The following is taken from David’s interview with Michael O. Cooper in 10 Super Coaches.
Would you advise coaches to pursue certification? If so, at what stage in their practice, and through which accrediting body?
I believe the industry is evolving and coaching clients are becoming more savvy. There will come a time when clients require their coaches to be certified.
Coaches should continually strive to improve their coaching, but become certified as early as possible – certification processes will improve every coach’s quality of coaching. I view the certification process as a learning path in itself. That’s why we developed the International Association of Coaches’ certification process in three steps to provide clear, compelling feedback on which proficiencies coaches need to improve before moving on to the next steps.
I believe the IAC model, which allows any coach to apply for certification regardless of how many hours they have coached, or how many classes they have attended, is the best model to demonstrate competency, particularly because this certification is based on the 15 Coaching Proficiencies, rather than general knowledge.
The following is taken from David’s interview with Philip Cohen in 10 Super Coaches.
Would you advise coaches to pursue certification? If so, at what stage in their practice, and through which accrediting body?
I believe strongly in certification. Having a certification or being on the path to one, sends a strong message to my prospects and clients. It says I’m serious about what I bring to our relationship because I’ve gone through training and been willing to prove myself. I believe certification gives me a competitive edge over other people who call themselves coaches, but they are that in name only. I also believe certification is important to give credibility to the profession in the eyes of the public.
The certification process starts on the day a person decides to become a coach. The process starts with a mental attitude. A person who decides to purse certification is saying this is a serious process and they are committed to being the best they can be.
The following is taken from David’s interview with Anna Dargitz in 10 Super Coaches.
Would you advice coaches to pursue certification?
Yes and no. If you have no other forms of credibility to the public, pursue certification immediately.
The thing that makes pursuing the International Association of Coaches’ certification most attractive to me is the sophistication and progressiveness of the 15 proficiencies that the exam is based on.
The IAC doesn’t care how many hours of classes you’ve taken or different clients who will attest to your competence. They rely on real world demonstration of your skills and knowledge with the world’s most highly researched set of proficiencies for advanced communicating and relating. No hoops to jump. Just “show us what you’ve INTEGRATED in your life in a rigorous written and oral exam”.
On the other hand, if you’ve already integrated the high level of relating that is illustrated in the 15 proficiencies, along with knowing how to listen for a couple hundred different things and you’ve ripened your ego to such a level that most people would say you don’t have one… You definitely don’t need any other designations. You are a powerful facilitator of human evolution and a magnet for what you want in life.
The following is taken from David’s interview with Philip Cohen in 10 Super Coaches.
I believe the certification offered by the International Coach Federation is the most rigorous and the most widely respected. Certification is more than a certificate. The value of a certification lies in the credibility of the certification process. ICF requires a candidate to have formal training, document the number of hours they have coached, and to demonstrate their competency as a coach through live and taped coaching sessions. The assessors are all senior level coaches who know how to administer the exams. The certificate isn’t for just completing a program, the candidate must be able to use the skills. Numerous coaching schools around the world have created their programs based on ICF’s Core Coaching Competencies.
The following is taken from David’s interview with Ginger Cockerham in 10 Super Coaches.
Are there any particular school(s) you would recommend?
I am a Master Certified Coach with IFC and a Certified Mentor Coach with Coachville. Also, I am a certified Teleclass leader at Coach University and at the Graduate School of Coaching at Coachville. I encourage clients to explore credentialing with quality organizations who train significant numbers of coaches that impact the industry. To be connected to a strong community of coaches is one of the most wonderful things about coaching.
The following is taken from David’s interview with Ginger Cockerham in 10 Super Coaches.
Would you advise coaches to pursue certification?
Absolutely, it is a great confidence builder and adds credibility with prospects, particularly companies and professionals. In a newly emerging industry like coaching, there is uncertainty in organizations about using unproven people and solutions. Credentialling is a way to reassure prospective clients. Also, media attention is most likely to come to you if you are credentialed by a major coaching training company or coaching organization.
I encourage the coaches I mentor to start the credentialing process at the beginning of their coaching business. For example, to find out what are some of the criteria for credentialing and start using the proficiencies and tracking clients immediately, so when it is time to apply for credentials, most of the required information is ready.
