[Ailist] Certification and/or Credibility?

[Rob Voyle]

Hi Bruce

I totally agree with your take on coach certification.  Find the people that can 
inspire you to be the best coach you can be and do not pursue one course of 
action that just gets you a piece of paper.  Within the ICF their portfolio 
certificate process would allow a variety of programs to be included in an 
individualized certificate process.

I would also agree that the ICFs history with grandfathering was rather shabby.  
they have tightened up many of their standards in the last couple of years which 
on one hand I applaud but on the other hand means that people like you and I 
have now a much higher and expensive hurdle to jump if we want their 
accreditation.

My own experience would also suggest that potential coaches consider well the 
market or niche they want to get into and check what that market is requiring.
Individual life or performance coaches are not likely to have much need for ICF 
accreditation as their marketing is going to rely heavily on first person referrals. 
The life coach arena is also a real buyer beware arena where accreditation can 
also patch over a vast array of real competence.

Executive coaching in business is likely to see increasing pressure to have some 
type of accrediting requirement.  When I taught at the College of Executive 
Coaching we had an increasing number of long tenured coaches from premiere 
coaching and consulting organizations firms take the training just to get the ICF 
certificate because the large corporations were requiring it. 

Rob
  
Robert J. Voyle, Psy.D.
Director, Clergy Leadership Institute
For Coaching and Training in Appreciative Inquiry
Author: Core Elements of the Appreciative Way 
http://www.clergyleadership.com/
503-647-2378 or 503-647-2382    


> 
> But there are a couple of things to consider.  Usually the only
> people who
> want certification are government bodies.  I¹ve never known a
> corporation to
> ask for certification, only government orgs.  So, I can see why
> it¹s
> important in the DC area.
> 
> So, if you want to work for a government agency, get certified.  If
> you want
> to work in your own practice, build your credibility.  That involves
> picking
> and choosing your training to suit your desires and needs (a week
> with Jim
> Flaherty and company),  a couple of intensive workshops with David
> Rock¹s
> group,  a retreat with Ben at Mentor Coach, S
> 
> Rather than plunk down $10,000 to one organization and become one of
> them,
> be yourself, draw from the best and put it together yourself.  You
> will
> certainly build credibility in your own capacity and in the eyes of
> others.
> However, you may not qualify for certification from ICF, as their
> criteria
> are a bit spurious.
> 
> For example, when I applied for certification during their
> ³grandfathering²
> phase, certifying the few coaches and coach trainers with long
> experience, I
> scored 89/90 in 9 of the 10 key areas, but 0/10 in references.  You
> needed
> 90 to qualify.  
> 
> I was shocked as my references ranged from mentors such as Robert
> Fritz
> (found for the field of structural dynamics and structural
> consulting) to
> CEO¹s of Fortune 500 companies to College Presidents to a range of
> successful independent professionals and ordinary folks who¹d
> created new
> lives and careers for themselves.  ZER0 points!  Why?
> 
> I was told that all of my references were rejected because none of
> them were
> associated with Coach U, the main ³training² institution at the
> time, or
> ICF.  So be careful!
> 
> Most of the coaches I know who successful set up and sustain
> successful
> practices do not rely on one source of training.  They take the best
> they
> can from the best they can find.
>