Growing my coaching practice

“Write a blog on the Postgraduate Certificate in Coaching?” was the request. “I’ve just written about 12,000 words for my postgraduate certificate and now you want me to write more?”, I thought regressing into Kevin the teenager. I had thought I would have a bit of a break from writing after completing my qualification. Not to be, but actually this is an opportunity to articulate the value I got from completing Roffey Park’s Postgraduate Certificate in Coaching.

To be honest, I signed up because I wanted the certificate. I wanted that endorsement of my coaching. However, I also wanted to use the opportunity to explore and reflect on my coaching practice, to get clarity on my style, preferences and build my coaching knowledge.

The theory inputs were enjoyable; systemic coaching and constellations, TA, cognitive behavioural coaching to name a few, all added to both my tool kit as a coach and also me as a person, reflecting on what the input means for me, as well as how I could apply it in my coaching practice.

Let’s talk about the writing. Now, writing doesn’t come naturally to me. I really have to apply myself. The various papers were a stretch, but, as it turns out a good one. Not having completed a degree, this was new territory and to a Masters standard too. The formative and summative stages of submission, reviewed by my action learning set were helpful in developing my writing process.

The action learning set was a good learning experience; each of the set members brought their own views, which added to my learning and each set member’s feedback on my papers helped to develop my writing from different angles.

Supervision and being coached, as well as coaching, provided a separate feedback loop on my practice, alongside the papers, which added to the depth of the experience.

Naturally, as with any type of formal study like this, the time commitment, should be considered. Completing the required coaching and supervision hours, the writing of papers and reviewing papers of those in the learning set does take time and commitment. Was it worthwhile? Absolutely, yes.

James Hutton is the Founder of Shift Coaching and Development and he recently completed our Postgraduate Certificate in Coaching.