Business Coaching – Where Are The Business Coaching Certification Programs?

A reader recently e-mailed me this question:

“I want to be a business coach, and yet while there are literally hundreds of training programs and two large credentialing bodies for life coaches… what about the business coaches? Shouldn’t there be programs to certify people to coach business?”

With nearly 300 programs offering life coaching training and dozens offering training in executive coaching, you would think there’d be numerous high quality training programs for business coaching. But that isn’t the case.

The fact of the matter is…business coaching is a different animal. Whereas life and executive coaches tend to focus on things like improving emotional intelligence, increasing confidence, and developing better communication and relationship skills…

…business coaches focus on:

• Strategy/ Strategic Planning: is the organization headed in the right direction, and what needs to happen to get from where they are to where they want to go…as quickly as possible?
• Business Process Improvement: are the right systems and processes in place to create leverage and run the business as efficiently and cost effectively as possible?
• HR/ Talent Management: Are the right people sitting in the right chairs? How do you hire the right people, manage them the right way, and hang onto them? How do you optimally handle difficult yet common workplace issues like conflict, poor attitude, and incompetence?
• Marketing & Sales: how can sales be increased through improved sales processes and marketing? What can be done to improve overall marketing effectiveness? What about this ‘online marketing’ thing?

While coaches who work with executives and individuals on life balance and other issues need to have a strong right-brain orientation (empathy, emotional intelligence, creativity, inquiry), business coaches need to have strong analytical and strategic skills as well.

This complexity means that no single certification program or model can be sufficient. To be successful as a business coach requires not only training, but extensive experience as well.

What does this mean for you?

If coaching businesses large or small is where you want to be and you don’t yet have a lot of relevant experience, focus on getting it. Volunteer at your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC), work with entrepreneurs, and more importantly than anything else…lead by example!

Model the best practices behaviors to your clients in your own business. After all, action speaks louder than words.

Learn about Lawrence’s book for beginning coaches The Truth About the Business of Coaching (Tao of Business Press) or visit his website at http://www.lawrencemortenson.com