CoachVillage.com - Bringing the coaching community together

So – it’s decision time for me.  A few close coaching colleagues have finally bitten the bullet and gone for accreditation but they have chosen different bodies and their experiences are all really different.  From what I can see, it looks as though the good administrators (who keep an eye on every hour they work with and have done from moment one as a coach) find it easier to work their way through the system and those who focus on the coaching itself but are self-confessed admin-phobes struggle.  OK, I admit it, I am an admin-phobe so I am still trying to work out where to start when I look at the hoops to go through. 

If you’ve done it – was it worth it?  How long did it take?  Any advice you would pass on to someone who is still sitting on the fence?  Does accreditation really matter to potential clients – I have never been asked about accreditation in 3 years as a coach?

I am still quite new to coaching.  I have finished my training which was great and met so many really helpful and supportive coaches who have been invaluable as I set up my practice.  One thing that I am not really sure about that I would love to open up to other more experienced coaches.  Is it ever acceptable to be directive?  Some say absolutely yes when you have knowledge about a specific field and it helps move the client forward.  Others say that it is never acceptable.  My course said the latter.  The coach I have worked with does occasionally move into being a bit more directive and I really appreciate that although I’m not sure I’d find it beneficial if she did it too often.

Thanks - I look forward to your feedback!

(Sarah)

I was recently at a coaching seminar when I met an executive coach who said that he had never been coached.  He had been on the receiving end of coaching as part of his training course in role plays.  When I asked why he had never employed a coach himself, he said that he didn’t need anything “fixing”.  I have to admit, I was gobsmacked.  I don’t feel I would be the coach I am without having been coached.  I have never thought of myself as needing fixing but there are so many layers to who we are, that exploring them, developing, stretching and challenging has been a fundamental part of my development.  It has also been fascinating to be on the receiving end of different types of coaching and knowing what it feels like to be the client.  Having said that, I don’t necessarily think that a coach needs to have a coach all the time.

I mentioned this to another coach I know and she commented that she had also come across coaches who have not been coached themselves – that it is not as rare as I would have thought so I wanted to open up the discussion to others and find out what they think.

Welcome to CoachVillage.com, partnering with www.CoachGlobe.com to bring the coaching community together.