The Future of Coaching

At the beginning of December I attended the annual international conference of the International Coach Federation (ICF). It was a marvelous event with inspirational keynotes and workshops. Peter Block was right on target with what he had to say about leadership while Getrude Matshe, a native of Zimbabwe who now lives in New Zealand, lived up to her billing as "a vibrant bundle of African energy whose zest and passion for life inspires everyone she meets." You can learn more about her work and life story by going to http://www.bornonthecontinent.com/.

While at the ICF Conference I had the opportunity to meet many people and speak about the future of coaching from the vantage point of the coaching association that I will serve as President of starting in January: the International Association of Coaching (IAC). In some respects, the IAC is similar to the ICF in that we are both concerned about the integrity and viability of the coaching profession. We want people who call themselves "coaches" to abide by high ethical standards and to practice coaching at the highest levels of coaching mastery. That is why both organizations seek to recognize, celebrate, and certify coaching excellence.

In other respects, however, the two organizations are different. The IAC has a more open understanding and architecture when it comes to coach training and life experience. We recognize that people come to coaching mastery through many paths, so we do not require a particular path of development for those seeking IAC certification. Instead, we simply require an agreement as to ethical standards, an online evaluation of knowledge and awareness as to coaching proficiencies and standards, and a demonstration of coaching mastery through the submission of recorded coaching sessions. We find the process works well, encouraging diversity, innovation, and professionalism in coaching.

For the first time, in my experience, the ICF Conference was being covered by a dedicated reporter, Mark Joyella, who published "breaking news" style reports on http://www.coachingcommons.org/ (a clearing house for all things having to do with coaching and coaching research). Although the tone of Mark's report regarding the IAC and our presence at the Conference was a bit surprising -- who knew that cooperation could be so scandalous -- I appreciated the opportunity to get the word out as to what the IAC stands for and is working on in the year ahead.

To read the story and to watch a short, 3-minute video featuring yours truly, visit the http://coachingcommons.org/featured/the-iac-at-the-icf-conference-more-collaboration-is-key-for-coaching. To learn more about the IAC, to subscribe to our monthly newsletter, the IAC VOICE, and / or to join the Association, visit the IAC online at http://www.certifiedcoach.org./

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