Q. I was on the WBECS (World Business and Executive Coaching Summit) pre-conference and you talked about self-growth for coaches, not just our clients. A. For me, one of the most important features of our profession is the continuous invitation to self-reflect, to become so aware of our own patterns, habits and behaviors, that we cannot help but personally and professionally advance. There is evidence of this encapsulated throughout the Masteries. Not only in the obvious sections, like “Effective Behaviors” or “Ineffective Behaviors”, but interspersed throughout. Within Mastery #1, for instance, is the measure “the coach acknowledges his/her own limitations where appropriate”. In order to do this, we first must have a keen awareness of our strengths and preferences, as well as the areas in which we would like to grow, or qualities that we simply do not have aptitude, and proceed accordingly. Within Mastery #3, “focusing on what to say next, when the client is still expressing” is listed among common mistakes and misunderstandings that a coach may have. This is a great opportunity to become aware of when (if) this is happening in your sessions, and noticing any effect it is having on the session. You might then look to the measures from this Mastery such as, “the client’s tone and flow of ideas becomes more open and effortless”, to check in on whether this is happening, and if not, what might be in the way? In this way, the Masteries E-book is a treasure trove for growth for both client and coach. What kinds of examples can you find? I’d love to hear your insights, so please feel free to comment here, or email me personally at LeadCertifier@certifiedcoach.org. Do you have a question that you’d like to ask the certifiers? Submit your questions here: http://certifiedcoachblog.typepad.com/blog/ask-the-certifiers.html.
Please send your questions on the IAC Coaching Masteries® and the certification process to certification@certifiedcoach.org. |
