As professions are defined and developed there is a growth process involving the development of ethics and standards. Once the standards are established the profession moves into public awareness of and compliance with the standards. Ultimately professions either are regulated by government or they self-regulate (examples of this include doctors, therapists, attorneys, HR professionals, accountants, and more).
Coaching is now moving toward self-regulation through the International Coach Federation. As coaching grows and the profession is normalized, the processes for coach training approvals, credentialing, and continuing education are further enhanced. For example:
- The ICF is exploring how they are reviewing coaches seeking a credential and their standards for coach training programs.
- Coach training organizations are exploring the quality of processes for trainer qualification and for training programs. The Association of Coach Training Organizations is working on defining coach trainer competencies.
- Conferences for coaches, coach trainers, and coaching schools continue expanding both in terms of offerings and attendance. As a result, the conversations deepen and in turn the coaching profession benefits because new insights and concepts are brought to the work and to how the processes are developed.
On the horizon are enhanced processes for approving training programs, awarding credentials, and accessing new or different coaching methodologies, thus expanding the options for clients.
What are your recommendations?
