Revolutionize Your Coaching Approach with Mentor Coaching: Here’s Why You’ll Thank Us!

If I am a leadership coach who has taken coaching training, why should I subject myself to a critique of my coaching skills? There are several reasons to complete mentor coach training and the Academy of Government and Military Coaching (AcademyGMC) will share what we know:

Two coaches in mentor coaching feedback session

Credibility in the profession is the first. The International Coaching Federation (ICF) is the world’s gold standard for leadership coaches to become professionally certified. They require coaches to complete at least 10 hours of mentor coaching on their skills and 60 or more formal training hours on coaching core competencies before a coach applicant may apply to become certified under ICF’s professional coach certification standards.  

Also, this requirement of 10 hours of mentor coaching is a new criterion introduced after the ICF restructured its accreditation standards for coach training programs. Each coach training program graduate’s coaching skills must be successfully demonstrated and evaluated by coach training instructors who have completed special training for mentor coaching feedback.

Coaches beware!! There are other worldwide professional bodies certifying coaches that do not require a demonstration of coaching skills to a calibrated level of mastery. Many government, military, and commercial businesses that hire coaches want proof that each coach hired has a certain level of coaching competence. Thus, a coach certification like ICF that requires proof of coaching mastery sets your coaching apart from other certifying bodies.

Second, mentor coaching is a way to help a coach identify his or her coaching competency strengths and weaknesses in a safe environment before trying out various coaching strategies and coaching skills on individuals, teams, and groups of clients. Feedback from coach mentors helps the coach candidate focus on areas for current and/or future development. Through feedback on live coaching practice and sample recorded sessions, mentor coaches can provide on-the-spot feedback to enable emerging coach professionals to improve their active listening skills and thought-provoking questions and assist clients in moving forward.

Third, mentor coaching feedback can help the coach candidate gain new perspectives and navigate potential ethical dilemmas. A portion of most accredited training programs focuses on coaching ethics and differing viewpoints and perspectives. Most coaches have one or more blind spots, so mentor coaching can help the coach candidate see things from a different perspective.

To conclude, the ICF’s emphasis on mentor coaching provides invaluable benefits for clients aspiring to become professionally certified. By engaging in mentor coaching, coaches receive structured guidance, constructive feedback, and skill refinement that aligns with ICF’s core competencies. This process strengthens their coaching techniques and fosters continuous growth, confidence, and professionalism. Ultimately, mentor coaching is a powerful catalyst for enhancing mastery, ensuring that aspiring coaches develop the expertise necessary to make a meaningful impact in their field.

Both Drs. Stein and Kruger completed the ICF PCC marker training as calibrated assessors for ICF coach candidates seeking level one or level two coach certification and serve as level one evaluators for the ICF accredited level one coach training program sponsored by the Academy of Government and Military Coaches. For more information on completing mentor coaching feedback, email Dr. Sue Stein at jsstein018@gmail.com. Scheduled offerings for Mentor Coaching Feedback and other certifications are posted. Register today! Limited spaces are available.