The Coaching Industry has been on the rise for the past decade. With more and more companies and individuals requiring specialized coaching services, the industry is expected to reach $20 billion USD by 2022, making it one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world. 

While the economic opportunity is clear, for which other reasons would anyone want to become a professional Coach?

Coaching is a way to help others while discovering oneself.

Many share a desire to bring a positive shift in society, of having a strong and lasting impact in its structures. There is an arising opportunity to make an impact by supporting individuals, teams and organizations navigate through difficult situations. This is where Coaching comes into play.

Professional Coaching provides individuals with the skills and the ability to guide others in making difficult decisions, understand themselves and unlock their real potential. 

To achieve these goals, a Coach is willing to apply not only their greatest strengths but also showcase their own vulnerabilities bringing back a human dimension often forgotten in professional settings. 

However, being a Coach is not only about the clients. Coaching is also a process of self-discovery, transformation and continuous growth. 

By interacting with many different people, a Coach has several opportunities to access new dimensions and continually learn in an environment that is fast-paced and dynamic. It’s also an occasion to best understand how to support and guide others, thus favouring the development of Leadership skills vital in many organizations. 

Many Coaches find in their profession not only a form of economic sustenance but also a way to live a more meaningful existence and to contribute to the betterment of society.

How to become a professional Coach?

While anyone can be a Coach, to become a professional one it is important to follow a couple of steps:

1 – Look up information

What are the main characteristics of the industry? Which kind of qualifications should you have and which kind of coach would you like to become? 

There are many different types of coaching, however better not to decide from the beginning on a certain niche or specialization unless you had extensive coaching experience before or you are already involved in a certain field – it might narrow your horizons later. You will have a much better idea of what is most suited for you after you absorb the foundation of coaching – it will then become clearer what might be the best direction for you.  

Instead, it is advisable to focus on elements like: 

• The total number of training hours provided by a program, 
• How experiential it is – since you learn coaching by doing, not only by absorbing theory
• The level of your future potential trainers 
• Does it give you access to a community and further support? 
• Is the program certified by ICF or a similarly widespread and accepted institution? 

 As the road to becoming a certified Coach involves many hours of training, it is key to do your research before you choose a program.

2 – Sign up for Coach Training

Learning and effectively applying coaching skills is a fundamental part of becoming a successful Coach. Once you have decided on the above aspects, you can apply for a certification course such as Erickson’s “Art and Science of Coaching”, a Solution-Focused program awarded with ICF Gold Standard perfect for aspiring Professional Coaches. 

3 – Join the ICF

Joining the ICF means joining the biggest network of coaches in the world. It will help you in both getting advice and inspiration, as well as to stay up to date with the latest industry trends.

4 – Get certified

Being certified is extremely important for Coaches. It helps in finding new clients, demonstrates reliability and professionalism as well as earning them authority in the field.

As Humans, we are social beings that need to communicate. Our minds and ideas are the construct of inputs deriving from various interactions. Connecting with others provides us with diversity and enriches our experiences, becoming a catalyst for growth.

How does this manifest in the work environment ? 

More and more corporations are realizing the importance of highly connected teams and collaboration, prompting a desire to switch from an IQ and EQ focused environment to a WeQ mentality. However, to do so, they might require the help of specialized coaches.

What is Team Coaching?

According to the Holmes report, poor communication has caused over $37 billion in profit losses, while communication barriers can cost, to the average organization, up to $62.4 million per year in lost productivity. 

Team Coaching helps prevent such issues. 

In practice, Team Coaching educates participants on how to perceive and understand what others  are thinking and doing. It helps establish a more natural and open communication flow, increasing trust levels and enabling them to become more connected and inspired. This, in turns, improves the performance and atmosphere of the Team, thus bringing high value to the organization.

The Coach is   supporting the Team through this transformation. Nevertheless, they will need to take a slightly different path from normal coaching.

Coaching vs Team Coaching

There are many aspects of Coaching that can be directly transferred to Team Coaching. However, there are also significant differences:

• Team vs Individual. In Team Coaching, the objective of the Coach is to facilitate learning for the Team as a whole: you will need to consider them as an interconnected organism rather than a selection of individuals. This also translates in having to adapt coaching techniques to work in a group setting, especially from the point of view of the time required.
• Power Balance. One important aspect of Team Coaching is understanding the Team dynamic. Who invited you as a Coach? Are they present? Who are the stakeholders? How can you create a safe and open environment for all participants? You may need to adapt your approach based on these questions.
• Adaptability. No Team Coaching session will ever resemble another. The dynamics of a Team, its peculiar situation and specific needs will often require you to be reactive and find solutions that are not only timely but creative as well. 
• Neutrality is key. As a Team Coach, you will find yourself having to cover many different roles during your sessions. You may need to be a facilitator or moderator of discussions, as well as a reconciliator in grave cases. What will be of the utmost importance is for you to remain neutral, so as to create the perfect environment for your audience to express themselves.

How to level up and become a Team Coach?

You can become a certified Team Coach by undertaking an ICF’s credited Coaching class, such as Erickson International’s High Performance Team Coaching.

This course examines and defines the structure and principles of innovation within the team dynamic resulting in clear, consistent, and measurable outcomes. It also explores how to encourage team members to shift out of their competitiveness to truly acknowledge, trust and stand for each other.

It does so with an experiential approach, providing aspiring Team Coaches not only with a variety of tools but also with the chance to experience first hand the different techniques in play, to really understand the why and how of the process. 

If you would like to learn more, you can check our High Performance Team Coaching Course starting on June 15th, 2021. The training will take place online and will be led, in English, by Dr. Zerrin Baser, MCC.

For the first time in this region.
It’s intensive. Money and time-saving.
It has the highest coaching quality.

Thank you for the application. Our consultants will send you more information about the training soon.