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.

What do you learn in coach training? ICF-Accredited coach training programs like CLCC are required to adhere to specific coaching standards and competencies, specifically the ICF Core competencies. However, this doesn’t mean that you learn like a “robot” and just memorize key concepts. Our program focuses on how you learn by doing, diving straight in to practice key coaching skills like active listening, cognitive reframing, translating insight into action steps, or asking questions that stay open and curious while keeping the client in the driver’s seat. You’ll learn these skills in ways that are active, where you get feedback while also respecting your development of a unique coaching style.

The ICF is the International Coaching Federation. ICF accreditation for coach training programs is a standard-setting process that reviews every aspect of the training program—the curriculum, the facilitators—to ensure that it meets certain standards. If you elect to go with a coach training program that is not ICF-accredited, you’ll run the risk of graduating and not really being able to use your training in a professional setting, as many organizations require a credential. You also run the risk that you are not fully trained as a coach.

How do you choose the right coach training program? Let’s get into how you can identify the key factors that will align for you, from the instructional style to the learning container to the culture of the coach training program.