Life Coach Certification Insights from ICF-Approved Coach Training

Why ICF-approved coach training?  The ICF is the nonprofit membership organization that leads self-regulation for coaching.  The definition of coaching from the International Coach Federation is: “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”  The client is in control and therefore owns the results.
Why earn your life coach certification?  Consultants and mental health professionals offering related services enhance outcomes when a coaching approach is taken or when coaching is offered.  Leaders in the workplace benefit with a coaching approach.  Individuals expand their possibilities with coaching.
Ultimately, coaching is a service focused on the client.  The quality of the coaching starts with the ICF-approved coach training of the coach, the Code of Ethics, and their development of the 11 Core Competencies.  ICF-approved coach training is the gold standard.  Then the coaching relationship itself starts with an agreement about the relationship and the roles of both the coach and the client.  The coach is responsible for understanding who the client is and how they process and decide.  By starting with an agreement, discussing the Code of Ethics and then focusing on understanding the client, the coach and client develop rapport.  Through the coaching process, the coach uses effective communication techniques; the coach listens, asks powerful questions, and reflects back what the client is saying.  The client is given the space to expand their thinking and develop a strategy.  The client chooses their action steps and moves forward toward achieving what they want to achieve.  Life coach certification is rewarding for both the coach and client.

The ROI Case for Becoming a Business Coach or Earning Your Career Coach Certification

Thinking of becoming a business coach or earning your career coach certification? Coaching is the second fastest growing profession in the world according to Ray Williams (and other reports).  Coaching is the new buzz word in companies around the world.  This is because it works.
What is the Return on Investment, ROI, for hiring a coach?  Simply Google coaching ROI and a wide range of studies are listed.  Most cite 500 to 700% ROI.  A few site less and a few site more.
How is the ROI measured?  Many of the benefits of a coaching relationship are qualitative and based on personal evaluation and opinion.  In some studies, participants are asked to place a value on qualitative benefits such as skills developed or relationships impacted.  Then after a coaching engagement they are asked to determine the amount of change and assign a percentage to coaching as the reason for that change.
There are quantitative measures to coaching.  For example, an organization might look at sales numbers, productivity figures, or the cost of turnover and compare from before coaching to after coaching.
Ultimately, the value of coaching goes beyond an initial measure because it has a ripple effect.  Deciding the ROI of coaching is in part measuring and evaluating, and it is in part awareness.  Before starting a coaching relationship, have the client decide how they will measure the ROI. Before enrolling in a program to become a business coach or earn your career coach certification make sure you will get the skills to effectively give your clients a return on their investment.

Using Life Coaching Certification and Executive Coach Certification in the Coaching Process

Marie has earned her life and executive coaching certification and is currently using her skills to coach a CEO named David. Marie is using the whole person approach.
In the opening coaching session, Marie asked David what he wanted.  He shared that in his career he wanted to achieve specific growth and productivity numbers on the job, and he wanted to successfully serve as a mentor for two of the VP’s that had been identified as potential successors.
David also realized he wanted to develop certain skills at work to improve his relationships and enhance outcomes.  David shared his goal for how much of a bonus he wanted to earn.  He listed specific debt he wanted to retire.  David was close to his financial goals for retirement and stated exactly what he wanted next.
Then David talked about what he wanted in his relationship with his wife and with his now grown children.  David set goals for spending time with relatives and friends.  David set specific goals for exercising, weight, and his eating habits.  He explored what he wanted in his spiritual life.  David listed classes he hoped to attend.  He talked about the legacy he wanted to create both at work and with his family.  He described his ideal emotional state.  David said he wanted to volunteer and named a specific cause that was of interest.  He defined what work / life balance meant to him and set goals to create time for hobbies and relaxation.
Life coaching certification and executive coach certification both focus on helping the client achieve their goals.

