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Why hire an ICF credentialed coach?
By Amy Ruppert, MCC
Certification from the International Coach Federation (ICF) is extremely important when considering which coach to hire. It means the coach:
- Has received professional training from a programme specifically designed to teach coaching skills in alignment with the ICF Competencies and Code of Ethics;
- Has demonstrated a proficient understanding and use of the coaching competencies as outlined by the ICF
- Is accountable to the ethics and standards set forth by the ICF.
The ICF is a consortium of professional coaches and organisations that have joined together under its auspices to shape and govern the profession of coaching. The skills sets, competencies, ethics and standards are a collective agreement between coaches from all over the world who have made the commitment to maintain the very highest standards you would expect from any other profession. The ICF is to coaches what the British Medical Association (BMA) is to doctors or the British Psychological Society (BPS) is to Psychologists.
Coaching is a new profession (about 10 years formally) and certification and licensing are not yet required in the United Kingdom (or in many other countries). As a result, there are many individuals who call themselves coaches who have not been formally trained in specific coaching skills and are transferring skill sets from other professions into their coaching. Often this results in an inadequate or ineffective coaching experience for clients.
Coaching employs its own unique skills and for many coaches "unlearning" old skill sets from other professions has to occur before they can competently pick up the new skill sets used in coaching.
There are three levels of Coach Credential from the ICF. We have briefly outlined the differences below and the basic requirements for each level:
Associate Certified Coach (ACC)
- 60 hours of coach specific training
- 100 hours of coaching experience with clients
- 10 hours of work with a mentor coach (from July 1st 2008)
- Satisfactory completion of oral exam
- Agreement to adhere to the Code of Ethics as outlined by the ICF
- A non renewable certification that expires after 4 years
Professional Certified Coach (PCC)
- 125 hours of coach specific training
- 750 hours of coaching experience with clients
- 10 hours of work with a mentor coach
- Satisfactory completion of written and oral exam
- Agreement to adhere to the Code of Ethics as outlined by the ICF
- Continued professional development to renew credential every three years
Master Certified Coach (MCC)
- 200 hours of coach specific training
- 2500 hours of coaching experience with clients
- 10 hours of work with a mentor coach
- Satisfactory completion of written and oral exam
- Demonstrated leadership within the profession
- Agreement to adhere to the Code of Ethics as outlined by the ICF
- Continued professional development to renew credential every three years
If you are considering hiring a coach, be diligent in asking the coach if they have been specifically trained in coaching skills and currently hold or are in the process of acquiring an ICF credential. Don't be misled to think a coach is a competent coach because they have other professional credentials or set high fees. More information on the ICF, the credentialing process or ICF Code of Ethics are available both on this website and the main ICF website at http://www.coachfederation.org.
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