A reader has written in with the following question for today's blog:
"I would like to hear your thoughts on the critical value of coaching for coaches. That is, the need for us (coaches) to continue to wear the "coachee" hat for the purpose of our own ongoing development and improvement."
Excellent question and one that I discuss with new and established coaches quite often.
There are numerous points regarding the potential value, so I'll list them here with some thoughts next to them:
- It is important to be a "product of the product". We not only need to understand the process our clients are going through by having experienced it ourselves, but also that we continue to be a work in progress ourselves just like our clients are. There is integrity and authenticity in this.
- Those coaches who are members of coaching professional bodies will in most cases be required to receive a minimum number of coaching hours themselves each year. Some may consider this to be just an obligation, or a hoop to jump through to maintain membership or to apply for higher levels of credentialling. Others may view this as a natural part of their own personal and professional development. It's important to check in if getting coached is being done out of obligation or desire. This isn't a "right" or "wrong" distinction, just an important point to be personally honest about.
- The coaching industry is unregulated and in my opinion unlikely to be regulated any time soon in most countries. Therefore, one way we can work toward self-regulation is to ensure there is an appropriate range of professional development requirements through coaching professional bodies, which can include the coach getting coached. At an industry level, this also shows integrity and authenticity.
- Many of the coaches I've met (and I've met thousands...honestly!) do not have their own personal and professional development plans in place, despite working with clients to produce theirs. I find this astonishing at times. I have had the great pleasure of teaching at a number of coaching schools and running development workshops for coaches in many contexts/situations over the years. The format I almost always use breaks down the development into Mastery of Self, Mastery of Coaching, Mastery of Business and Mastery of Industry. All of us have something to work on in those areas, and most coaches I have met have not made any plans in at least three of those areas, namely Self, Business and Industry (although they enjoy studying coaching skills). Coaches who get coached can close this enormous gap that exists across our colleagues in this industry.
- Coaches getting coached by other coaches doesn't have to cost anything! Many coaches feel they can't afford to get coached, and we all certainly understand the great variety of coaching rates out there. We could be asking our colleagues (include fellow students of coaching) to do some buddy coaching. This can be a commercially free arrangement! Various professional bodies offer volunteer coaches to support their members. Of course, there is also askacoach.com which offers email coaching at an affordable rate for just about any coach. There are lots of options out there, so I don't fully accept the argument that coaches can't afford it.
- There is one area which I think is also fair to raise and may be an unpopular opinion. I'm not necessarily a fan of systems within professional bodies which dictate who someone needs to be coached by. For example, to say that someone must be coached by another coach who has achieved a particular credentialling status within a professional body, has the potential to create two distinct negative outcomes: 1) a closed-shop that simply supports its members commercially and 2) a system that doesn't recognise the great opportunities of other coaches out there who are not affiliated with any professional body. I'll give you an example, my own coach (actually, i go to three, so I'm referring to just one of them here) has been a leader in the industry for 25 years, has written five books and coaches with both the UN and the EU. An amazing individual and according to some professional coaching bodies, he doesn't qualify as an appropriate person for me to get mentor coaching from as he is not a member of that organisation and doesn't hold a credential with them. Some bodies have recently changed their requirements around this. So, my tip here is to explore all the many options you have for getting coached. Consider who you could learn from best, who you could grow most with, etc. Try not to limit you own growth by other group's standards of who they think you should be growing and learning with.
Finally, here are some tips for those coaches considering to get coached:
1. Know what you want to be coached on. Be a good "client" to your coach and help them.
2. Follow through on your commitments, just like we ask our clients to.
3. Ensure you set up an agreement up front about how your coaching relationship is going to work. Do all the ethical, moral and professional steps you would expect in the same type of relationship you have with your own clients.
4. Research your potential coaches. Ask for references. Speak to more than one coach before making your decision. Be a good customer, as this is a significant investment (energy, emotion, time and/or money) so do what's best for you in making this critical decision.
5. Be willing to get coached by more than one person over time. This expands your own experience and growth potential.
6. Get your goals and action plans in writing, even if your coach doesn't ask you to. Do it for yourself as this is what you ask your clients to do.
7. Give your coach feedback. Celebrate with them their strengths and the value you are receiving. Share with them professionally and respectfully if you are not getting your needs met.
8. Be open to offering yourself as a coach to new coaches and student coaches. We all need support and it amazes me how many coaches come to me telling me that no other coach would help them. Give to our colleagues.
9. Keep a professional development log. Many professional bodies require it. You can be doing it for yourself, regardless of those groups, as a way of celebrating your own growth.
10. Get coached regularly. If you haven't been coached by anyone for six months, go out and get at least one session to just check in that you're not going stale, procrastinating, going backward...whatever. Have a regular check in to keep you on top of your own game.
WOW, I didn't think I was going to write so much! I'm sure I could have written more, but this seems like a good place to stop.
I trust this has answered the reader's question and has also been of value to other readers.
Coaching Exercises
1. What would the value be to you to be coached? (Answer this question regardless of whether you're a coach or not.)
2. When was the last time you were coached? What was the outcome? If it's been a while, what has been in the way of you continuing to be coached? If you've never been coached, what has been in the way of you starting?
3. What do you have to work on currently in Mastery of Self, Mastery of Coaching, Mastery of Business and Mastery of Industry? What could you be working on with a coach?
4. As a result of these questions and your considered responses to them, what are you committing to?
As always, if you need any further personal support in response to any of these coaching exercises, please consider using the askacoach.com service.
All the best,
Noel
Noel Posus - Master Coach
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