Research shows training and CPD are vital for coaches

06 Mar Research shows training and CPD are vital for coaches

Posted at 13:35h in Blog by ECA

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The Edinburgh Coaching Academy recently acted as Scottish Research Partner in the biggest ever cross-European coaching research to have been undertaken in recent years, in association with Henley Business School State of Play in Scottish Coaching_2018[1484]. The results are fascinating: across the board, coaching is now firmly established as a key tool in personal development, leadership development and a core communication style for managers. As a result, professionalism of coaches is increasing, and well-respected training has never been more important. 50% of Scottish coaches responding to the survey told us that they now invested between 16 and 30 hours of CPD per year and 11% invest more than 60 hours per year. CPD can take many forms, but exploring new approaches, new thinking and challenging our own frames of reference become more important the more coaching we undertake. So, a real acknowledgement that formal training and on-going development should – and increasingly do – play a big part in the professionalisation of the coaching industry.

The ECA have been an ILM centre for several years now and we still regularly come across coaches practising without any formal coaching qualifications. If you were taking your car to a garage, you would expect the mechanic who fixes your car to be trained and know what they are doing. We would argue that formal coach training is an on-going investment in yourself and your clients – we all fall into bad habits and ruts, taking time out to attend CPD and training forces us to look at things differently and can help us identify and overcome these habits. Practising as a coach is a life-long activity and no-one can ever say they are ‘fully qualified’ – there is always a new angle, a new way of thinking, a new way of looking at ourselves. Self-awareness has to be the biggest tool in any coach’s toolkit – to know how we come across to others, how someone will experience us coaching them – and building self-awareness is a life times work. Remaining curious, open to new approaches, enquiring and alert are all key requirements for a coach. The ECA’s regular CPD events take us ages to put together – we really think about people and approaches that will inspire and challenge our coaches and share our own insights and approaches. Beware the coach who always brings out the same model, or who say they only coach in a certain way. Surely flexibility to work with a client in whatever way may be best for them should overshadow our own need to follow a particular model or technique? Food for thought indeed. So why don’t you have a look at our training programmes in coaching, some leading to formal ILM qualifications and look out for our regular CPD events, and keep yourself – and your coaching – flexible and fresh.

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