Recently in Certifier's notes on 9 Masteries Category

(by Nina East IAC-CC, Source: IAC VOICE Feb 2008 issue)

Every so often we get questions about certification, the Masteries, and in particular, how coaches can improve their coaching in order to pass certification. While the IAC is not a training organization per se, we do want to support coaches in being the best they can be and we want them to have the best opportunities to demonstrate that for certification. In this new column I’ll attempt to de-mystify the certification process by answering common questions, reviewing the Masteries and sharing an insider’s look at what the Certifiers look for when reviewing a coaching session. Obviously I can’t do all that in one swoop, so we’ll be running this column frequently. Think of it as tidbits to clarify your thinking and jumpstart your coaching innovation. And please let me know of any questions you have so we can answer them for everyone. Send questions to certification@certifiedcoach.org.

Telling vs. Listening
One of the important distinctions between masterful coaching and not-so-masterful coaching is the distinction of telling vs. listening. Coaching is about eliciting the client’s wisdom and truth, discovering what’s best for them, and engaging the client fully in the process. It is important that the coach not be in “telling” or “instructing” mode for the coaching session. That doesn’t mean the coach can’t tell the client what they are thinking or share relevant information. Certainly, that’s fine.

Where the coaching becomes less than masterful is when the coach spends too much time in this mode. The coach often feels as if he or she needs to be the expert, or perhaps thinks he or she is the expert, and so tells the client what to do, what the client is feeling (or ought to be feeling), and why it is important. The coach’s heart is in the right place. We know a coach genuinely wants to help the client make progress. But when this happens, the coaching is no longer client-centered. It’s become all about the coach, his/her performance, or thinking he/she knows best. In coaching sessions where there is a lot of telling going on, the certifiers have noticed the coach misses critical clues from the client about what is really most important or what the underlying source is, and therefore, the coach and the coaching are less effective.

Interestingly, this often happens in a session where part of the client’s challenge is in standing up for themselves, making their own decisions, speaking their truth, or having confidence about their own abilities or inner knowing. So, even though the coach’s heart is in the right place, the coach is actually exacerbating the problem, and the client doesn’t get what she or he really needs.

Engaged Listening, Coaching Mastery #3, means giving space (silence) for the client to think and respond. It means asking questions…and then giving the client time to respond (even when they need to think about it a bit). It means not interrupting or talking over the client in order to have your idea considered. (Though there are ways to interrupt appropriately if the client is on a rant or “stuck in their story”.)

Engaged Listening also means picking up on the nuances in the client’s communication. If you’re in “telling” mode, you are thinking more about what you are saying than what you are hearing, and it’s virtually impossible to pick up on all the nuances and signals the client is sending.

Some questions to ask yourself:
When you are coaching, who is doing most of the talking – you or your client? (Listen to your own recordings to get an honest assessment.)
What is most important to you – getting the client to do something (anything!) or getting to the source of what’s really going on?
Is what you are telling the client really for them or is any teensy part of it really for you?
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Nina East is the IAC’s Lead Certifier and the author of PersonalGrowthEnthusiast.com. As a coach she works with personal growth professionals, helps coaches master the art of coaching, and coaches students through the transition into college. http://www.ninaeast.com/
Please send your questions on the IAC Coaching Masteries and the certification process to certification@certifiedcoach.org.

source: IAC VOICE Feb Issue

by Barbra Sundquist, IAC-CC (source: IAC Voice July 07 issue)

Recently someone asked me, "What are the five most common mistakes people make on their IAC certification tapes?" I thought about it for a moment, and then counted off in no particular order:

• talking too much
• rushing to solution
• accepting at face value
• holding back
• telling, rather than asking

This is my list. Other certifiers may have a slightly different list. But if I could wave a magic wand, this is what I would love to hear:

• more silence
• seek to explore, not to solve
• challenge assumptions
• say what you're afraid to say
• ask, rather than tell

1. More silence
Silence is a very powerful coaching skill. Nine times out of ten if you stay silent your client will eventually say something thoughtful or revelatory. They are using the silence to process their thoughts or access their intuition. That takes time, so don't rush them. The other benefit of allowing more silence is that you are less likely to interrupt or talk over your client.
Exercise: Make a big sign that says "WAIT" which stands for "Why Am I Talking?"

2. Seek to explore, not to solve
Jumping in too soon with advice or solutions is the most common mistake of new coaches. Most clients do not want your solution, at least not at first. They want you to help them explore all facets of their issue. If you do that, the 'solution' or next step will present itself naturally.
Exercise: practice asking only exploratory questions such as:
"How do you feel about it?"
"What have you tried already?"
"How did that work for you?"

3. Challenge assumptions
Part of a coach's role is to challenge client assumptions, excuses or self-limiting beliefs. By doing that, we broaden their possibilities. And isn't that what coaching is all about?
Exercise: Listen for and challenge assumptions. Here are some examples:

• Client says… You respond…
• "I couldn't…" "why not?"
• "Everyone knows…" "who's everyone?"
• "Of course x is true" "who says?"
• "I know that…" "Is that a fact or an assumption?"

4. Say what you're afraid to say
Whether you call them inklings, intuition or "that little voice in your head", they're there for a reason. Don't be afraid to share those thoughts with your client. They often lead to breakthroughs.

