According to Magda Mook, CEO of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), “coaching is a voluntarily self-regulating profession”.

But as a coach, I often wonder:
Does coaching truly qualify as a profession?

In medieval times, divinity, medicine, and law were considered the "learned professions." Today, nursing has held the top spot as the most trusted profession for 20 consecutive years, while teaching is hailed as the noblest profession.

So where does coaching stand?

The Australian Council of Professions defines a profession as a group of individuals with ethical standards, specialised knowledge, and skills derived from research, education, and training at a high level. They are recognised by the public as possessing this expertise and are committed to using it in the interest of others.

By this definition, I’d say coaching generally is absolutely moving in the right direction…but we’re not quite there yet. Coaching, while it generally aligns with the above definition, is not officially recognised as a profession for a number of reasons:

• The industry doesn't have set requirements for entry (anyone can call themselves a coach, and they do).  
• Coaching does not have an industry regulator that can ban or penalise coaches for unprofessional or unethical behaviour (although ICF can cancel your membership and credential and does, in rare cases, do that).
• Some “coaches” may not actually be coaching, in the purest sense of the word (there is often confusion between coaching and other roles, like mentoring and consulting).
• The industry is structured in a way that enables self-regulation through member bodies like the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and the Association for Coaching (AC), supported by complying coach educators like IECL, working together to set and promote standards and community expectations.

So, as we close out 2023, I would say that coaching,
at least, is a self-regulating industry. 

Increasingly, bodies like IECL that educate coaches to internationally accepted industry standards are playing an active role in the ongoing development of those same standards, from a practitioner and market perspective. Interestingly, some of our clients indicate that they look for IECL coaching qualifications, rather than industry body credentials, as the most important mark of exceptional coaching, when hiring coaches. Unfortunately, other purchasers of coaching look only at the years of “experience” and/or the professional background of the “coach” and may not consider coaching qualifications as a criteria for hiring.

At IECL we have quite strong opinions about what coaching is, taking an essentially “purest” approach, and as the organisational coaching specialists, we are very clear about the many ways in which IECL coaches can benefit those individuals, teams, cultures and organisations we work with.

If coaching is eventually to become a "new profession" then it needs to continue to be developed and regulated by us, that is, the coach educators like IECL and the coaching industry bodies like the International Coaching Federation (ICF), Association for Coaching (AC) and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC).  At this time when artificial intelligence is increasingly being introduced into the coaching space, professionalism matters more than ever and all participants in the industry have a shared responsibility to uphold at least the minimum standards.  

Standards Australia, in a momentous move towards professionalisation of the industry, convened a group of industry experts (including some IECL faculty and coaches of the day: Dr Hilary Armstrong, Julie-Anne Tooth and John Raymond) to engage in intense and invigorating discussions at regular monthly working group meetings that resulted in the creation of the first set of official guidelines for purchasers of organisational coaching. Published in 2011, this Australian handbook is still highly relevant and remains as a touchstone for professional organisational coaching worldwide. You can buy it here, at a price.

More recently (in July 2022) the Professional Charter for Coaching, Mentoring and Supervision of Coaches, Mentors and Supervisors has been accepted by the European Union (EU), and it is now listed on the EU’s co-regulation and self-regulation databases. This charter is the result of a collaboration between EMCC, ICF and five other professional associations to reflect a common understanding of professional coaching to regulators and to promote and ensure good practice in coaching, mentoring and supervision.

I have been associated with the organisational coaching industry since I completed my Level 1 Coach Certification with IECL in 2001. Over the 22 years since, I have watched the ICF go from being a small group of mainly North American “life coaches” to become an international and professional organisation that continues to raise the bar for the coaching industry worldwide, through their ongoing industry research, reflection and updating of coaching competencies, definitions of coaching, and changes to coach education accreditation standards and student requirements. Things are changing, slowly and for the better. However, the coaching industry bodies cannot set these standards in isolation. The industry needs strong educational and research-based institutions working to ensure that standards for coaching reflect the needs and expectations of the communities we serve.

At IECL we are very intentionally organisational coach educators and we have always trained the coaching industry, including our competitors, in a process of ongoing "co-opetition".  

If you’re looking for someone to coach you or your team, look for an organisational coach that is:

1. Well trained (by a coach educator that is ICF, AC and/or EMCC accredited), 
2. That is (ideally) credentialed (by ICF or AC and/or EMCC) 
3. And that has a good reputation in the marketplace (ask around). 

IECL published a great blog on the topic of selecting exceptional coaches in 2018: Read More

If coaching as a lifelong learning journey appeals to you, how are you continuing to develop your skills? 

(Perhaps take a look at this video to understand more about the “beginner’s mind” of a very experienced coach … thanks @robwilson ) Also, a great article in HBR this month on what it takes to become an executive coach.

Mandy Geddes, ACC, AICL
Director Coach Education, IECL

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