Coaching as a Powerful Development Tool

By Sameera Ali Baba – ICF Bahrain Chapter President BSTD Board Member – Director of Professional Development and Youth Leadership Programs

Coaching is one of the trending terms in HR & Training Development field, a field like any field which can be misrepresented by misusers and amateur practitioners, here I wanted to highlight few points which could be used as a road map or guidelines to kick start or assess your coaching career.

What is coaching all about?

ICF defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.*

Who is considered a professional coach?

A question which is always faced by practitioners in this field, a professional coach in any domain must fulfill the following criteria:

  • Have been trained by a professional training program in coach training domain accredited by a recognized body.
  • Practice coaching as part of their profession.
  • Maintain a solid self-development track record in their coaching practice.
  • Follow ethical practices in their coaching agreements and sessions.

Why credentials matter?

ICF Credential-holders are part of a self-regulating group of elite coaches who provide accountability to clients and the coaching profession as a whole. They pursue and complete rigorous education and practice requirements that provide unquestioned legitimacy to their commitment to excellence in coaching.

ICF is advancing the coaching profession so coaching becomes an integral part of society. Our members lead this journey by representing the highest quality in professional coaching.*

What are the main coach competencies?

The following eleven core coaching competencies were developed to support greater understanding about the skills and approaches used within today’s coaching profession as defined by the International Coach Federation. They will also support you in calibrating the level of alignment between the coach-specific training expected and the training you have experienced.

Finally, these competencies and the ICF definition were used as the foundation for the ICF Coach Knowledge Assessment (CKA). The Core Competencies are grouped into four clusters according to those that fit together logically based on common ways of looking at the competencies in each group. The groupings and individual competencies are not weighted—they do not represent any kind of priority in that they are all core or critical for any competent coach to demonstrate.*

  1. Setting the Foundation
    1. Meeting Ethical Guidelines and Professional Standards
    2. Establishing the Coaching Agreement
  2. Co-creating the Relationship
    3. Establishing Trust and Intimacy with the Client
    4. Coaching Presence
  3. Communicating Effectively
    5. Active Listening
    6. Powerful Questioning
    7. Direct Communication
  4. Facilitating Learning and Results
    8. Creating Awareness
    9. Designing Actions
    10. Planning and Goal Setting
    11. Managing Progress and Accountability

What is your next step in order to become a professional Coach?

Here are few tips to consider when starting or assessing your coaching career:

  1. Search and enroll in the right and recognized training program
  2. Register yourself as a professional coach in one of the recognized professional body
  3. Practice coaching skills in both paid and volunteer projects
  4. Associate yourself with like minded groups such as BSTD coaching forum or ICF Bahrain chapter.
  5. Maintain a solid track record on your coach development plan.
  6. Pick a specialization (Niche Coach) which you feel most enthusiastic and knowledgeable about.
  7. Update your skills by practicing different coaching tools and explore different models and eventually create your own model.

*ICF Website