Coaching is NOT for YOU
I know it sounds discouraging. Let me explain what I mean with this: more and more people get attracted to coaching, and many of them without being well informed or being receivers of this service.
It is somewhat normal with a market in expansion. Despite the novelty of the profession (it was born less than 20 years ago), I notice different categories of interested prospects who actively — or just for the sake of trying — make steps towards entering it.
In a recent press release, ICF shows that the current number for members is over 25.000 and more that 11.000 are credentialed. This shows the 2nd fastest growing market, after IT, with gross revenues at $2.8 Billion.
This is encouraging! However, not all the coaches make a decent living. Especially here in the Balkans, where the market will prefer direct interaction versus online conversations, the reality translates in a hard to enter and survive profession.
There are some trends that are influencing the decision of the courageous becoming coaches:
Abundance of Offers
Too many options to chose from
Noise and inflated promises
Price orientation, lack of standards
The result is a need for clarity, and finally prospects are running from the pressure, and stress for a simple decision.
Absence of TRUST
The content of the programs is officialized but not under rigid accreditation
Scandals are present in the media in many areas
No communication, no listening
There is no ethics respected, so people get really confused.
Supplier Brand
The experience and results of the coaching provider
Credentialed staff who are supervised and mentored
Track record: how many graduates, globally, regionally, country level
Quality insurance, is the program ACTP? or ACSTH?
How many students are dropping off?
A school that cannot provide concrete answers to this may be a financial risk.
Market Maturity
It’s different now, in comparison with 5 years ago
Internal coaches are growing in the corporations
Conversations in platforms, remote, access is key here
Today is critical to choose the solution that can help you in getting ahead of the competition.
So if those are some trends that you need to take in consideration, let’s see what kind of life you wish to design for yourself.
Recently I was called by a potential client, and asked how fast can she graduate?
My answer was that it depends what kind of purpose she has when she wants to study coaching. If you have in mind the profession, you may need at least 12 months, as was in Bianca’s case, our recent graduate, now working as internal coach.
For managers that want to use and integrate elements of coaching conversation in their leadership style or in their line management activities, it can be less, around 5-6 months. The same can be for an experienced coach who has already 50-60 training hours and want to get to the advanced level of the profession.
More about this here and of course you are welcome Tuesday in the Coaching Attic, starting with 18:00. What we do here is practice in a presence of a credentialed mentor, also giving details about enrollment in our current programs.
One more thing before you make this decision. Check with yourself: do you like working with people, being open to learn all your life and have an optimistic approach no matter what. Those are key attributes for coaches.
And last but not least, there are 2 elements of focus, one is what everybody thinks is important: coaching skills. Second is the business of coaching, which can be challenging and actually makes the real difference in the charged life we coaches experience.
So my simple question is: Is this your next attempt to go with the wave, or are you committed to be the next valuable professional coach?
Save your seat and send an e-mail to raluca.chinole@iconsultants.ro.
