(Published in the Star on 17 Oct 2012)

In lesson four, you will learn that all good coaches take the one option of going through a journey of formal learning to become one. In doing this, we shall shed some light on the world’s most prestigious coaching body, the International Coach Federation (ICF) and why it attracts more coaches there than any other coaching bodies in the world.

What Is A Good Coach (and a Not-So-Good One)?

In all ways, a good coach must be someone who is genuinely and sincerely committed to this profession, and the best way to prove this is to invest time, effort, and money to undergo a formal coach learning from an established coaching school to become a professional certified coach. Good coaches know that there is no compromise or alternative to this, as coaching skills and more importantly, a coaching mindset are formally learned skills.

Why do Coaching Skills Have To Be Formally Acquired?

Coaching skills are needed to directly replace some old “die-hard” ways or communication habits that we have acquired through the years. Take for example, our tendency of talking more than listening. In coaching we learn the reverse of talking less and listening more. Another one is to ask whatever question that comes to mind. In coaching, every question asked must be purposeful and must be a result of after having listened to what the other has said earlier.

In the context of coaching, all these must change. Without a period of undergoing “coaching rehabilitation”, it is near impossible to shed off the old behaviours that many of us are so accustomed with. This brings in another important point; our years as a trainer or manager do not automatically make us a good coach. They too have to go through the coaching mill. They too have to go through a coaching course.

What are the Coaching Bodies?

Most professional coaches belong to a known coaching body. There are so many out there, and some of them are the ICF, Coachville, CoachU and the International Association of Coaches. Each promotes its own brand of coaching and its set of coaching competencies to guide the development of its members to become good coaches. Although this may be confusing to many, the fundamentals of good coaching are somewhat the same as there cannot be too much “deviation” from what true-blue coaching really is.

Who does The Malaysian Association Of Certified Coaches Follow?

The Malaysian Association of Certified Coaches (MACC) promotes the ICF brand of Coaching, which explains why all its members are trained or certified under this coaching body. The ICF brand of coaching is the most established it is one of the most prestigious coaching bodies. ICF is well recognised and respected as it has a 20-year old history, which is longer than any other, and has a 25,000 membership, which spans across the world. Due to its strong reputation and branding, only an ICF-certified professional coach can be regarded as a Global Coach who can practice in any part of the world.

What are the Coaching Competencies that ICF Promotes?

There are 11 coaching competencies where all students in all ICF-based coaching schools must be taught and be evaluated on throughout their studies to become professional coaches

1.1 Comply with Ethical Code & Professional Standards

Hold a non-directive coaching conversation that is anchored on inquiry and exploration based on the present and future.

1.2 Establish Coaching Agreement

Set a clear coaching agenda, measurable outcomes and clear ground rules to guide the entire coaching conversation.

1.3 Build Trust & Intimacy

Create a safe environment that gives space and respect for the coachee to freely express what he wants.

1.4 Listen Actively

Listen to both the spoken and unspoken words, detect incongruities and discern their hidden meanings.

1.5 Ask Powerful Questions

Provoke and elicit self-discovery to gain insights and find answers to resolve issues or get closer to the goal.

1.6 Get into Coaching Presence

Immerse into the coachee’s zone and thereby gain intuition to feel their inner motivations, emotions and underlying roadblocks.

1.7 Raise Awareness

Elevate the coachee’s mind and broaden his perspective to find more holistic solutions to resolve his issues or get closer to his goal.

1.8 Manage Direct Communication

Undertake a two-way communication that is clear and simple and in accordance to the coachee’s preferred learning and thinking styles

1.9 Design Actions

Co-create innovative actions with clear steps that can lead to their goals.

1.10 Plan & Set Goal

Formulate realistic and empowering goals with a clear game plan of how to reach their goal.

1.11 Manage Progress & Accountability

Stay focused on the coachee’s goals and assertively hold them accountable throughout the coaching relationship.

How Much Did You Learn From Here?

1) What is a good coach (and a not-so-good one)?
2) Why is there no short cut to becoming a good coach?
3) What are the ICF 11 Coaching Competencies?
4) Explain the meaning of each one of them.
5) What other insights do you gain from this lesson?