Key Factors to Consider for Coach Training
The Key Factors for a Solid Coach Training Program
The key factors for your coach training will orient around these areas: accreditation, curriculum, and supervised practice or mentoring. When these three things come together, you can be confident that you have found a coach training program that is verified by a third party to offer a solid training, has a curriculum that aligns with the ICF Core competencies, and will give you the type of feedback on your coaching that truly helps you to excel as a coach.
Coach Training Factor 1: Accreditation
Is the program accredited as a Level 1 or higher by the ICF or International Coaching Federation? If it is not—or if they offer “CCE” or “CEU” as their “accreditation”—then beware. CCE stands for Continuing Coach Education and CEU stands for Coaching Education Unit. These are types of education designed for ongoing education of coaches who are already credentialed. These programs are not “Level 1” and therefore were not evaluated fully by the ICF. Unfortunately, many programs out there try to pass themselves off as “accredited” when they are not actually accredited, hoping that their participants won’t dig deeper to see what that means. CLCC is a Level 1 accredited coach training program which means our entire curriculum has been evaluated by the ICF.
Coach Training Factor 2: Curriculum
Another reason to go with a Level 1 accredited program is knowing that the ICF has reviewed every aspect of the curriculum to ensure that it meets the ICF Core Competencies. You won’t be getting a random figurehead’s take on coaching; you’ll be getting a standardized set of skills that are evidence-based and essential to effective coaching.
The CLCC curriculum also adds in additional training in personal growth topics that help you to shift in your personal life as well. This is key for empathizing with clients and truly understanding how the process of change actually works.
Coach Training Factor 3: Supervised Instruction
Do you do your best learning sitting in front of a bunch of slides? We don’t, either. Yet a lot of coach training programs make glitzy promises about their training and then that’s what you do—watch slides—as someone reads them to you.
CLCC provides supervised instruction in coaching so that you can get feedback on your skills, try things out in small “skill drills,” and more. Every single graduate of our program goes through a portfolio review process where they have a coaching session evaluated by our ICF-credentialed facilitators.