Cheryl Alexander & Associates, Inc’s Post

As a coach, I am a thinking partner, a “mirror” and someone who helps my clients feel safe to think aloud, reflect, learn from their experiences, and figure out how they want to move forward. "How are you planning to celebrate it?"— it's not just a question I get the privilege to ask them; it's a testament to the challenges my clients overcome, and a reminder of their courage, discomfort, resilience, determination and progress (and an occasional laugh ;-). Today marks an important milestone in my development journey, namely the attainment of the ICF PCC (International Coach Federation, Professional Certified Coach) credential. While the badge is a nice symbol, what matters to me is that it is an expression of the curiosity and passion that ignited my coaching adventure back in 2019 and the dedication to be of value to my clients to help them make a positive impact within their sphere of influence. The badge is a testament to over 125+ hours of relentless coach education, rigorous performance assessment, invaluable feedback and mentorsing, and a gruelling 3-hour situational judgment exam. It stands for the 500+ hours of coaching sessions, countless moments of introspection (personal and in supervision), and sometimes an emotional journey of learning and personal as well as professional improvement. Thank you to my clients for trusting me and the process, Gillian McMichael MCC my first coach trainer, all my MSc tutors at Henley Business School Coaching for Behavioural Change programme, peer coaches in my network and my husband who had supported my decision to enter the professional coaching world. One can argue that credentials do not guarantee quality coaching. While it's true, they heighten its likelihood. They also signal that a coach is committed to establishing an ethical practice, excellence, and a dedication to mastering the art and science of coaching (which is a never-ending CPD journey). For those reasons, a combination of credentials, education, and professional domain experience (which is a topic for a separate post/discussion!) is not just a golden standard for many major coaching providers but a price of admission for being admitted onto the coaching bench. Having acknowledged myself and reflected on the value of the credential, now comes the time for the really important question: “How am I going to celebrate it”??? #pcc #coaching #celebratesuccess #neverstoplearning #icf #executivecoaching #leadershipcoaching https://lnkd.in/enFDRZTG

Do coaches need a professional certification? Not necessarily. Is it helpful? Absolutely! Sometimes. My rationale is as follows: ✏ Certification doesn't necessarily mean great coach training. Of course it can, and many if not most of the coach training programmes I recommend are accredited. You need to dive deeper into the substance of training and the facilitators to know if it is high quality. ✏ There can be a narrow view that the ICF is the only certifying body. This is not true! You can also look into the Association for Coaching (AC) and the European Mentoring & Coaching Council (EMCC). ✏ In my career I've only had one client decline to consider our proposal because not all of the coaches were ICF certified. In my experience, corporate clients want evidence of a high quality coaching practice, and recognise that certification is only one way that this can be shown. I've observed that corporate clients are more swayed by personal recommendations than they are by anything in a coach bio. I do think that for new coaches there is a more compelling reason to become certified if they want to do associate coach work for the larger coaching houses, but don't assume that it is a must-do. ** For the record, I am not certified by any of these bodies. I did my training through the Sydney Uni coaching psychology unit and am a member of the International Society for Coaching Psychology where I commit to an ethical framework to follow. Would love to hear various perspectives on this! Please comment or send me messages!

"I almost lost the opportunity to retain my associate coaching role a few years ago. Want to know why? When I joined the organisation that I was an associate for, there wasn't a requirement to have an accreditation as a coach although a qualification was essential. During the pandemic, the coaching industry boomed. And what that meant was that businesses and organisations were levelling up their requirements for coaches who were offering services under their business name and umbrella. One of the requirements was to hold a higher levelled qualification and / or credential / accreditation with a reputable body. It was at this time that I made the choice to chose the ICF, the International Coaching Federation. To apply for credentialling with the ICF I had to prove that I had coached for 100-plus hours to achieve my ACC, and that I had completed an ICF-accredited programme. In addition to that, I also had to take a Coach Knowledge Assessment, which is now called the Credentialling Exam, which meant that I was adhering to the ethical standards and guidelines outlined by the ICF, read the code of conduct, and an awareness of the key coaching competencies. Once I'd done all of that, I retained my associate position and continued to coach and earn some money. It was process, but totally worth it. And this year, I am applying for my PCC which I am super excited about (although not excited about the paperwork!) Organisations and businesses are becoming more and more informed of what coaches need to pass their procurement process - don't be missed out. Want to get your accreditation too?" - Rebecca Daniel - ICF ACC Coach, Coach Trainer and Coach Supervisor - Here's the link to check out info on our 6 month mentor coaching programme which starts this month! We have a couple of spaces left to join us - one has your name on it - https://lnkd.in/de-9PGSB (or head to our IG link in bio). You can also pop me a message if you want to chat more about it. #thecoachingcatalysts #icfcoach #mentorcoaching #elevateyourcoachingpractice #coachdevelopment #coaching

