NCCA Meeting

21 April 2005

Attending: Carl, Sue, Bobbie, Susan, Jeff, Joan, Joe Courant, Lloyd, Mandy, Christine, Margaret Graham, Terry Anna, Greg Katz (DCF), John, Karna, Pat, Lisa Eaton, Irene

Purpose

• Decide/obtain input regarding NCCA future related to ICF
• New leader
• Let's be the change that we want to see in the coaching world!

Setting the stage

• What does/would most draw you to active involvement in the NCCA?
• Connection - coaches - physical being
• Idea generation - get energy
• Getting ideas for my business - getting that from people
• Professional development, growing my business
• Sharing best practices, face to face, connections
• Mentoring and ideas, catalyze ideas, teaching
• Keeping fresh and current, motivation, inspirational
• Getting clarity on the directions and standards of the profession
• Standards has become my flag, because it is necessary for us to have everything else.
• Professional development, each coach has an expertise and I learn from them
• Talking to people in person adds something I don't get in other ways
• Professional development is my greatest need right now, I'm just getting started
• Contact with other coaches, idea generation is very creative and they call me to be my best
• Warm, supportive environment, connecting
• Holding the standard for the profession
• By connecting with coaches I get all the other things, especially in a profession where I'm so much alone

Dynamic tension

• Until quite recently we've been feeling that the ICF is becoming more exclusive
• This conflicts with the "back porch gang" philosophy which was informal, nurturing connections
• This has "lit the fuse" on making a decision of who we want to be

Year in review

• Focus on coach
• Community outreach
• Small business development
• Fun activity
• NC Economic development
• Networking with ToastMasters approach
• Links to BCA/DCF
• Special needs coaching
• Coaching resources
• Holiday party
• Passions & work
• Sacred space for coaching
• Coaching research
• Community of practice

ICF: Raising The Bar

• Raising standards - independent
• Increase public awareness
• Decrease confusion
• Promote coaching
• Preserve integrity
• Increase public trust/confidence
• Distinct profession
• Increase support
• PR for branding the ICF credential
• Self regulating
• Clarify requirements for education and credentials (>160 schools)
• Ethics code
• PROFESSIONALISM
• Evolving focus on inclusivity
• Lots going on behind the scenes

Pat's information

• Article for ICF Newsletter: http://nccoaches.org/Notes/2005-04-21PWArticle.htm
• Presentation at Career Masters Institute: http://nccoaches.org/Notes/2005-04-21PWCMIspeech.htm

Discussion

• Pat has been prodding ICF to be more inclusive
• A lot of chapters are struggling with this, just as we are
• People are being heard
• The shift doesn't happen immediately, don't react too fast
• Sue/ We decided not to be in limbo for a long time, so we decided to call this meeting and make a decision
• Thomas Leonard spent $50K in 1992 to start the ICF, its first meeting was 1996.  He sold it to Sandy Vilas.  CoachVille is not aligned with ICF but is trying to become an ICF accredited school.
• Other professions draw a distinction between accrediting schools vs. credentialing individuals?  There's been some debate about this on the ICF board.  Possibility of going with an externally defined standard of the profession, which could make it much stronger than if ICF sets the standard.
• ICF credential and a credential from the school are NOT the same thing
• ICF credentialing information: http://coachfederation.org/credentialing/en/index.asp

Membership

• To be announced May 2005
• As of April 2006:
• 3 different levels
  • Affiliate: practicing coach, non voting, fee for listing
  • Credentialed = ACC, PCC, MCC: voting, free listing in referral service, benefit from PR campaign
  • Industry partner: NOT active coaches, nonvoting
• Member coach: current ICF members, non credential - through April 2007 (temporary)
• "Portfolio option" to get credentialed if you don't go through ICF accredited school

Discussion

• There's several different models in different industries of how you get educated vs. credentialed vs. member of professional organization
• ICF is trying to avoid the professional license because that implies government regulation
• There are 27 ICF accredited schools, will be 50 by the end of the year
• Pat is in favor of a model which separates the testing for certification from the members of the profession - it removes a conflict of interest and the standard can be based on the value delivered to clients
• How solid is this ICF direction?  Seems like they didn't listen to the chapters.  It's improving, they're starting to be more responsive

Leadership - chapters

• 2005: ICF member, active coach
• 2005-2006: President must be getting or finished training as a coach
• 2007-2008: President - 120 hours training, intent to be credentialed.  Officers - in training
• 2009: President credentialed.  Officers 120 hours and intent
• 2010: All board members 120 hours and intent
• 2010+: All board and officers are credentialed
• This is under review

Discussion

• Steve M was strong that stabilizing the profession would allow coaches to make what we're worth
• The ICF hasn't been fear-based, really.  It's trying to be proactive
• Current NCCA requirements: Must be ICF member, chapter gets $25 rebate for each member, $25 yearly activity fee to NCCA

Benefits & drawbacks

Discussion

• We don't even know if we need money
• We don't know that we need the ICF
• Pat: The ICF board needs to hear these voices!!  We haven't felt heard!

Discussion

What do we want to create?

• Be more inclusive - break away from the ICF (do we have to?)
• All people who call themselves coaches are welcome here.  The weaker coaches may be drawn to become stronger.
• Don't detract from the coaching schools
• If they come into the group they're accountable
• Call me to a higher standard
• Certain expectation to maintain membership
• Is there any reason we couldn't have an affiliate membership, to be more inclusive as well?
• I want to draw people into the organization, rather than exclude some coaches and have them be wild cards
• Could we mirror what we want the ICF to be?  Form it the way we want to form it, and if that aligns with ICF, great.

ICF Credentialing

• IBM, MCI, Marriott are requiring ICF certification to be employed internally
• Schools are looking to change to give an ICF certification, whereas right now they give their own certifications
• We need to ask our CLIENTS to define coaching for our profession
• Pat: It would be helpful to voice our concerns about the need for external voices to set the standards for the value delivered by coaching
• The language of this is disturbing - people who choose not to "jump over the bar" aren't "up to standard" - it would be improved if the language was changed
• Having a credential does NOT mean it's a licensed profession

Decision

• We don't have has much pressure to decide, since ICF is lightening up a bit
• We could make a statement "we want an affiliate membership"
• Don't wait for the ICF quietly!  Be vocal on what we want ICF to do!  Steve Mitten, Diane Brennan, Pat Williams
  • Come up with a coaching definition that is results based, from the voice of the client (the ICF definition might already be sufficient)
  • Have a better process in place for listening to the member organization, and non-members as well
  • At the summit in January, how will people get their voices heard?

Next steps

• Leadership of NCCA?  Susan to talk with Sue