If you are seeking coach training and certification, you have many different avenues. The good news is, if your training is based on the core coaching “skills” taught by either IAC or ICF, you will find that their coaching “masteries” or “competencies” are in alignment. Some people get confused and assume there are differences in the skills that are taught, but actually these two organizations’ core coaching skills align.
This post is the first in a series where we will look more closely at the definitions of the 9 IAC Coaching Masteries and the 11 ICF Coaching Competencies. You may wonder, why doesn’t IAC have 11 Coaching Masteries instead of 9? The first 2 ICF Competencies are around the ethical guidelines, standards and coaching agreement. At IAC, these are taught right up front before getting into “skills”. The IAC Ethical Standards are just as important in the training; it is simply a separate stand alone topic. Personally, I like teaching the ethics and standards topics prior to the coaching skills to emphasize the critical importance of ethics and professionalism.
Let’s look at IAC Mastery 1 – Establishing and Maintaining a Relationship of Trust defined as “to ensure a safe place for personal growth, discovery and transformation”. One can see it aligns beautifully with ICF Competency 3 – Establishing Trust and Intimacy with the Client which is defined as “ability to create a safe, supportive environment that produces ongoing mutual respect and trust”.
The effect and key elements of successfully demonstrating this coaching mastery or core competency is the same. What will a coach see in a client when the skill is used successfully? A coach will see the client opening up to share concerns or fears, sharing bold aspiration and dreams, acknowledging emotions and being receptive to the coach.
Both ICF and IAC are the two most recognized and respected coach certification international organizations. Use the links below to learn more about the International Coach Federation (ICF) and the International Association of Coaching (IAC) certification requirements.
What are the ICF Certification requirements?
What are the IAC Certification requirements?