I am thrilled to share a significant milestone in my coaching journey – I have successfully passed the International Coaching Federation (ICF) credentialing exam, the only globally recognized professional coaching credential, and achieved the status of Associate Certified Coach (ACC). It has been a long journey filled with learning, growth, and challenges, but I am incredibly proud to have achieved this milestone. Becoming a certified coach has been a long-time aspiration of mine, and I am grateful for the support and encouragement I have received along the way. Many thanks to my family, friends, mentors Annette Kledal, Christophe Kittel and Michael Skjøt and clients who helped me reach this milestone. Your belief in me has been invaluable, and I am excited to continue growing and evolving as a coach. This credential not only signifies my commitment to excellence in coaching but also reflects my passion for helping others unlock their full potential. In December 2023, I passed the oral exam, demonstrating that my coaching competencies qualify to ICF PCC level. My clients can book my services with confidence knowing that I am committed to high ethical standards and have demonstrated professional competence through rigorous assessments. This milestone underscores my deep appreciation for the powerful tool that coaching is. It is the best tool I have ever encountered to rapidly create long and lasting transformation. I wholeheartedly endorse coaching as a powerful means to achieve both personal and professional goals. Coaching is about equipping you with the tools and guidance to discover your own solutions. Because the truth is, you hold the answers within you. Coaching simply helps you unlock your full potential. Let us collaborate to unlock your full potential and achieve meaningful, lasting results. Reach out, and let us embark on this journey together! Next, stop PCC Credential 😊 - work in progress!

"I almost lost the opportunity to retain my associate coaching role a few years ago. Want to know why? When I joined the organisation that I was an associate for, there wasn't a requirement to have an accreditation as a coach although a qualification was essential. During the pandemic, the coaching industry boomed. And what that meant was that businesses and organisations were levelling up their requirements for coaches who were offering services under their business name and umbrella. One of the requirements was to hold a higher levelled qualification and / or credential / accreditation with a reputable body. It was at this time that I made the choice to chose the ICF, the International Coaching Federation. To apply for credentialling with the ICF I had to prove that I had coached for 100-plus hours to achieve my ACC, and that I had completed an ICF-accredited programme. In addition to that, I also had to take a Coach Knowledge Assessment, which is now called the Credentialling Exam, which meant that I was adhering to the ethical standards and guidelines outlined by the ICF, read the code of conduct, and an awareness of the key coaching competencies. Once I'd done all of that, I retained my associate position and continued to coach and earn some money. It was process, but totally worth it. And this year, I am applying for my PCC which I am super excited about (although not excited about the paperwork!) Organisations and businesses are becoming more and more informed of what coaches need to pass their procurement process - don't be missed out. Want to get your accreditation too?" - Rebecca Daniel - ICF ACC Coach, Coach Trainer and Coach Supervisor - We are hosting a 'Meet the Mentor' session next Monday 17 June 11:00-12:00. Please email [email protected] and we will send you a calendar invite. #thecoachingcatalysts #icfcoach #mentorcoaching #elevateyourcoachingpractice #coachdevelopment #coaching

I haven't shared this blog for a while, and I think it is still relevant and worth sharing, because many people don't realise coaching is an unregulated industry, which means anyone can call themselves a coach with no real training or experience, which means it can be dangerous, it can cause harm, when people are not skilled at navigating tricky situations or knowing how to keep people psychologically safe, and these things are important. There are however, also many great coaches, like me, who choose to be part of professional bodies who provide credentialing, so you can see how experienced a coach is. I am now a Master Certified Coach with the ICF, something which took me many years and thousands of pounds of training and commitment to continued professional development, plus I've delivered over 3000 hours of coaching, and had coaching calls scrutinised to ensure I meet the standard required, and adhere to a strict code of ethics and so on. Our minds and emotions are important and deserve to be handled with care, by people who are equipped to do so. We wouldn't let someone who once read a book about vehicles service our car, so what makes people think it is ok to do that when is comes to our deepest thoughts, dreams, fears and feelings...! Here is the link to read more https://lnkd.in/eFyMChuN #mastercertifiedcoach #coaching #personaldevelopment #mastersinpsychology #personaldevelopment

