Today exceptionally my entry in the coaching category. I appear here because I want to share my story about how I prepared for ICF PCC certification, but first a few words about learning to be a coach.
How do you learn to be a coach?
There are many important elements in a coach’s education, it’s such a set of interconnected vessels. There is theory, models, techniques, tools, skills, attitude, there are ICF and EMCC competencies, formal rules, process,… You can hear about most of these things in training, in fact, you could learn about them from a book. In my opinion, it is more important that a coach who finishes the training, in addition to acquiring dry knowledge, should find himself as many times as possible in real situations related to conducting sessions and practically experience what later awaits him in conducting practice. He should experience as many times as possible events and feelings that are new, unfamiliar, specific to coaching and perhaps sometimes difficult. So that, under the guidance of someone who has been there before, you can safely learn how to navigate this still unfamiliar terrain.
This means that in a coaching course or school, individual contact with experienced coaches is very important, in addition to conventions, collaborative study-buddies, webinars, interviews and teleclasses. Then all attention is directed to the individual coach. It is then that we can touch those elements that are most individual and needed by a particular student.
Learning through experience
Until a while ago, the area was unknown, ba, we didn’t know it existed. And now, thanks to the guide – the supervisor – we are doing what we can call map-making – the coach draws this map for himself in the process of supervision. If an experienced colleague takes him/her to a place, he/she will be able to return there working with clients. He will know how, because he has already experienced it and, more importantly, gained awareness of himself, the client, the process.
I promised my own story, so here goes: I ended up in supervision with Ania Pyrek. I was already after months of training, one step away from the PCC exam, and working as a coach. I was convinced that I was great. And I was probably even great then, as great as I could be. But Anna, the supervisor, focused at that moment on me, my coaching and skill development, saw that I could be better. More – she saw what specifically I could develop in, even more – she knew how to let me experience it. To this day I still remember the experience, the session was happening over the phone. I rise to the heights of my skills and on the other side I hear:
– Simon, I do not feel that you are present close to me. You have some distance, and I want to know that we are sitting right next to each other. I am a customer and I need to feel it. Keep trying and I’ll tell you when you are.
Although it seemed to me before that I could not be closer to the customer, I tried. I don’t remember how many times or exactly what I said, but I remember the moment when I felt the change and I already knew how to do it, how to be close with the customer without exposing myself unnecessarily and stay in a professional relationship. This was my most profound experience while becoming a coach. At the end, I still got a report with reference to specific competencies with evaluation and commentary. Experience, coaching focus, sympathetic evaluation.
This is how we want to conduct coaching education for you at Kingmakers™ Academy, coaches and supervisors are already waiting. You are welcome!
