If you’ve clicked on this blog, I think it’s fair to assume that you’re someone who is thinking about taking the leap to becoming a coach. Or, you’ve decided coaching is what you want to do, but you need to know which steps to take to find the right coaching course for you.

This blog isn’t just for prospective coaches though. As we’ll discuss later on in this blog, coaching courses aren’t just beneficial for people who want to take a leap into the world of coaching. The skills that coaching courses arm you with can benefit everyone from every walk of life.

 In this blog, we’re going to dive in to: 

  • What a coaching course is and why it’s beneficial 
  • 7 tips to find the right fit 
  • How to find coaching courses

By the end of the blog, you will be equipped with the knowledge to go forth and find a course that will allow you to pull out your potential and begin your journey to becoming a coach. (Or, to begin your journey to becoming the best version of yourself. With the help of a few handy coaching tips and tricks).

What are coaching courses?

The ICF defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximise their personal and professional potential. The process of coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity and leadership.”

In practical terms this typically means that a ‘coaching course’ consists of theory, practical and skill based learning. Which can consist of the following:

  • The art and craft of coaching 
  • Coaching concepts and foundations
  • Code of ethics 
  • Coaching intake with a client and contract agreements
  • Listening skills 
  • Communication skills 
  • Code of conduct

With so many ways of learning available, what is it about coaching courses that makes them so popular and beneficial?

How coaching courses can benefit you:

If you’re thinking about enrolling in a coaching course, you may already be aware of the benefits awaiting you when you have completed your course. If not, not to worry! This next part of the blog is all about the ways coaching courses can benefit you.

Each coach will have their own perspective on how coaching courses are able to benefit those that take them. But, here are our top (insert number) ways that coaching courses can reward you.

Coaching courses arm you with valuable interpersonal skills.

From the way that you communicate and listen, to becoming a better leader and handling responsibility in a way that you couldn’t before. 

Among many other things, you have the opportunity to gain enhanced listening skills, develop a greater level of self awareness, begin to connect with and support others more in a professional and personal capacity and develop a deeper quality of presence in communication with self and others.

You’re able to deepen your relationship with yourself and others.

A big part of coaching is about connecting to others as well as yourself. To honour the idea that we all have great potential within, even if we don’t see it. When you start to hold this belief you start to create a different relationship with people and yourself. You are more compassionate, curious and open minded. In turn this allows for greater ideas and thoughts to bubble up, instead of ones that condemn.

Accountability and forward action come to the forefront

On your journey to becoming a coach, you’ll learn all about forward action and accountability. How do you hold yourself and others accountable in a way that encourages forward movement? You will gain the skills to help people move forward from places and things that have made them feel stuck through the process of exploring all available choices and setting upon forward action.

You learn how to develop and nurture talent in yourself and others by putting the spotlight on things that matter to you.

Coaching gives people the opportunity to think about things that they want to move forward. Simply by having these focused conversations, you are likely to get more clairy and reveal little nuggets of wisdom from within. Those will be the key that unlocks the door to developing the potential talent that is within those that you coach. How often do you get to spend real focus time on your goals? Coaching gives you the time and space to do this.

 I could provide you with a list as long as your arm about the benefits of undertaking a course and becoming a coach.

 In each of those benefits, there would be one thread that connects them all. Becoming a coach is rewarding because at the heart of it is about helping others reach more of their potential. It is a privilege to witness this and for people to share personal things about their lives with you. 

Our programme trainer, Pamela Richarde says it best when she gives her opinion on the need for coaching:  

‘’Coaching emerged to fill a need in humankind. Why?

 Because way back when we lived in more tribal constructs or close communities, we would go to our elders to ask questions about the things troubling us.

 In response they would give us more questions rather than answers, which meant that we would explore within and learn about ourselves to find our own answers. This became lost as we became much more urban and fragmented into larger communities.’’

Tips on finding the right fit:

The right course will allow you to learn, play with new concepts of being, opportunities to practice  and to make mistakes to learn from. This is because coaching isn’t just a set of skills, coaching is a way of being.  

Here are our 7 tips on finding the right fit:

  • Online or in person learning? Think about what will work for you best. Some people learn better online and some better face to face. Also, what kind of learning will work best for you around your life?
  • Intensive or Modular? What format would you prefer the course to be delivered? Are you looking for a course that is completed quickly or split across weeks or months?
  • When? When are the training days? Weekdays or weekends? Does it work around your life and other commitments?
  • Does the programme include time to coach? Theory is great and absolutely necessary. However, you’re going to take a leap into the professional world and need to be a coach in real time. You will get the most impactful return from a course that incorporates practical coaching time. 
  • Accreditation: Some people care about accreditation and some don’t. If you would like to receive accreditation from your course, look into which certification options are available to you and choose a course that will award you with one. 

Click here to be taken to our webpage and click the blue box titled ‘What are my certification options’ for information on our accreditation options. 

  • Get clear on what type of coach you want to be: There are different types of coaching that you could choose to get involved in. Executive coaching, life coaching, etc. Do your best to experience all of the different branches of the coaching tree. When you’ve decided what type of coach you want to be, then you can begin to look at courses that are in the same vein.
  • Who is training you? Take a look at the trainers that will be teaching you. What are their credentials? What type of coach are they? 

How to find coaching courses:

So, now you know exactly why coaching courses are beneficial and what you should keep in mind to find the right fit. To round everything all up and tie it with a little coaching bow, let’s take a look at our tips to use your newfound knowledge and find your perfect coaching course.

  • Word of mouth: The power that marketing holds is incredible. With the right advertisement, many of us have reached for our wallet in about 0.5 seconds flat. However, getting a recommendation from someone that you know or someone in your professional circles, will always tend to trump any advert that comes your way. If you have any other coaches in your life, speak to them. Ask them which courses they choose for their training. If you don’t, there will certainly be a community of coaches online that will be more than willing to share their experiences with you.
  • Web Search: Whichever search engine that you favor, a little search will go a long way. Use the tips that we’ve given you above surrounding finding the right fit and pop in the key words for a more streamlined search.
  • Introductory sessions: While you’re having a look around, ask any of your prospective courses if they offer introductory courses. This is probably the best way to find a coaching course that will suit you. Do keep in mind that not every course will offer these sessions. That doesn’t mean that that course isn’t worth its salt. Use your discernment and take into account all of the information you collect to figure out which coaching course will suit you best.

Ready to jump in?

If you’re still on the fence about whether coaching is for you or not… Then this article ‘Let me finish: how to stop interrupting… and change the world’ demonstrates the power of someone really listening to you. Much like a coach would.  

We’ve covered why coaching courses are beneficial, tips to help you find the right coaching course and how to find coaching courses. The next steps are down to you. It’s time to get your head down and find your perfect course.

With the great courses that we have to offer here at ITS, it would be wrong of us to not put our name into the hat. Visit us at https://itsnlp.com/coaching-training/ to see what we can offer you to help you on your way.

 Happy coaching!