This is a photo of my niece and I at Brookfield Zoo. I love that we are holding hands, enjoying each other as we pass under this great sign that symbolizes the power of coaching.
Recently a friend thought she was being funny by joking about coaching, by asking, “Do you die if you don’t have a life coach?” At first I noticed I got a little defensive and quickly responded with the definition of a life coach and how we help people move forward with their lives by listening to what they really want, what they want to change, and serve as a partner and someone they are accountable to for their progress.
I thought about it later that evening and in a way, we really do help people to live, and sometimes we do have clients who feel there is a part of themselves that has died and they want to awaken in that area. Sometimes you just need a partner to remind you of your inner strength and power.
The other thing this friend said is, “ Well, I am a really good listener and I think I could be a good coach.” This is probably true, but it does take a special kind of person with skill, experience, and intuition to listen with a curious, non-judgmental mind, and then when appropriate ask powerful open-ended questions that allow our clients to gain a deeper perspective for the issues in their lives.
You may be a very good listener, and you may be a very good coach to someone, but it’s important to know that coaching is more than listening. Becoming a good coach, takes time in training, practice coaching, and is a continuing journey of learning how best to help people make choices in life without thinking we know what’s best for them or the answers to their deepest questions. As a coach, our role is to help our clients reach their greatest potential in their personal and professional lives.
As a wellness coach, I help my clients with lifestyle changes that enhance their health and wellbeing and reduce their risk of disease. We are still very much a life coach, because wellness is not just about absence of disease and living a long life, but being able to enjoy that life with a sense of energy, contentment, and inner peace.
Coach training programs are all over the world. The training can take years or months, but learning to be a great coach is a never ending. I am a member of The International Coach Federation, an organization of coaches that is working to standardize the profession of coaching. My coach training was with Wellcoaches, a coach training organization working closely with the ICF to collaborate on the credentialing process that assures that coaches are well educated and trained to help people “live” their lives and prosper to their fullest.
If you are interested in learning more about coaching feel free to call me 513-309-8377, send me an e-mail and visit my website.
Hi, Mary, thanks for this wonderful post. Although I, too, am a member of the International Coach Federation, probably the largest of all professional coach associations, I thought I would mention that there are many other global players. The ICF is not the only game in town and may not be the right choice for every professional coach.
I currently serve as President of the International Association of Coaching, http://www.certifiedcoach.org. We have our own body of knowledge, summarized in the IAC Coaching Masteries(R), that we use to evaluate coaching effectiveness. We do not require any particular path of development (training) or book of business (experience). Instead, we focus on the most basic of all questions: “Can a person coach effectively”? IAC Certified Coaches coach effectively at the highest of levels, with high ethical standards as well as demonstrated comprehension of coaching dynamics. You can learn more about this by reading the December 2010 issue of choice magazine, where an article by me appear about this very subject. Here is a link to that article as well: http://certifiedcoach.org/certify/CoachCertification_Choice_December2010.pdf.
I would encourage you to find out more about the IAC and IAC certification by visiting the Certification section of our website: http://certifiedcoach.org/certify/certification.html. Thanks again for a wonderful post.