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Coaching is still an emerging profession in
the UK. Although there are coaches, like several of those
on our own staff, who have been working as executive coaches
for up to 16 years each, coaching has only become widely known
in the last few years. It would still be rare to earn a full
time living as a coach. Even the most established coaches
often mix executive coaching with other activities such as
facilitation, training or other consultancy services. Fees
tend to match those for consultants or professional advisers,
reflecting experience, background and reputation. So, typically,
coaching is part of a portfolio career.
As a developing field, there are no statutory
qualifications required to coach. However, pressure to regulate
and accredit is growing. There are a number of bodies emerging
in the UK claiming to offer umbrella accreditation. We have
thrown our lot in with the European Mentoring and Coaching
Council (EMCC). This is because we have the greatest respect
for the people running it, many of whom have been in the business
for a long time. They also include many distinguished academics
who are ensuring that there is a proper theoretical underpinning
to the coaching field. The EMCC is currently piloting the
‘kite-marking’ of courses. Our course is one of the first
pilots. We are also represented on the EMCC’s Standards Committee.
The EMCC is also usefully guiding the process
of fitting course provision into a nationally recognised framework
of qualifications. Our Diploma course is already accredited
at Level 7 – post-graduate, the same level as a Masters –
by the Institute of Leadership and Development.
Quite apart from these developments, the market
is increasingly dictating that most coaches who get work have
some form of accreditation. Management/Coaching Futures is
widely acknowledged as one of the leading training providers,
although there are plenty of others. Our emphasis is on people
who want to work as executive coaches. Other companies specialise
in life coaching.
Achieving accreditation is no guarantee of receiving
work as a coach. Coaching is no different from any other emerging
profession in that there is no fast track or guaranteed route
to securing work. Persistence and dedication are important
traits of practising coaches and successful coaches tend to
spend a good deal of time developing the market before they
receive referrals in that market. It can take up to two years
to develop a thriving coaching practice so it is essential
to have some other way of supporting yourself during that
time. Many of our ‘graduates’ also start by running an internal
coaching service while they are still working full time inside
an organisation – often as a planned prelude to moving outside
and working freelance.
Our skills training course also attracts participants
who seek a detailed understanding from the perspective of
a manager wishing to understand better how to adapt and use
coaching skills as part of a line manager’s toolkit.
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