A reflection by Lee Norris MA EMCC(EIA) – Leadership Coach and Consultant @ Change Innovators.
All of our leadership programs including high quality Coaching and Mentoring during the program and long after, inclusive – why do we do that?
Leadership and Executive Coaching is a relatively new field of work that started to emerge in the early nineties. If you are new to the concept or practice of coaching, you might want to consider that while there are a number of reputable professional bodies, it remains an unregulated industry.
What this also means is that there are lots of people out there claiming to be coaches. Some have done more of the the hard yards of becoming a coach, and some have more work to do. Choosing a coach who is right for you can therefore be a bit daunting. This article is written in an attempt to help you choose wisely.
How do you become a coach?
I think there are two strands to this question. One is about Coaching Training, and the other is about Coaching Development, and they are very different. There are many courses for Coach Training, run by accredited training partners. Accreditation is provided by professional bodies, including but not limited to – The International Coaching Federation (ICF), the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC), and the Association of Coaching (AC).
If you embark on one of these Coach Training programs, it can take anywhere from 6 to 18 months to gain the qualification, and it is not easy because the standards are high. They are often taught and assessed through assignments and observation, and they focus on Competency. i.e., Can the person demonstrate good coaching competency?
Coaching Development goes much deeper. Development as a coach is a process of formation; it takes years to complete, and in truth, it never really ends. It may start with coach training and a qualification, but that is just the start. At Change Innovators, coaching is a lived practice, a kind of way of life rather than a set of skills. It involves reflective practice, which is often undertaken through something called Supervision, where the coach is encouraged to share their experiences in a confidential way that never divulges the client, and reflect on what they have learned, what they would do again, and what they would do differently. This can be a painful process of deep learning, but always a liberating one involving personal growth, because it requires humility and vulnerability to do well – we are always learning, and being open to letting go of what you thought you knew was right can be difficult.
For many of us, this has also meant that we have undertaken Master’s Degrees in Leadership and/or Coaching Practice in addition to Coach Training, or we have written books and undertaken and published research to hone our craft. Some of us have undertaken Neuroscience Qualifications that enable us to learn about the emotional and embodied aspects of change in the human condition, and the science of Being Human is a deeply respectful part of our Leadership Development programs. This work has been largely ignored in the development of modern-day management practice and, we believe, is at the root of many of the challenges we face in organizations today.
In the end, “Who you are is how you coach,” a phrase termed by Professor Tatiana Bachkirova, a very well-respected coaching psychologist. We also say, “Who you are is how you lead.” Why is this important? Because once you have an authentic connection to yourself, then, and likely only then, can you build that with others, and that is the art of good leadership development as well.
As a result, we have built deeply thoughtful development programs for our clients based on research and the science of being human. Our founder, Yvonne Thompson, has led the way through a simple statement: “Leadership is all about you, the Leader, and nothing to do with you at the same time.”
Why choosing the right coach and the right company for you is important.
So there are coaches, and there are coaches. There are leadership development companies, and there are leadership development companies. There are over 9 million coaches on LinkedIn, so how on earth do you choose who is right for you? Here are a few considerations:
Having a qualification is increasingly important because it is an indicator of some level of training and skills completion. At Change Innovators, our coaches all have qualifications to the highest standards, including Master’s Level.
Professional body Accreditation is also increasingly important because (in theory) it demonstrates a level of coaching competency. Some professional bodies focus on the number of hours of coaching and supervision, some are more focused on the overall development of a coach.
Feeling your way. Coaching and leadership development is a deeply personal process. It requires commitment from all parties to make a difference, and as such, using your own instinct and intuition is important. Meet the people whom you are considering working with and make sure they listen to your needs. In the end, if you feel like you can work with a coach, this is a brilliant indicator.
Take your time and evaluate as you go. Really great coaches and leadership development companies will always offer choice. If it isn’t working, then there is no need to feel disappointed or to become judgmental; it’s just that the chemistry might not be right. Find a different coach to work with. This doesn’t mean that the company or product are wrong, but it might mean that you resonate better with one person than another, and this is to be embraced.
Check out the websites and the outputs on LinkedIn and any blogs people write, videos people produce to see if this resonates with you. We have loads of material on our website and YouTube Channel if you are interested in learning about who we are and what we offer.
Most importantly, meet the people, and if you feel a human connection, then this is likely a great place to start.
In conclusion
We celebrate the desire of Leadership Coaches and Consultants to maintain the highest standards by working hard all the time to grow and learn. This is a personal journey that is undertaken with each and every client.
At Change Innovators, our leadership programs take time for all the reasons we have set out in this Insight, and coaching is provided as an integral part of this work. We are so committed to this that we provide coaching during the programs and afterward forever without additional charge.
Why so? Because we love working with people over the long term, and this bears the best results and creates cultures of success for individuals and organizations. It’s a lifelong partnership, and put simply, we love what we do.
All we ask is that when considering Leadership Development and Coaching – choose wisely.
Lee Norris – Leadership Coach and Consultant
Director, Change Innovators – UK, EMEA, and APAC