ICF Certified Coach or Not?

I took many tests while growing up. Most of them were easy when I put in the effort to study.  PMP was the toughest one for me; harder than the GRE (English proficiency test for foreign students to study in the US) and the GMAT (for MBA program application). I had to take it twice.

PMP (Project Management Professional) is a certification preferred by many project/product management positions.  PMI, a 53-yr old organization that issues PMP globally, is a U.S.-based non-profit professional organization for project management professionals.

I observed a similar development for coaching professionals. (This is a response to many questions I received from coaches – Should I become ICF certified?)

ICF (International Coaching Federation) is a 27-yr old not-for-profit organization. It issues professional coaching certifications indicating that coaches have met specific requirements for developing coaching skills and personal growth.

Are you going to be constrained by the ICF competencies when you are certified? Not! ICF competencies are generally defined as the PMI project management framework. They facilitate the coaching as guidelines but not going to hinder your effectiveness.

Since coaching is not a regulated profession, more companies are looking for ICF-certified coaches. I highly recommend getting ICF certification. It might be a tough test and it’s worth your effort from a professional perspective and more importantly,  from the perspective of supporting the coaching profession to thrive.

To look back, what was the toughest test for you?