Boston Executive Coaching Certification
Executive Coach Certification in Boston
As a coach, you are not a consultant (who seeks to provide solutions to business problems), nor are you a therapist, since a coach does not provide advice. Coaches are not mentors either. Their questions, however, are intended to clarify problems and layout options for resolving them. Furthermore, executive coaches are not seeking to fix hiring mistakes or miraculously turn incompetent executives into competent ones. They provide confidential assistance to their clients and act as a sounding board.
Coaches begin by administering and interpreting comprehensive behavioral assessments to identify the client’s strengths and weaknesses, and interviewing the client’s peers, superiors, and direct reports to assess the client’s role within their organization. This allows them to determine the type of questions to ask and the coaching techniques that will help their clients achieve their goals.
After intensive communication with the client, the coach and client typically communicate weekly on the phone, via video conference, or through another web-based communication method. There are some coaches who follow up with their clients six months to a year after the formal coaching engagement has ended in order to offer encouragement and determine whether or not they have achieved their goals.
It is not uncommon for executives to come from a wide variety of backgrounds, which can either be good or bad. A company should not limit its search to coaches with specific industry backgrounds because it is impossible to predict which coach will have great chemistry with which client. The downside to executive coaching is that there is no universally recognized qualification, so anyone can call themselves an executive coach and try to gather clients. There is unfortunately a lot of damage that can be done by patently unqualified individuals before the market weeds them out.
The majority of executive coaches are business professionals who have held leadership positions themselves. There are a few retired executives, but the majority are under retirement age. Executive coaches are sometimes from the arts or academic fields; however, they are more likely to come from the STEM fields. Coaches who are successful have a solid understanding of how businesses function and how to improve leadership effectiveness.
Coaches with experience in the industry are often sought by companies looking for executive coaches. A technology executive would benefit more from executive coaching provided by someone who has experience in that field. A coach does not always need to be from the same industry, and in some cases, having an executive coach from different industries can provide the intellectual “cross-pollination” required to produce great results.
Certification for Executive Coaches in Boston
There are many executive coaches who become certified, although not all of them do. The qualification of having studied executive coaching in particular and having met coaching standards is of particular significance to potential clients, therefore they wish to make their names stand out.
Coaching certification programs are offered by a number of prestigious educational institutions. Harvard, Northwestern, and Georgetown are some of the top schools offering executive coaching certifications. There are many different types of coaching certification programs, and they are viewed with varying degrees of respect and suspicion.
Executive coaching certifications are plentiful on the internet, many of which will take money from people in exchange for some kind of certification. The best coaching certifications combine endorsements from reputable coaches, long-standing executive coaching training, and accreditation.
By obtaining accreditation from an organization such as the International Coach Federation (ICF), an executive coaching program can prove to adhere to high standards of professionalism and content, increasing the likelihood that it will be recognized and respected in the coaching field.
The ICF offers three different accreditation options for training programs. Compared to the Accredited Coach Training Program, the Approved Coach Specific Training Hours are a method of learning that allows you to select only the courses you wish to take, rather than participating in an all-inclusive program. Coaches who are certified by the ICF may obtain Continuing Coach Education designations through the ICP.
Do coaches who lack certifications or credentials still have the potential to be effective? Perhaps. It is not uncommon for a great executive coach to possess an ideal combination of personality, wisdom, and skill, much like an occasional politician who becomes a major figure in the political arena or an unknown marathon runner who succeeds in the New York Marathon.
Although this is not a rule, it is an exception. Just as people want legal representation with excellent qualifications and references if they are involved in a court case, they also want executive coaches with respectable credentials and long lists of satisfied clients. This is why self-taught coaches and business coaches with a natural talent for coaching, regardless of their experience, pursue coaching certification. Despite the fact that they know they can always improve their skill set, becoming certified by an accredited executive coaching program enhances their competitive edge and makes them more appealing to organizations seeking to hire executive coaches.
Experienced executive coaches often pursue certification when they believe that it offers the advantage they seek. It is not uncommon for executive coaches to continue their education indefinitely, just as doctors, engineers, lawyers, and other professionals study new research and techniques in their fields. An executive who commits to improving himself or herself on a continuous basis is less likely to stagnate in terms of practice and effectiveness and is better equipped to deal with changes in the business climate, technology, and even the executive itself.
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Contact us today to learn more about Boston executive coaching certification or how to become a Boston executive coach.