MCC (Master Certified Coach) is the highest level of certification issued by the International Coach Federation (ICF) in the world. Out of the total number of coaches certified by ICF, only 4% are MCC, and the rest are either PCC or ACC.
Let me start by laying out what differentiates an MCC coach from a PCC coach. An MCC coach focuses completely on Who the client is and what does he really wants, whereas the PCC coach focuses on supporting the client to make some movement on the challenge that the client brings to the coaching session.
For a professional coach, MCC coaching brings a whole lot of benefits. To begin with, it clearly distinguishes him/her from so many other coaches who are either not so highly credentialed or even not credentialed at all in some cases.
A professional coach needs to build a strong personal brand, and being MCC helps by elevating your credibility in the mind of the potential clients.
As MCC requires at least 2500 hours of MCC coaching hours experience, the potential client knows that the coach has the requisite experience of dealing with many clients and client situations. This also translates to clients willing to pay much higher for an MCC coach.
For becoming an MCC coach, a major prerequisite is to find a suitable mentor coach to mentor you on the journey. Like any journey, it helps to have someone who has been there, done that, and can assess your progress on the journey. While certification is the end goal, but the coach also needs to grow within in terms of becoming more effective for his clients. The right mentor coach will ensure that you are getting new learnings and insights with every session.
MCC coaching is a journey that is rich and engaging. However, before you embark on the journey, it is a good idea to check on few things:
WHY –
why are you embarking on the MCC coaching journey? What are the drivers for you to undertake the journey? Is it because you can become more famous, make more money, get more clients globally, or be able to support your clients more effectively in their journey? Ask yourself why is it important for me to become an MCC coach. What impact is it likely to create in your career as a professional coach? What will happen if you do not pursue MCC coaching? Are you likely to lose opportunities that will come your way only if you get to the MCC level?
WHAT –
What does it take to be an MCC coach? Check out the ICF credentialing requirements, explore the coach training programs that can assure you move towards your goal. To meet the number of paid coaching hours that need to be completed before you can apply for certification, you need to ensure that you are able to sell those coaching hours to your existing or potential clients. This will require a fair amount of business development activities followed by the actual coaching sessions. So, the amount of time, money and energy to be invested has to be planned for.
can support you in this journey? The most important person for you would be the right mentor coach who can be with you to notice your progress and mentor on what you need to work upon.
Last but not the least, it is important to deliberate on what it means to be a professional coach beyond meeting the MCC coaching certification requirements. A professional coach is one who is respected within the coaching fraternity. He/she obviously has the mastery of the coaching competencies.
However, he also demonstrates qualities like honesty, timeliness, coaching spirit to name a few. A professional coach needs to keep learning even after certification and follow advances in the field of coaching. He/she also knows when to seek supervision from another master coach, and also offers to mentor other coaches in their professional journey.
A professional coach always keeps the interests of his/her client in mind at all times. He is aware that he is providing a paid service to the client and must fulfill all that is mentioned in the coaching agreement which has been drawn up prior to the commencement of the coaching. While it is true that a coach cannot guarantee the outcomes that the customer seeks in his personal or professional life; however, he needs to ensure that he has done all that he can within the coaching sessions to move the client towards the desired outcome.
Most important for a professional coach is the ICF Code of Ethics. As a professional, he is bound to maintain ethics and confidentiality at all times during and after the coaching program.
In conclusion, coaching is a journey, not a destination and MCC coaching can be a major milestone and a big boost in the career of a professional coach.
