Looking at LinkedIn lately it seems like everyone's a coach now. Why is that? Well, in Singapore, it's largely to do with the fact that last year ICF accredited coaching courses became available as part of the SkillsFuture programme, which subsidises 'lifelong learning' for Singaporean citizens and PRs.
WHAT IS ICF?
ICF is the International Coaching Federation and it describes itself as 'the leading global organization for coaches and coaching...dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by setting high standards, providing independent certification and building a worldwide network of trained coaching professionals.'
As I wrote in my last post, I recently came to the realisation that after 25 years of working in media, marketing and communications my motivation is not so much helping big brands but helping good people to succeed in their roles. As such, coaching seemed like the perfect path for me and I used my SkillsFuture credits to apply for the the first three certificates which would make a me a mere Level 1 Associate Certified Coach:
The Coaching Essentials (16 hours)
The Developing Coach (24 hours)
The Practising Coach (32 hours classroom, 3hrs post training)
Ordinarily this would cost S$6,750 but with my SkillsFuture credit for over 40s it would only cost me $2,375 so I signed up.
WHAT WAS THE TRAINING LIKE?
I attended The Coaching Essentials in-person over two days and, spoiler alert, participated with flying colours as you can see below BUT after training I immediately asked for a refund on the the next two sessions, why?
I'm sorry to say but though the trainer was delightful and my classmates perfectly lovely I found the whole thing to be some voodoo, woo woo, BS!
The principal behind this kind of coaching is that:
ANYONE can be a coach in ANY AREA without any prior knowledge or experience of that area.
You don't need to KNOW anything because all the answers lie within the person being coached and your job is to extract them through open questioning and active listening.
But consider coaching in any other field, say...tennis! Could someone who had never played tennis and knew nothing about it really coach you to be better? Does the answer to your crappy backhand lie within you? No. You need practical, actionable advice.
The ICF would argue that offering advice comes under a different heading; consulting, training or mentorship perhaps, but this is just semantics. You hire a coach because you want to get better at something and that person needs to know how to help you get better. Would you accept career coaching off someone who's stuck on the first rung of the ladder? Or life coaching from someone who is clearly a mess? It reminds me of those fortune tellers who sit under umbrellas in Bugis market claiming to tell you the secrets of how to get rich - if they knew, surely they'd be in an air-conditioned office at least?
That's not to say there are not great coaches out there, but an ICF certificate is no guarantee. I worked with a great coach (kudos to Chris Galea of The Lighthouse Coaching), who does happen to be ICF certified but that's not why I hired him. I was trying to work out what to do with my content consultancy next and I hired him because he had been the head of business at one of the world's largest and most prestigious creative agencies. He may have used coaching techniques in our sessions but make no mistake, I wanted the benefit of his decades of business and leadership experience.
SO, WHY AM I OFFERING 'COACHING'?
Because coaching, in the sense of a tennis coach or a golf coach, seems to me to be the best way to describe what I do and I do it in areas where I have decades of experience and expertise.
I offer business coaching to creative people because I took a digital media startup international; because I started a content marketing agency and sold it for cash; because I started a boutique content consultancy and advised some of the biggest companies and NGOs on earth.
I offer communications coaching to business people because I am a frequent speaker on stage and screen, I have made many media appearances despite not being the leader of a big brand or MNC, and I continue to work as a paid voice over and actor.
I work one-on-one or with small teams to improve their skills as a business people and communicators. The work is tailored to fit, though built on tried and tested principles that I have applied over decades of my own career. And that's why I still think 'coach' fits me best. But what do you think - am I a coach or something else? Comment below or drop me a line at neal@mooreslore.com.
Hey man, that was a really long and thoughtful comment so thank you so much for taking the time and seeing both sides. Mentor is an interesting choice so I shall try it out in some of my upcoming conversations and report back. In the meantime, consider me your lead generator ;-)
First, let's do the AA thing, "My name's Chris and I'm a coach".
(And yes, the "Chris" that Neal name-checks in his blog)There.
Elephant in the room out of the way.
So, I’m picking up three things here.
- A cynicism around the ICF.
- A cynicism around coaching per se.
- An ask for a POV on your positioning.
One by one…
ICF cynicism
Like any global standards body, it could be better. No question.
There are many (me included) who are critical of some of what they do. Or don't do.
And you are right, an ICF accreditation is no guarantee you will get a great coach.
But it is at least some reassurance that you will…