In my work with organisations and individuals who are navigating the world of big change and transition one of the topics I’m often asked about, is coaching. So, I’m kicking off a series of posts on this subject with the question I’ve been asked about most recently – what’s the best way to learn coaching skills?
Image: Becky Asplin photography
Before we get started, it’s worth stating that in the UK at least, coaching is not a regulated industry, so you don’t have to be qualified to practice – anyone can call themselves a coach. However, the more of us that are qualified, I believe that’s better for the industry and our clients. And, I’m not going to signpost specific training organisations to check out or individual coach trainers - just a few pointers based on what I’ve learned and heard from others.
Be clear…
Why do you want to coach? What will coaching mean for you or your business or organisation? Has a client asked you about your qualifications? Do you want to become a full-time coach, add coaching to your services or do you want to apply coaching skills in your work? How will it benefit the people you want to coach? Do you want to use a coaching style in your leadership approaches? Or do you want to set up a network of coaches inside your organisation? Whatever it is, be clear on your objectives before you start finding out about how to learn.
Be – and stay - curious
One of the most common traits you see in coaches is curiosity – as well as listening, we ask questions (see above) and stay curious. If you apply that same approach with finding out about coaching, you’ll be on the right track to support others.
It’s not a one size fits all
There are many, many different specialisms in coaching. You will see coaches in wellbeing, transition, careers, personal branding and communications, as well as executive coaches who work with senior leaders inside organisations, to name just a few. If you want to specialise or work with a coach working in a specialism, seek them out.
Get coached
If you want to coach, I’d always recommend experiencing coaching before you get started. I had worked with four different coaches before I embarked on my coaching journey so I had a good idea of what to expect as a client – and so what my clients might expect from me.
Understand your own learning style
If you decide to go down a training route, as with any training you undertake, if you’re clear on your own preferred learning style, that will be a huge help in understanding how engaged you’ll be with your learning. So, do you like knowing about lots of theory? Do you enjoy and thrive on learning as part of a group or are you better on your own? Make sure you know what works for you before you get started.
Check out industry bodies
Some training courses are aligned to different coaching industry bodies, so checking these out might give you some insight on coaching as a career and provide a steer to training or learning opportunities. The main ones include:
• International Coach Federation (ICF)
• European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC)
• Association of Executive Coaching
If you’re a coach, do feel free add your thoughts in the comments – the more insights to this, the merrier!
If you’d like to talk to me about the coaching services I offer, get in touch - I’d love to find out more.
Next time, I’ll be covering some of the things to consider when you’re hiring a coach or mentor for you or your organisation.