The coaching industry is one of the fastest-growing industries on the planet, and so far, it’s showing no sign of letting up.
There are new world class-coach and coaching certifications popping up left, right, and center… so, how do we maintain some sense of integrity in a highly unregulated industry?
#1: Read up on the International Coaching Federation code of ethics. In an unregulated field, it’s easy just to set up your Facebook page and say, hi, I’m a life coach… what you’re saying is, “I have learned some cool things, and I want to help others with what I’ve learned.” Then. It becomes a race of ‘let the best online marketer win!’ And that is awesome. It doesn’t necessarily make you a qualified world-class coach. Here is a link to read up on the ICF standards of behavior. While it hasn’t been talked about a lot in unregulated coaching ‘certifications’ as the field develops and matures, I believe the ICF will become a more integral part of the coaching profession and honoring their code of ethics, essential to operating as a world-class coach.
#2: Maintain a solid definition of what coaching is and what it is not. Here is the definition of coaching from the ICF website: “partnering with clients in a thought- provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.” Coaching is about what you inspire and empower your clients to do. It’s not to be confused with therapy or consulting (aka: getting paid for what you know). Coaching is about what you inspire and empower your clients to do. It’s not to be confused with therapy or consulting (aka: getting paid for what you know). At various times you may wear other hats in your work with clients other than just coaching, if you are a trained counselor or NLP practitioner, you may dip into therapeutic frames. If you have lots of knowledge and experience that will benefit your clients, you may fall into consulting, mentoring, and teaching frameworks. It is still essential that you maintain a clear definition of what coaching is and what it is not.
#3: Lead with your Green, not your Red ego. I heard this concept spoken about in Radha Agrawal’s book ‘Belong’ and fell in love with it. Radha shares that at any point in time, you’re going to be either listening to your inner mean girl (perfectionistic, judgmental, and compares herself to others) or your inner soul sister (inspired, grateful, and curious). In every moment, we have a choice of which voice we listen to… is it going to be your green ego (inner soul sister/bro) or your red ego (inner mean girl/guy)? This includes in all our dealings with others personally and professionally and treats people with dignity, respect, and consideration.
#4: Takefull100%Responsibilityforyour life experience. You must be willing to accept the reality that you control the way you view your truth from here on out. Yes, we’ve all been through tough times, we’ve all been wronged and victimized in our past lives… and now presents a choice at this moment to choose how we want this story to end.
#5: Teach what you need to learn and lead with integrity. A course in miracles says that when it comes to your inspired calling in this lifetime: “you’ll teach what you need to learn because no one learns more than the teacher.”. This, in my experience, is irrevocably true.
I’ve also noticed three distinct responses to this statement:
1) The people who will judge someone for teaching something they are not perfect at (hello red egos, and inner mean girls & guys). These people are most often judging their gifts also and not fully expressing them in the world. So, not your business.
2) Those who will ignore this advice and continue to try and avoid cleaning up their mess by trying to clean up other people’s.
3) Those who know that you are called to teach in areas you both have learned a lot, and still have a lot to learn, so therefore, to be in integrity with what you’re showing: know that you must be willing to learn the lessons you’re being called to learn along the way and transmute them into wisdom to share with others.
#6: Focus on mastery, not what’s easy. I think mainstream marketing has a lot to answer for including low self-esteem in women, and in terms of selling the ‘magic pill formulas.’ for including low self-esteem in women, and in terms of selling the ‘magic pill formulas.’ It’s easy to get it into your head that to compete with others in your niche that you must sell something quick, easy, and straightforward. However, this has nothing to do with mastery of skills like coaching. I wrote a social media post about this recently, on my view on 90-day life coaching certifications and less! (I found one online for 13 euros!! > facepalm moment). Then you have these people setting up a Facebook page and calling themselves a qualified world-class coach and thinking that’s all it takes…it’s getting a bit out of hand. >> here is a link to my post if you’d like to read it:https://www.facebook.com/melanieclaireire/ photos/a. 406188299855760/711704845970769/? type=3&theater I’m more of a subscriber to Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000-hour rule from his book “Outliers.”
Where it says, it takes 10,000 hours to become world-class at a skill. (Don’t use this to overwhelm yourself and not start; just ensure you’re climbing the right mountain before you begin!!). >> it took me eight years of 20 hours a week training to go from getting disqualified in butterfly events to being ranked top 10 in the world for the 100m butterfly. >> I worked full time as a personal trainer for seven years before I started my life and business coaching practice. >> I mentored with an elite NLP coach for four years full time, and worked on the skills for six years full time myself before I started teaching coaching skills to others.
I get people to want ‘quick, simple and easy,’ and there is no point making something more complicated than it needs to be. However, I think it’s creating an era of people who feel like they aren’t good enough, only because their success in the coaching arena isn’t coming faster, more straightforward, or more accessible. For sure, don’t make things harder than they need to be and also commit to mastery of your coaching skills. And my definition of mastery is this: continuous, never-ending growth and development.
#7: Think + act like the best in the business do. See someone who is where you want to be? What actions are they taking daily? How do they view business and life? What beliefs and practices do they subscribe to? What is the character and leadership they display daily? What structures and strategies have they put in place that you are yet too? Don’t complain that you aren’t where so and so is yet if you aren’t willing to put in the work and be the person who is at that level.
Every new level will require a different version of you, so what are you willing to release and let go of on the path to becoming the world-class coach you want to be? What do you need to put in place to be at the level you want to be at?
Then be the person and do the work to get So, is it time for a culling of the coaches? Finding those who are legit from those who are the wannabes?
To ensure you’re on the right side of this evolution, familiarize yourself with the International Coaching Federation, commit to mastery of your coaching skills and choose to be in this profession for the long haul, not the quick win.
Much Love & Happiness, Melanie Claire Houghton xoxo About Mel: Melanie Claire Houghton is a three-time World Championship Medalist for Swimming, International Speaker & Full-Time Transformational Life Coach for the past 7.5 years. Find out more and subscribe to receive weekly articles, videos and new episodes of the #AimHigher Podcast here: www.melanie-claire.com/badassery- central — Melanie Claire Create #SustainableSuccess with Less Hustle, More Heart. info@melanie-claire.com www.melanie-claire.com