Fall has arrived and with it comes ‘fall back’ when we turn our clocks back. Reflecting on this has me asking, how does a coach ‘fall forward’ rather than back? When a coach ‘falls forward’, do clients ‘fall’ for the coach?
Because the world around us is hurling forward so fast, if we simply rest with our current level of knowledge, we are falling back. Continuing education is vital just to keep even, and if we coaches want to ‘fall forward’, incorporating ongoing learning makes sense.
Thinking back to when I first got involved in coaching, I remember wondering if training even mattered for coaches. After all, I was a trainer. The soft skills I taught combined with my work experience surely prepared me to coach. Then I went through coach training and found out that I had no idea what I didn’t know – I learned so much! Currently there is much debate over whether training should be required, and if so, how the requirement is defined. Those advocating for no requirement believe training might stifle the creativity of the process. Those advocating for training cite other professions as examples. The comment I made was: Training + Skill + Experience = Excellence.
Now, like most I work with, I continue to seek out learning opportunities. Recently I had the privilege of participating in a world-wide conference for coaches organized by Ben Croft – wow did I learn! There are so many wonderful opportunities for coaches to continue learning. Please visit the Continuing Education Opportunities page on the Center for Coaching Certification website; every other month a free webinar is offered to provide ongoing learning.
Write a comment here about resources you have found for coaches to keep learning.
