With summer holidays around the corner many of our clients are looking forward to time out of the office. As coaches this can mean less work and for those of us who are self-employed a drop off in income may be alarming. Don’t panic!
Any one of you who has worked with me will know, I’m always harping on about the six duties of being a coach. This was the outcome of a panel the ICF invited me to in Fort Lauderdale a couple of years ago. We analysed the job of being a coach, using the DACUM process.
Actually delivering coaching is only one of the six duties. Developing competency is equally as important. Many of us find when we get busy it’s hard to fit this in, so my suggestion is to use the quieter summer time to move along your path to coaching mastery.
I typically don’t take on clients during school holidays, however last year I agreed to run a summer mentoring programme for coaches to prepare for ICF credentials. It was a huge success – and I loved it! The coaches involved had more time to practice with one another and more time to reflect on their progress.
I’m now taking bookings for a 2019 summer programme. As soon as you sign up you can get going on working one to one with me and learning to analyse your own coaching. Then we’ll agree our summer programme to fit around everyone’s diaries.
Applying for an ICF credential is an important mark of your professionalism as a coach but it takes some time to really focus to practice. It’s well worth the effort though. An ICF credential is the gold standard and demonstration of professional credibility. There is a lot of evidence that shows coaches with an international credential earn more than those without.
Remember the ICF requirement is for a minimum 10 hours mentor coaching over at least three months. If this is the year you want to apply, it really is time to start the process. Please do get in touch to find out whether this programme is right for you.