Please read the following guidelines thoroughly.
Guidelines and Preparation for IAC Certification Process
The IAC® offers two levels of certification. The skilled IAC-Certified Coach™ and the IAC-Master Coach™ (IAC-MC™). The level at which you demonstrate The Coaching Masteries™ determines whether you pass, and if so, which level of certification you will be awarded – IAC-Certified Coach™ or IAC-MC™.
One of the most important things to remember about submitting your coaching session recordings is that you want to use recordings that showcase your best demonstration of The Coaching Masteries™.
The Coaching Masteries™ are designed to facilitate positive shifts, increase self awareness, enhance personal insight and generate meaningful progress toward the client’s intended results. Once fully integrated into your coaching, you will naturally use all 9 of The Coaching Masteries™ without having to “try” to use them or forcing them in to the conversation. Just be aware that it takes time and practice to learn and understand them to this degree. This has nothing to do with your style of coaching, but rather the integration of the most masterful coaching skills.
The #1 mistake coaches make in Step 2 is submitting recordings without first self-evaluating the recordings to determine if they are certification-worthy and that they showcase your best work. For more guidance, review “Advice for Preparing for Step 2”and “How to Determine if the Recordings Are Good Enough” below.
By the time you are ready to submit your recordings for Step 2 you have already demonstrated your intellectual understanding of The Coaching Masteries™ via the online test (Step 1). In Step 2 you get to demonstrate your ability to appropriately and effectively apply each one of the Masteries in live (recorded) coaching sessions.
To prepare for Part 2, you will want to practice extensively and review your progress as your ability to use the Masteries becomes easier and more natural. Coaching skill and coaching mastery require many hours of practical experience.
You may want to practice with a buddy coach (you can search for an IAC coach through the link in the menu), a coaching triad (where 3 coaches alternate position of coach, client and observer who offers feedback), within the safety of a study group or using a mentor coach and/or attending a coach training program. Not only will it be helpful to receive feedback, providing feedback to others deepens your understanding.
The IAC requires you to coach two different clients for your two submissions, to demonstrate applying the 9 Masteries with varying situations and personalities.
Please note that if your recording exceeds 45 minutes, the IAC Examiner will only score the first 45 minutes of the recording. Please practice for Part 2 using the 30 – 45 minute guideline while coaching. Longer sessions are not inappropriate for your coaching business, however for purposes of certification, submit sessions that do not exceed 45 minutes.
We also recommend recording multiple coaching sessions, perhaps all your sessions (with the client’s permission, of course). Reviewing your coaching sessions can provide some of the best learning. And, when you get comfortable recording your coaching sessions, you won’t feel like you are “performing” by the time you are recording for Step 2.
Please remember the IAC® Certification is an independent certification, not affiliated with any schools, training programs or mentors. While we do license the content of the Masteries for use in training programs, we are not endorsing any programs.
It is possible all content areas and details of the Masteries may not be covered in your coaching course or school curriculum. IAC® certification goes above and beyond your basic training and curriculum.Your success on Step 2 is not a reflection of your instructor – it is a reflection of your ability to demonstrate the Masteries, so it depends upon you and your preparation. Work with the recommended materials and allow yourself ample time to practice and study. This will vary from person to person, so please read and apply the following suggestions.
Advice for preparing for Step 2:
- Get in the habit of recording all of your coaching sessions, so you remove the self-consciousness factor for you and your clients.
- Make sure that you get your client’s permission to record the call. Begin each recorded session by verbally asking your client for permission to record the coaching session for IAC certification purposes. You will also be required to seek their permission to record and share the session with IAC, by having them sign the Waiver of confidentiality (Click here for Waiver of Confidentiality). This document must be submitted along with each recording.
- Listen to your recordings, share them with a mentor coach or other coach trained in the use of The Coaching Masteries™, triad team, study group or buddy coach.
- Self score using the Masteries note sheet and notes, found in your Member Dashboard. Check off which of the Masteries were present, whether you applied them appropriately, and whether the client made a shift or had a significant insight as a result of you using the Mastery.
- Notice if there were missed opportunities to use a specific Mastery. Make note of the Masteries that were missing or used inappropriately or ineffectively. You may want to take a class to get a deeper grasp of the Mastery and its use in various scenarios.
- Develop some questions that will help you use the Masteries properly in a given situation.
- Decide which of your clients you work best with and ask them if you can record their coaching sessions for the purposes of the certification process. For exam purposes choose clients who are: healthy, smart, action-oriented individuals who are ready to evolve and follow through with your coaching. For your certification recordings, the ideal client makes progress as a result of your coaching. Extremely stuck or confused clients may keep you from demonstrating most of the Masteries.
- Design the call effectively: Have a beginning, a middle, and an end, within 30-45 minutes, that results in a shift for the client or some kind of action to be taken before the next call.
How to determine if the recordings are “good enough”
- Review the recordings yourself and possibly with a mentor.
- Use the note sheet and score each mastery on a scale of 1 to 5. For scoring purposes, score 1 if a Mastery was used incorrectly, score 3 for skillful demonstration of the Mastery, and score 5 for masterful demonstration of the Masteries. The note sheet is available
- Make sure you have used the 9 Masteries appropriately by referring to the section in the Masteries E-Book, “Indicators the Coach Understands the Mastery” and “Common Mistakes Coaches Make” which can be found after each Mastery section.
- Determine if the client made a significant shift in the way they see themselves and their situation as a result of your usage.
- Notice if there were missed opportunities to use a specific Mastery.
- Verify that your recordings are no longer than 45 minutes.
Please note: Do not try to force the Masteries into your call. It is obvious and ineffective. Let go of your agenda to perform and “pass the test” and just do your natural coaching. When you are ready, the 9 Masteries will all be present quite naturally and you will pass with ease.
The IAC reserves the right that if a recorded coaching session submission sounds edited, scripted, or performed, that we will request another session be submitted, or that a video recording will be required. This policy exists because organic connection, spontaneity and collaborative, authentic discovery are central to the 9 IAC Coaching Masteries® and the IAC definition of coaching. It is therefore expected to hear indicators of those authentic discoveries and connections in every session.
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