Coaching Certification with ICF-Approved Coach Training at the Center for Coaching Certification

There are a multitude of coaching models and processes.  Each has value and benefits.  What is essential is that the coach understands the client so that they flex to what works best for them individually. The Center for Coaching Certification teaches an ICF-Approved coach training program which emphasizes the clients’ wishes.
Because the number one indicator of success for a coaching relationship is the rapport between the coach and the client, it is essential that the process creates the opportunity for the coach to get to know their client and for the client to realize they are heard and understood.
A written coaching agreement is called for per the International Coach Federation Code of Ethics.  Ideally this applies to internal coaches as well as external.
The average length of a coaching relationship is one year.  Of course there are coaching relationships that are for just a few months and others that last years.  Often there is a period of regular coaching followed by periodic coaching.  Best practices means determining a minimum time commitment to the relationship and process and then continuing while there is benefit to the client.

What types of coaching certification are there?

Coaching certification has value in your career and coaching has application in every facet of the working world, family, and in the communities in which people participate.  Companies are now developing a “coaching culture” and the leaders are using a “coaching style of management” to enhance results.  On a personal level, learning the people and communication skills that are considered basic competencies for a coach helps with relationships at home, in the community, and when serving as a volunteer.

The coaching niche areas number in the thousands.  Generally speaking, coaching is identified with one of four large categories.

• Career coach certification means serving individuals looking for a job, redefining their career, or advancing their career. 

• Life coaching certification is for supporting exploration and action in areas meaningful to the individual including relationships, family, legacy, life purpose, spirituality, life management, and transitions.

• Become a business coach to work with individual owners or managers of small to mid-sized businesses.

• Executive coach certification is for coaches that provide services to individuals in the corporate world.

These categories serve as a general way of describing coaching.  Each type of coaching may and often does overlap in to the other areas. 

When coaches are trained in an ICF-approved coach training, the focus is on developing their coaching skills.  Their background, experience, and previous education provide the foundation for their coaching niche area or areas.

ICF-approved Coach Training

Coaching continues to grow as a profession and is gaining ever more popularity because it works and ICF-approved Coach Training is essential when entering the profession.

What is coaching? The definition from the International Coach Federation is: “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”

What isn’t coaching?

• Coaching is not mentoring. A mentor is a voice of wisdom and experience passing on what they know and giving advice. In comparison, a coach provides a process expertise and thereby elicits the answer from the client.
• Coaching is not consulting. A consultant is an expert that is brought in to analyze, develop a plan, and advise. In comparison, a coach serves as a sounding board and strategy partner so the client explores possibilities and creates their plan of action.
• Coaching is not a mental health service. A mental health professional works to restore an individual to wellness. In comparison, a coach works with an individual that is well and whole to consider what they want and move forward toward their goals.

Whether you decide to become a business coach, complete executive coach certification, earn your lifecoaching certification, or complete career coach certification, the coaching certification supports effective coaching and results.

Does someone with Executive Coach Certification address specific goals only?

Whatever the type of coaching following an ICF-approved coach training, the question comes up as to whether the coaching sessions cover areas other than the specific purpose for which the coach is engaged.  For example, some believe that only the job should be discussed.  In many cases and especially after executive coach certification, this is because often the employer is paying for the coaching.  In this scenario, some believe that company funds should only be spent on workplace topics.     

A different perspective is that when coaching, if the coaching sessions and understanding are limited to one area only, then the outcome is also limited.  Harvard Business Review stated that 76% of the time when an executive coach is engaged, personal issues are also addressed. 

The balance is to start with an opening session exploring what the individual wants in all areas of their life.  Then in the second session, work on how that person will create the thinking and habits they want to support their progress and success.  Then, from the third session on, the focus is about the job or the primary reason for the coaching.  This supports awareness for the individual and their coach of who they are and what is important to them. 

Through this process the client and their coach have a big picture understanding and develop strong rapport.  Then, when other areas in the life of the client are impacting them on the job or as they work on their primary interests, the client and the coach are prepared to effectively discuss and strategize.  The client is a whole person and what they want in each area of their life influences them in each of the other areas.

Whether you decide to become a business coach, complete executive coach certification, earn your life coaching certification, or complete career coach certification, the coaching certification ideally addresses how each person does have influencing factors and outside considerations that impact their goals.