I wish my industry was regulated

I wish my industry was regulated

Does that sound like a strange request, that I would like there to be more hoops to jump through and scrutiny when there currently isn’t?

It doesn’t to me and I will tell you my reasoning behind it.

I have chosen to ensure I am trained, accredited and insured. To me integrity is everything, if we don’t have that, what do we have? Knowing that I am trained in what I do, that more importantly, I know what not to do, is super important to me.

A friend mentioned to me the other day the difference, between Dr Google and a trained professional, they had diagnosed themselves with one thing, and then when they sought a proper professional opinion, found out Dr Google was in fact inaccurate. We have all done it let’s face it; I know I have and I am guessing you have too?  How much peace of mind does Dr Google bring you in comparison to a trained professional?

It is very easy these days to call yourself a coach, it seems to be the in thing to do, there are lots of us around, some trained, accredited and insured, others not. The thing is, the untrained ones may do a great job, be very effective, give great advice and make you feel all warm and fluffy inside… until they don’t… then what happens?

We have all had that friend who has talked the talk and given us great advice, sometimes advice they wouldn’t themselves act upon; maybe because they think that is what we want to hear, or they think it is the right thing to say.  We have all acted on this advice then regretted it… at least I am guessing it may have happened to you at least once; I know it has happened to me.  

So what is the difference between an untrained coach and a friend? They may have read a few books or have a great story to share, be an inspiration, they may also have good intentions. However, unfortunately, they may also have an attachment to the outcome, I have seen it happen, so again I ask, what happens if things go wrong?

In comparison what are the benefits of working with a trained professional? For a start the benefit is that they are a trained professional, they know what to do, what to say, how to get the best out of you, what they also know and this is the important bit… they know what not to do, what not to say. They won’t tell you what to do, or give you advice from their point of view, because what is right for one person may not be right for another person. 

A trained professional won’t say what you want to hear, they will say what is needed in that given situation, they will bring you challenge and support and empower you to grow and change, it may be difficult and confronting at times, but it will all be in service of you and will never be from a place of ego.

And… if in the unlikely event it goes wrong, they are insured and accredited with a governing body, you have a place to turn to for support and guidance, however the fact they are trained mean this is very unlikely.

So take time to choose your coach carefully, look around you, those coming from a place of ego may not be the right person for you, or they might, it depends on who you are and what you are looking for. More often than not, the ones who know their stuff and are doing great work aren’t the ones with the loudest voices, or the biggest ego’s, because they know, they are comfortable with that and they are confident in their abilities, they don’t need to.

People come to me because I am real, I am humble, and I am trained. When people come to work with me, I often hear the phrase, ‘you are so different’ and I love this, it is music to my ears, they love what we do and more importantly they love the results. They love the fact that it isn’t fluffy and that I make the tough stuff easier to deal with, and I do this well because I am trained, I have the tools to do it and do it well.

So I do wish my industry was regulated, because it would mean there were more people like me around, people you can trust, who will look after you and support you to grow, people who most importantly, know what not to do and know how to unlock your full potential, just like I do. I don’t mind the extra paperwork or the hoops to jump through if it means everyone is safer, better supported and that the person they are entrusting with their heart and mind is properly trained.

If you want to know about what working with me is like and if I am the right person for you, do get in touch or comment below, I would love to hear from you, or as always do feel free to book yourself in for a free sample session, it could be a waste of 30 minutes of your time, or it could just change your life.

Until next time,

Emma

p.s. If you haven’t already and you enjoyed this blog post, so sign up to my monthly inspiration email.

Rob Palmer

Men's Personal Development Coach - Professionally Minded with a Personalised Approach.

6y

I hope that one day it will be regulated too. Until then we have an uphill battle on our hands to inform as many as possible what non-sports coaching actually is and even moreso what it isn't.

Sean Proctor

Digital Marketing Consultant Gaming NFT Advisor

6y

OK, without wishing to put the cats amongst the pigeons here. Firstly, i would hold something as far more important for a coach, real life experience.  I have been an entrepreneur within the internet space for 20+ years (specialising in the online marketing).  I have worked with one person startups with £5000 budgets to £50mil+ turnover companies.  I have built my own online businesses and managed my own companies. I have had many successes and some failures.... some BIG failures.   I became a coach because i finally felt i knew enough to teach.  NO course could teach me a fraction of what i know and in my industry, if it did, it would be out of date within 12 months. In far more practical terms, coaching is too broad a field.  You have life coaches, business coaches, marketing coaches etc.  What course would i have to take to be certified? A qualification does offer a certain level of reassurance but by the same token i have come into lots of companies with very well qualified and certified service providers who have turned out to be ripping off my clients. Whilst I do have insurance, what i find much better is that i offer all my clients guaranteed ROI within the scope of the project.  If we do not achieve minimum target, we continue to work for 3 months for nothing.  That is my real insurance and i have not had to claim against it so far. Hiring a coach is like hiring any other outsource, you have to do due diligence, look at their background and track record but most importantly for me it is about personalities.  I have to be me when i coach and that only suites a certain sort of client (I probably swear a bit too much). Whilst I am not sure regulation is the answer, I do 100% agree with the sentiment,  there are a lot of pop up coaches out there but like any industry there is only so much business. For the record Emma, having looked at your stuff online and your history, if would be quite happy to talk to you regarding coaching me.  Will warn you though, my work life balance is pretty good ;)

Dr Trish Turner

Executive Coach for Leaders | Therapist to Coach Training MD | Supervisor | Accredited Master Coach | Psychotherapist

6y

Totally agree with you, Emma. Professional training is also vital for coaches to understand the boundaries of their competence, know when to refer on to a counsellor, ensuring the safety of the coachee. However, even therapy only has voluntary regulation, which means there’s nothing stopping someone untrained calling themselves a coach or a counsellor. Always pick someone qualified and accredited (not just a membership) - ICF/EMCC for coaching and BACP/UKCP for counselling and psychotherapy.

Julie Hunt

Chairman of St Kilda Club | Retired | Rat 🐀 Eradicator | EA to Director of Better

6y

I totally agree, having witnessed a friend in a very bad situation the thought of a non qualified coach advising them fills me with horror! Regulation is needed for an area as important this!

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