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Calling A Lamb A Lion Doesn't Make It One.
Sooner or later, you're going to check out life coaching. It's easy, it's non-intrusive, and it's relatively inexpensive. But how do you choose, and what about all those "credentials?"
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Life coaching has become a very popular occupation. Google lists 4,620,000 responses for key word “life coach," 2,550,00 for “life coaching," and about 1,750,000 for “life coaches."
As with any new profession, there is a push toward credentialing for life coaches. Google lists no less than 1,310,000 responses for “life coach training," most of them offering to “certify" graduates from their particular version of a training program as “accredited life coaches," for a fee of course, usually a rather substantial one.
What many seem to be losing track of in this rush to legitimize life coaching as a true “profession," is that no amount of “credentialing" or “certification" or “accreditation" can create an effective life coach!
What does a “coach" do? He or she helps the individual identify personal characteristics, capabilities and goals, identifies what is required to get them from where they are to where they want to be, and “coaches" them along the way … training, comforting, cajoling and encouraging. Oversimplification? Perhaps a bit, but definitely the essence of what a coach does.
As with sports coaches, life coaches who are truly great at what they do have almost always “been there, done that." The best football coaches are those who had the most experience as football players. The best life coaches are those who have had the most experience at living.
Some relevant aphorisms:
“Failure is the best teacher." Be suspicious of any life coach who claims nothing but successes, either in their own life or in their life coaching service. If your coach has fallen into a few pits and had to claw their way back out, they can help you avoid falling into the same pits.
“Wisdom comes with experience and experience comes with age … if you're lucky." The age of your coach is an indicator of how long he or she has been in the game. The longer in the game, the better are the chances they have actually learned a thing or two they can pass on to you.
“If you don't know your destination, a fork in the road is meaningless." If your life coach has had to chart his or her own course, they understand the process and can help you do the same.
“A bandaid won't suffice if what you really need is open-heart surgery." Life coaches can neither diagnose nor treat emotional or mental problems, and must know when a referral is in order. Your life coach must be sufficiently conversant with signs and symptoms to know when he or she is out of their league.
“If you don't know the language, you can't offer directions." An absolute must for any life coach is command of the English language. He or she must be able to listen with understanding, speak with clarity, and write for comprehension.
“If you know what your values are, good; if others can figure out what your values are, great!" Cardinal values for life coaches: honesty, compassion, patience, humility. Read what their Website has to say about their values, then do a search to determine what others have to say. If there's a serious disconnect, look for another coach.
Certifications, accreditations, credentials are all well and good, but in the final analysis, after all the information is in, your best guideline is “Would I feel comfortable working with this person as my life coach on a long-term basis?"
Forrest Lee Horn
Senior Associate
http://ParadigmAssociates.org
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