding is the one thing that, with all other factors being equal, makes your product stand distinct from the rest. With completion of the business coaching training, career coach certification, life coach training, or executive coaching certification at the Center for Coaching Certification, each participant is given access to the coach login page. One of the tools there is a road map or process for creating a Mission Statement and a Vision Statement so you tailor it for your coaching niche. Keep in mind that the statement without branding is incomplete, the Ying is missing its Yang.

As taught in business coaching training, career coach certification, executive coaching certification and life coach training at the Center for Coaching Certification, it is in many cases as simple as having walked-the-walk yourself. For example, if your niche area is “Transition Coaching” and in addition to the formal coach training, you have also been through the transition process yourself at any time in your life, that is a significant thing that you bring to your niche; that supports you branding yourself in a way that is unique from other coaches.

The good news is that if your own transition was wrought with missteps and faux pas, you have the best hook in your niche – you know what NOT to do as well as learning through experience options that work. Think of all the things you bring to your brand just by that one fact! You have (1) Experience – “I know what to expect and how to handle it” (2) Authenticity – “I can truly empathize at every step” and (3) Clout – “I know it can be done because I have done it” so reflect on your learning and how you now support others exploring and learning.

Answers to a few simple questions help you brand your niche (Hint: They are all centered around your innate passion):

1. What was it that motivated you to select your niche?
2. What is the one thing about your niche area that excites you the most?
3. What about it appeals to you to the extent of exciting you?

Use the answers to these questions as a launching pad for developing your message.

As taught in business coaching training, career coach certification, executive coaching certification, and life coach training at the Center for Coaching Certification, above all, make sure your brand is one you are passionate about, get excited discussing, and engage in because you enjoy the work. That is basic brand sustainability.

Length of Coaching Engagement after Executive Coaching Certification, Business Coach Training, Career Coach Certification, or Life Coach Training

As taught in the Center for Coaching Certification’s executive coaching certification, business coach training, career coach certification, or life coach training the average coaching relationship lasts one year. Some coaching relationships are just a few sessions and others continue for several years. For internal coaching programs, in the program manual provide parameters for the length of the coaching engagement.

Often a minimum time period makes sense because this creates and supports commitment to the process. Additionally, coaching is a process and creating meaningful change takes time.

Ultimately it is important that the coaching is providing value. Whether just getting started or after a period of time, the Center for Coaching Certification’s executive coaching certification, business coach training, career coach certification, or life coach training teach that the key consideration in whether to continue is the benefit the coachee is gaining from the coaching relationship. The International Coach Federation, ICF, Code of Ethics addresses this specifically in Section 3:

19) I will respect the client’s right to terminate the coaching relationship at any point during the process, subject to the provisions of the agreement or contract. I will be alert to indications that the client is no longer benefiting from our coaching relationship.

20) I will encourage the client or sponsor to make a change if I believe the client or sponsor would be better served by another coach or by another resource.

21) I will suggest my client seek the services of other professionals when deemed necessary or appropriate.

In an organization with a coaching program, often there is a goal of creating a coaching culture. This means coaching is happening informally and coaching skills are applied in conversations generally. In this case, the coaching conversations are a part of the culture instead of being formally scheduled.

Scheduled coaching sessions make sense when the coach and the coachee are both aware that the process is providing value. As taught in the Center for Coaching Certification’s coach training, the coaching relationship continues only while the coachee is benefitting.

Measuring Coaching Results After Coaching Certification

Internal coaching programs measure the competencies of coaches and the results of the coaching program. This creates the opportunity for ensuring the appropriate training is in place and defining the value of the program. Coaching certification ensures a clear understanding of the role of the coach and develops coaching competencies. According to the International Coach Federation, the ICF, there are 11 Core Competencies for coaching certification within four groupings:

• Setting the Foundation – ethics and agreements
• Co-creating the Relationship – trust and presence
• Communication – listening, questioning, direct communication
• Facilitating Learning and Results – awareness, design actions, goal setting, accountability

How are coaching competencies measured?

• Assessment following coaching certification – completed by the trainer
• Observation by the coach’s coach – managed through the program administration
• Feedback from the constituency – surveys of coaches, coachees, those working with the coachees
• Coaching 360 – the Center for Coaching Certification has a 360 evaluation of coaching competencies

How are the results of the coaching program measured?

• Qualitative measures include: employee engagement, skill development, enhanced workplace relationships, employee wellness, and company culture.
• Quantitative measures include talent retention, turnover, productivity, and sales (based on the numbers in company reports from before and after the program implementation).

As a best practice, tie the measure to the program goals.

Funding the measure of coaching competencies and program effectiveness validates the program and leads to consistent benefit. It is possible to measure results on a tighter budget. For example:

• Use a survey tool such as Survey Monkey for a qualitative measure.
• Ask program participants to complete evaluation forms and compile results.
• Use company reports on turnover, productivity, and sales from before and after.
• Invite intern students to develop and complete a measurement.
• Work with coaching organizations that will measure results.

The coaching program design and management, as well as coach training for coaching certification, impact the results. Visit http://coachingblog.centerforcoachingcertification.com/ for a full series of blog posts on coaching program design and management.

Executive Coaching Certification, Business Coach Training, Career Coach Certification, or Life Coach Training to Differentiate Between Coaching, Mentoring, Training, and Managing

While these roles are often inter-mingled and misunderstood, a clear awareness of the value and distinctions of each role enhances positive results. In executive coaching certification, business coach training, career coach certification, or life coach training, the Center for Coaching Certification teaches each role is truly unique and distinct, serves a specific purpose, and is handled differently. Knowing how coaching is different and understanding the role is essential for a successful program. What does each do?

Mentor

• Provide expertise
• Gives advice
• Offers input

Manager

• Informs of decisions
• Provides direction
• Gives feedback

Trainer

• Assesses learning needs
• Develops training programs
• Manages learning environment
• Provides information
• Creates learning exercises

Coach

• Elicits the direction and expertise from the coachee
• Provides the process for the coachee to strategize and plan
• Empowers the coachee to make their own decisions and determine actions
• Asks the coachee how it is working and what they want to adjust
• Affirms coachee progress and success

Bottom line: In executive coaching certification, business coach training, career coach certification, or life coach training the Center for Coaching Certification teaches how coaching is different from the other roles in that the coach asks instead of tells, clarifies instead of opining, explores instead of giving direction, empowers choice instead of deciding on strategy or actions. The coach does empower the coachee, serve as a sounding board to give them space to explore, ask probing and clarifying questions to expand and challenge thinking, then asks the coachee to define what they want and how they will make it happen.

Coach Training for Internal Coaches

How important is coach training? As with any type of skilled work or service, training is essential. Coaching is a very specific process and is often misunderstood. Some think coaching is part training, part mentoring, part managing - and in reality it is very different. Executive, Career, Business, or Life Coaching is “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.” (International Coach Federation)

The American Management Association, in their Global Study of Successful Practices, shared several major findings on coaching programs inside companies, including one on coach training:

Internal training programs are often based on common misunderstandings of coaching instead of being built on ICF’s 11 Core Competencies of a coach.

Specifically, the AMA recommend external training for internal coaches to achieve the best results.

What type of coach training is best?

• Ensure that the training is approved by the International Coach Federation.
  
• Maximize value with coach training that offers CEUs authorized by IACET.
  
• Verify the training is specifically designed to develop the ICF’s 11 Core Competencies of a coach.
  

What are the resources for coach-specific training? In addition to the Center for Coaching Solutions and the Center for Coaching Certification, the International Coach Federation at www.CoachFederation.org provides a list of hundreds of organizations that offer approved training programs.