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What Is It Fair to Ask of Executive Coaches?
June 29, 2009
Coach-specific training, ethics, and certification are the first things clients should ask for when deciding on the coach they will hire, according to the International Coach Federation (ICF), an organization of professional coaches. A true professional coach, IFC says, will be able to answer "yes" to all of these requirements.
"Unfortunately, not everyone who labels themselves as a coach has been formally trained in coaching skills. Beware of those who tell you they are a coach but lack certification," says ICF President Karen Tweedie. "While a person may have significant expertise in other professional areas, such as business, consulting, education, or counseling, this does not make them a coach."
1. Coach-specific training. Make sure the individual has received professional training from a program specifically designed to teach coaching skills. Don't be misled to think someone is a competent coach because he or she has other professional credentials or sets high fees.
2. Ethics. The ICF has established a Code of Ethics for members and an Ethical Conduct Review Process for clients who have ethical complaints against an ICF member or an ICF Credentialed coach. All coaches who are members of the ICF have pledged to uphold this code and agreed to cooperate with an ethical review if necessary. If the coach is not an ICF member, what ethical standards do they follow? Who holds them accountable?
3. Credential. Does the individual hold or are they in the process of earning an ICF Credential? Coaches who have been credentialed by the ICF have received coach-specific training, achieved a designated number of experience hours, and have been coached by a mentor coach.
ICF Credentialed coaches are listed in an online ICF Coach Referral Service (CRS), a free resource that allows consumers to tailor their search for a qualified coach based on specific criteria, including professional experience of the coach, coaching specialties, desired coaching method, language preference, location, and other preferences.
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