Executive Coaching - A Guide For The HR Professional.pdf

30 EXECUTIVE COACHING
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Education
There really aren’t any schools offering academic degrees in coaching.
Still, a large number of coaches have degrees in “the helping
professions,” such as psychology, organization behavior, counseling,
and so on. Some clients are more comfortable working with these
coaches because they know that underneath almost all business
problems there lie personal issues as well.
Psychologists, in particular, have expertise that makes them
extremely well-suited to provide coaching services. This book is
authored by two psychologists, and we are speaking from our perspective.
However, we do believe that psychologists have a strong
foundation from which to practice. Psychologists have training in
assessment and diagnostic methods at both individual and organizational
levels. They understand how learning and decision-making
processes occur. Schooled in measurement of behavior change, psychologists
can provide help with devising metrics for leadership
development interventions. Also, the professional activities of psychologists
are guided by a code of ethical conduct.
Some clients strongly prefer a coach with extensive business experience
and don’t care as much about the behavioral science aspects of
the coach’s education. There are a wide variety of “coaching skills”
programs available to people who want to practice coaching as a
profession. These programs are offered by consulting firms and in some
cases by universities via non-degree programs. They range from two
days to a year in length, and, of course, they vary widely in terms of
focus and quality.
Certification
Certifications are provided by organizations offering training programs.
This service has evolved in recent years as the coaching
profession has taken shape. Minimally, it is an indication that the
coach is serious about this work and has invested a degree of effort
and time into obtaining the designation of Certified Coach. Most