Competency No. 5
Around 4% of the 55,000 + coaches certified with the International Coaching Federation hold the revered status of Master Certified Coach. Why so few? I'm about to find out. Competency No. 5, the podcast, explores how we maintain presence when we coach, lead, and live our lives. We interview coaches and others whose very livelihood depends upon staying calm and present with those they serve. We also chronicle my attempts (as a self-retired professor and global business reporter from New Zealand) to become an MCC coach. This effort requires beaucoup coaching hours, mentoring, and adhering strictly to the ICF's seven core competencies, especially the deceptively tricky Competency No. 5, maintaining presence.
Competency No. 5
How are you? The Catch-22 of Asking with Heart and Losing the Thread
I’ve not mused about my certification efforts with the International Coaching Federation as a master certified coach for a good while. Much has happened, and not happened since my January update. Here’s where we’re at.
To certify as an MCC coach, coaches must submit for thorough evaluation two recorded coaching calls of at least 25 minutes in length. These conversations must resemble pure coaching, not a smidgen of consulting nor therapy, and at a level of coaching the ICF, the world’s largest non profit organization for coaches, deems as “exceptional” even “beautiful coaching.”
If you’ve been following my Competency No 5 show, you’ll know I’ve secured one recording I deem as “beautiful” and my MCC mentor coach Ben Dooley agrees. Oddly, I’m struggling to secure the second.
In this episode, I share my struggles lest it helps fellow coaches striving for MCC, that top 4% of ICF globally certified MCC coaches. My musings may also help other deep listeners who also find asking “how are you?” opens floodgates. That very genuine inquiry, especially in these troubling times, allows us to ask with heart, but then risk losing the thread of the conversation, or even creating one.
Reach out to me, your show host, for keynote speaking engagements, coaching, and training via my website, or find me also on Linkedin. Join my first workshop on Maven Learning, Listen Like a Boss, here.
