Growing Good Coaches

Spring has arrived here in Washington, DC and, as much as I love sunshine, I am appreciating the rain today, knowing that beautiful flowers and budding cherry trees are not far behind. Spring is a time of growth and we are in the business of growing coaches. I applaud the diversity of thought and design of coach training programs and as I consider what is needed to grow good coaches, my opinion is that we need a blend of components that flow together in harmony.  Think about it.  What do you now, or wish to, include in your programs to grow your students into good coaches?

My wish list for every coach training organization (CTO)

  1. Students open to new perspectives and willing to do their own work
  2. A diverse and inclusive faculty that is committed to acknowledging and embracing each student as an individual with gifts to share with the universe.
  3. A curriculum that weaves your training model with the ICF Core Competencies and the core of the ACTO Stand on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.
  4. An environment that cultivates trust and safety for ALL students in your program, where students can fall down and get up again with renewed confidence
  5. An environment that embraces love, anti- racism, LGBTQIA+, cultural and religious differences.
  6. Faculty who are doing their own work to truly understand their biases and the negative impact on students and in their own lives.
  7. A CTO that provides training and support to ensure that all team members are actively engaged in discussing, naming and understanding DEIB issues within the organization and the team members.

What excites me is that ACTO exists, and thrives, to support member organizations and trainers to foster their own blend to grow good coaches.  Whether you are the owner of a CTO, faculty member or individual coach trainer, ACTO has resources to support you.  I can honestly state that ACTO has been the catalyst for the changes my organization has made over the past two years.  I thought I was doing it “right” and learned that “I did not know what I did not know”.  ACTO supported my learning and growth to become a better coach training organization that is guided by the ACTO Stand.  Please reach out to us when you are ready to take your next steps.

Wishing everyone a time of healing, sunshine and growth.

With gratitude,

Jodi