I'll give you a personal example. When I started coaching I was very strong in some respects, but one thing I didn't do was challenge the status quo with the client. I was a little too polite. As a result I wasn't coaching to my full potential. And I wasn't giving my clients what they deserve.
That changed the day I finally said what I was afraid to say. My client was complaining that his wife was so negative. What immediately popped into my head was "that's ironic, because you're one of the most negative people I know".

In that moment I had to decide whether to keep coaching at the "nice chat" level or to go deeper. I decided to take the plunge. Of course, I didn't just blurt out what was in my head. That would have been hurtful.

Instead, I said, "There's something that I'd like to share with you, but it might be hard for you to hear. Do you feel up to hearing it today?"

When he agreed, I said "It's interesting to hear you talk about your wife's negativity. Because my experience of you is that you are quite often negative, too."

We ended up having the most productive coaching call ever. In fact, he had a major breakthrough. From that point on, I was a changed coach.

Exercise: Listen for that little voice in your head and be fearless in sharing it with your client. Then notice how you feel about your effectiveness as a coach.

5. Ask, don't tell
Coaching is primarily about asking, not about telling.

• TELL vs ASK (better)
• You need x. vs What do you think you need?
• You're an introvert. vs Are you an introvert?
• You're obviously feeling better. vs How are you feeling?

Exercise: Record and transcribe a short coaching session. Then rewrite, converting "tell" statements into "ask" questions.

About the author: Barbra Sundquist is an IAC Certifier and Certified Mentor Coach who enjoys demystifying the whole certification process. To pre-register for Barbra's brand new 11-CD IAC Masteries self-study program, please go to www.BecomeACertifiedCoach.com

by Barbra Sundquist, IAC-CC (source: IAC VOICE, Jun 07 issue)

The IAC Certifying Team is excited to announce that as of July 1, 2007 we will be using the IAC Coaching Masteries™ to evaluate certification submissions (and for the balance of 2007 you can still elect to be evaluated using the 15 Proficiencies - more about that below).

To bring you up to date…

When the draft Coaching Masteries™ were released in January 2007, the Certifying Team began doing "dual" scoring. This means that we scored tapes twice – first against the 15 Proficiencies, and then against the Coaching Masteries™. The score that applicants received was the 15 Proficiencies score (because the Coaching Masteries™ were not yet the official scoring system).

Why have we been doing dual scoring?
For the past six months we've been doing dual scoring to compare the scores received under the "old system" (the 15 Proficiencies) with scores received under the "new system" (the Coaching Masteries™ ). We wanted to determine if there were any problems with the application of the Coaching Masteries™ and if the scores obtained under the two systems would differ significantly in any way.

What did we discover while using the Coaching Masteries™?
The certifiers found that they could score quite easily using the draft Coaching Masteries™. Each of the nine Masteries has a full page description that gives specific indicators of the behaviors and results that would occur when the Mastery is used at a masterful level. We used the same 1 – 5 point scale as we have been using with the 15 Proficiencies, with 5 points indicating "highly effective" use of the Mastery.

Generally speaking, the scores between the Coaching Masteries™ and the 15 Proficiencies were consistent to within a few percentage points. Although we weren't necessarily aiming to have consistency between the two scoring systems, the results do underscore our belief that "great coaching is great coaching", no matter what scoring system is used.

Having said that, we did notice a few places where there is some variability based on scoring of specific masteries vs. specific proficiencies. For example, in the Coaching Masteries™ there is a greater emphasis on appropriate use of silence than in the 15 Proficiencies. So a coach who has a problem with silence may only see that reflected to a minor degree in their 15 Proficiency scoring, whereas it would "score them down" more heavily under the Coaching Masteries™ . On the other hand, under the 15 Proficiencies there is a specific Proficiency that measures "navigating via curiosity". An applicant could blow an entire Proficiency (and many do!) by failing to demonstrate a curious attitude. In contrast, while the Coaching Masteries™ do measure curiosity, it is just part of one Mastery and does not have as great an effect on the applicant's overall results.

We did make some recommendations for changes
During the past six months while the certifiers were doing dual scoring, we noticed some areas of the Masteries that needed tweaking. For instance, there were some behaviors that were duplicated in two or more Masteries. The problem with that is that it tends to "double-credit" or "double-penalize" an applicant. We wanted to avoid that.

The certifiers spent many hours testing and discussing these types of application issues and made recommendations to the IAC Board for changes in wording (most of the recommendations were minor wording changes). We're happy to report that the Board has accepted and endorsed all of our recommendations.

We're now ready to do "real" scoring using the Coaching Masteries™
Yippee! Starting July 1, 2007 the Coaching Masteries™ will be the official IAC scoring instrument. That means that unless you specify otherwise, your tapes will be evaluated using the Coaching Masteries™. You do have the option of being evaluated under the 15 Proficiencies until the end of 2007. If you want us to use the 15 Proficiencies in scoring your tapes, you must specify that in writing at the time of your application.

And since I know someone will ask… no, you can't have your tapes scored under both systems and then pick the highest marks!

All members have access to the same descriptions of the Masteries that the certifiers use. As a result, we feel that it will be easier for applicants to choose which of their tapes to submit for certification.

Best of luck to everyone!

About the author: Barbra Sundquist is an IAC Certifier and Certified Mentor Coach who enjoys demystifying the whole certification process! To pre-register for Barbra's brand new 11-CD IAC Masteries self-study program, please go to www.BecomeACertifiedCoach.com.