What is Coaching?
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. The process of coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity and leadership.”
We all have goals that we’d like to achieve, personal or professional challenges that we would like to overcome or times when we can feel “stuck” or stymied. Partnering with a coach can change your life, improve your planning and process, and make you feel “free” in your decision-making, setting you on a path to personal and professional success and fulfillment. Coaching can also provide you will an accountability partner in your journey.
As defined by the code of ethics of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), I cannot coach anyone with whom I may have a conflict of interest. This could include friends, family, current employees, or other types of conflicts. I would be happy to refer these folks to one of my many talented colleagues.
Coaching might also not be ideal for you if you’re looking for advice, these tend to be more aligned with mentoring from a peer or more experienced mentor and/or consultation from a subject matter expert. Coaching is not about giving advice but is a relationship between client and coach where the client drives the answers from within. Therapy tends to focus more on the client’s past, while coaching focuses squarely on the present and future.
Coaching offers a method of client-driven exploration to develop clarity, purpose or process around a particular challenge, goal or need in the client’s life. Client-coach relationships focus on defining goals, identifying objectives and designing meaningful process that align with these, as driven by the client, to help achieve their personal and professional outcomes.
I’m currently training to become credentialed as an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation (ICF). This credential requires 60+ hours of coach specific education and 100+ hours of client coaching experience, together with a performance evaluation against ICF professional standards. I am currently undergoing coach training with Dr. Katie Linder.
An ICF Credential is a professional certification indicating that the participant has met specific standards and requirements designed to develop and refine their coaching skills, and that they are aligned with the core competencies of coaching as defined by the ICF. It is an indication that they are dedicated to upholding strong principles of ethical behavior in coaching. An ICF Credential shows clients and peers that the holder is committed to the coaching industry and to developing themself as a coaching professional.