How Do Professional Coaches Develop?
This article was originally published in the newspaper “La Estrella” and is part of a biweekly column from the ICF Panama Chapter to disseminate what Professional Coaching is. It seeks to inform, create more awareness and differentiate professional coaching, in which the Coach is governed by ethical principles and is continually improving his or her skills.
See the original article in this Link.
To protect clients seeking coaching, mentoring and supervision services, supporting them in their process of finding and choosing qualified professionals, the European Union (EU) accepted the “professional charter for coaching, mentoring and supervision of coaches, mentors and supervisors” developed by professional associations, and this document is now listed in the EU co-regulation and self-regulation databases.
This letter is the result of the collaboration of the ICF – International Coaching Federation with other coaching associations, such as the EMCC – European Mentoring and Coaching Council. Although it does not have the force of law, the charter seeks to reflect a common understanding and a concerted effort to self-regulate the profession by major professional associations.
The objective, according to a publication on the EU website, is to “guarantee high standards in the services offered, that is, the results of the coaching, mentoring, supervision processes, the practice and spirit of coaches, mentors and supervisors who:
- have the required training and competencies
- participate in continuing professional development
- are, where possible, accredited or certified by professional associations for coaching, mentoring and supervision.”
In mentoring, the mentor and the coach essentially work on the development of the coach’s skills within the framework of the coaching competencies defined by the ICF.
In supervision, the coach shares his work experiences with the supervisor, to receive support and establish a reflective dialogue and collaborative learning, which creates value for the coach, the client, the stakeholders and/or the client’s organisation.
As Damian Goldvarg tells us in his book Supervision of Coaches, “supervision has a specific objective: to reflect on the task carried out by the coach and increase his effectiveness by exploring not only what he did, and will do in future sessions, but also who, of the coach, his emotions, his beliefs, his blocks and his blind spots.”
Mentoring and supervision can be individual or group, both contribute to the coach’s development and add value.
There are several supervision models, one of the best known being the one developed by Professor Peter Hawkins, which applies to supervision of coaches with individual clients, client teams or organisational clients, and has a systemic foundation.
The model known as “the seven eyes model”, developed by the author in books such as Leadership Team Coaching, considers the following modes or areas of potential focus in supervision:
- the Client’s situation,
- the Coach’s interventions,
- the coaching relationship,
- the coach,
- the supervisory relationship and parallel processes,
- the Supervisor,
- and the broader context.
The model considers the coaching system and the supervision system.
The model applied to coaching work with teams evolved by integrating three “eyes”, or modes, more in relation to the team ecosystem:
- team stakeholders
- the interventions and interaction processes that the team uses with its stakeholders
- the relational dynamics between the team and its multiple stakeholders, considering “ten eyes” of supervision.
As professional coaches we seek to develop personally and professionally and co-create greater value in alliance with our clients.
Some of us evolve to also be mentors, coaches or supervisors, helping to develop the profession.
A professional coach has at his disposal continuing education programmes, mentoring and supervision as development tools. Supervision grows in importance as the coaching activity expands.
Author: Fátima Ribeiro
The author is ACC (ICF Associated Certified Coach), Coach in professional development, leadership and teams processes, and member of the Board of Directors of ICF Panama.