I am thrilled to announce that I passed the International Coaching Federation (ICF) credential exam and am now officially an ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC)! The exam was incredibly demanding, consisting of 81 situational judgment items. Each exam item presented a realistic coaching scenario with four response options, and I had to select the best and worst actions for each scenario. But the rigor is exactly what makes this certification so prestigious. Becoming an ICF certified coach and Co-Active Training Institute Professional Coach (CPCC) has been a transformative journey. It required deep self-reflection, over 125 hours of coaching education, 300+ hours of coaching experience, and months of studying. This journey culminated in successfully passing a rigorous performance and today’s written exam. Being an ACC signifies that I have met the highest standards in the coaching profession and have demonstrated a deep understanding of core coaching competencies. For my clients, this means they are partnering with a coach dedicated to empowering them to achieve their highest potential. Joining this prestigious community of ICF certified coaches is an honor, and I am excited to continue this journey and make a transformative impact on those I coach and the coaching community. I want to thank everyone who was part of my journey—from my clients to my teachers, to my coaches and mentors. Your support and guidance have been invaluable. For anyone approaching their exam, I am happy to connect, review my strategy for preparing, and share my developed study guides. It comes down to squashing any saboteurs and understanding what your client wants in the described scenarios. Don’t overthink the answers—just ask yourself what you would do as a coach and don’t question yourself as an expert. "Don't limit your challenges. Challenge your limits." – Anonymous #ICF #COACTIVE #GRATEFUL https://lnkd.in/emPeBrx6

was asked by a CEO once if a self-proclaimed non-certified coach based merely on life experience is ‘sufficient and legitimate’ enough. Whether coaching should be certified depends on various factors, including the context in which coaching is being utilised and the expectations of clients or employers. What’s most important is that a good coach holds a sacred space of trust and love for the client to unlock their full potential, overcome obstacles and attain sustainable personal and professional growth. Having said that, a baseline that a professional certification ensures is continuous learning, practice and supervision as part of the credentialing process for quality, consistency, ethics and recourse by client. This is paramount given the intimacy and impact of a coaching relationship. Why she continues to stay on the credentialling pathway even as a ‘part time’ coach for select clients who come to her for executive and life coaching. This is her second renewal as a Professional Certified Coach after achieving her PCC status in 2017, and ACC prior. Was asked to consider moving on to the Master Certified Coach next, having coached over 2000 hours (MCC requires 2500!) since she was called to coaching to hold space for those who wish to be at peace with who they truly to thrive and be the best version of themselves without needing to go through the excruciating pain she did to awaken to her purpose. Credentialing keeps her honest, and humble with the rigorous continuing education process of maintaining the core competencies especially ethical standards. It also keeps her in the joy of learning as well as peer and coaching support. So she can continue to hold love for another human to know that when their mind can conceive it and their heart can believe it, then they can achieve it. Change is a conscious choice. 🙏🏽❤️

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩? It is very interesting to read this insightful research, very recently published in the International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching Coaching & Mentoring, written by Prof. David Clutterbuck, Duminda Rajasinghe Bob Garvey, Alexandra Barosa-Pereira & Stephen Burt. The study revealed that how coaches resource and support themselves, influences, and grounds their development. Life events impact professional growth and becoming a coach affects personal identity. Rather than the transmission and mastery of a pre-determined set of skills and knowledge, facility and investment in reflexive learning emerges as the key motor of coaching excellence. (Credited to the Authors noted above). I particularly associate with this extract from the Conclusion: "𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒄𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔, 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆. 𝑺𝒐, 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔, 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒕, –𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒔𝒌 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔." Would my fellow Coaches wish to add additional insight about how best to continue professional and practitioner development? Becca Sweetman Julie Foxcroft MSc Gaurav Arora, MCC (ICF) Johnny Hammond ICF PCC Helen Yu Francoise Orlov, PhD Marc Evans Trayton Vance Julie Starr Elaine Cox Tatiana Bachkirova Brenda Bence, Ranked Top Ten Coach Globally Jenny Rogers 📚 Michael Bungay Stanier Jonathan Passmore Rebecca Jones Auriel Majumdar Sarah Leach (MSc, PCC) Dr Amy Stabler https://lnkd.in/eCM897Vg International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring 2024, Vol. 22(2), pp.80-97. #coachingdevelopment #reflexivepractice #continualdevelopment

Awakening to an email that starts with 'Congratulations!' has turned this morning into a celebration 🌟. I am thrilled to share that my credential renewal for the Professional Certified Coach (PCC) designation by the International Coaching Federation has been examined and approved! Reflecting on this journey, becoming an ICF PCC credentialed coach stands out as one of the most transformative decisions of my career. This milestone isn't just about a title; it's about the profound journey of growth, learning, and connection. The magic of coaching lies in the collaborative exploration of untapped potential. Together, we've unlocked doors to possibilities previously unimagined. This renewal isn't just a nod to my past efforts but a pledge to continue this journey with even greater dedication and passion. Here's to the power of partnership, the beauty of discovery, and the endless pursuit of potential. 🚀 #icfcoaching #icfcoach #coaching #growthanddevelopment