New WABC Certification and Accreditation
Programs: Development Underway
Introduction
Industry Snapshot
Since May 2002 Wendy Johnson, WABC president and CEO, has been consulting with knowledge leaders, business coaches, business coaching schools, firms and organizations around the world on a broad array of professional standards and practice issues. Some key findings:
- Business coaching is an emerging profession.
Seeing ourselves as "emerging" means that we become active influencers in the evolution of our profession as opposed to passive onlookers waiting for external forces, including government regulators, to determine our direction.
- Business coaching is a hybrid profession that lacks a unified body of knowledge, standard of training and system of credentials.
Like other emerging professions (e.g., project management) and established professions (e.g., architecture), business coaching is a hybrid profession. It incorporates elements from many disciplines: adult learning, psychology (particularly sports psychology), education, philosophy and spirituality. There is also considerable overlap between niche specialties in coaching. For these reasons, it will take collaboration within our broader field to form a unified body of knowledge, standard of training and system of credentials.
- Business coaching is a self-regulated industry.
In our industry, the appropriate professional bodies engage in self-regulation. That approach is sustainable only if we, as a broad field of researchers and practitioners, unite and support our differences.
- Business coaching is suffering from the effects of fragmentation.
Today, many different associations and networks represent business coaches, corporate coaches, executive coaches, organizational development coaches and other specialty niches. This has led to fragmentation at the local, regional, national and international level. The results are clear: discordance and a fractured community. We must learn from professions like the biological sciences, where divisions were once so invasive that the profession lost recognition and missed funding opportunities because of competing strategies and priorities.
- Business coaching can benefit from the power of unification.
The benefit of unification is clear: a single voice that allows us to effectively address practice and industry issues that affect all business and organizationally focused coaches. Policy-makers prefer to hear from a "community"; this matters if regulation becomes part of our future.
- A proliferation of coach training programs and designations is flooding the market.
On the one hand, variety signals growth and demand. On the other, it means market confusion. At last count, there were over 200 personal- and business-focused coach training organizations in existence, and more than 100 coaching designations. This proliferation of designations--most of which are not affiliated with any professional association--causes confusion about the nature, quality and focus of services the business coaching industry offers.
- Business coaching needs an internationally focused association to create a unified body of knowledge, standard of training and system of credentials.
Building a profession means building and maintaining public trust. We can do this through self-regulation, through activities such as creating a code of ethics, a well-defined set of professional standards, a body of knowledge, a standard of training and a system of credentials. To be unified, these activities should be coordinated by one internationally focused association.
WABC Response
WABC is positioning itself as the leading international authority on business coaching. We have completed many key projects over the last few years, including the development of rigorous membership standards and a new Code of Business Coaching Ethics and Integrity.
In 2004, we began development of a new certification program (for individuals) and a new accreditation program (for training providers). These programs were developed with broad stakeholder input from around the world to ensure that WABC credentials are relevant and credible.
New Certification and Accreditation Programs
Certification Program
Introduced on October 24, 2007, the WABC Certified Master Business Coach (CMBC) designation is intended for master-level business coaches. This groundbreaking program is unlike any other business coaching certification on the market today. Key differentiators include:
- Sponsored by an international professional business coaching association (WABC).
- Business coaching focused.
- Master's level certification.
- Developed with broad stakeholder involvement from key markets and countries, including business coaches (internal and external), training bodies and client groups (businesses and organizations).
- Evaluation processes are transparent and independent of WABC. Middlesex University, an international leader in work-based development programs and a UK-designated "Centre of Excellence," will independently evaluate candidates' portfolios.
- Evaluation and administration will be highly responsive and timely.
- Successful candidates will receive two awards--CMBC certification through WABC and master's level credits through Middlesex University.
- WABC will seek recognition from leading certifying agencies around the world, such as the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA) in the United States.
Accreditation Program
The WABC Accredited designation is intended for world-class business coach training providers operating at the practitioner and master level. It is an international designation that recognizes training providers whose business coaching programs are credible, reliable and relevant. Obtaining this designation involves meeting rigorous international standards for training.
Our International Expert Panel has finished evaluating our proposed accreditation program to ensure that it is relevant, meets our strict standards and can be marketed around the world. The program is now in the pilot stage. The WABC Accredited designation will be available in 2008. The WABC Accredited designation is a unique accreditation. Key differentiators include:
- Sponsored by an international professional business coaching association (WABC).
- Business coaching focused.
- Practitioner and master level accreditation.
- Developed with broad stakeholder involvement from key markets and countries, including business coaches (internal and external), training bodies and client groups (businesses and organizations).
- Evaluation processes are transparent and independent of WABC. The Professional Development Foundation, an academic body validated by Middlesex University and specializing in work-based research and post-graduate studies in the professions, will independently evaluate candidates' training programs.
- Evaluation and administration will be highly responsive and timely.
- WABC will seek recognition from leading certifying agencies around the world, such as the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA) in the United States.
Program Development
Creating international certification and accreditation programs is complex and requires unparalleled expertise. WABC is delighted to have the UK's David Lane leading the development of both programs. David Lane has spent more than 25 years working with professions and organizations to establish practice-relevant competence and accreditation models. He is also an experienced executive coach. Director of Research with the International Centre for the Study of Coaching, he, along with his team, is cooperating with WABC to establish independently verifiable standards, design a comprehensive certification program and develop a relevant international accreditation scheme.
 "I am pleased to be working with WABC in its commitment to establish clear standards at such an important time in our emerging industry. The WABC decision to create an independent process is to be commended."
--David Lane, MSc, PhD
Professor and Director of Research, International Centre for the Study
of Coaching, Middlesex University
 "WABC is committed to building the profession of business coaching by setting the highest international bar for professional, training and credentialing standards. I'm very excited to be working with David Lane and his team on programs that will have a far-reaching impact as more businesses and organizations seize the opportunity to engage our valuable, potentially world-changing services."
--Wendy Johnson
President/CEO, WABC
Impact of New Programs on Other WABC Designations
When Wendy Johnson assumed leadership of the then National Association of Business Coaches (NABC) in May 2002, the association offered five coaching designations. After a careful review over the following months, it became clear that several designations did not match the rebranded WABC's newly articulated core philosophies. The Certified Business Coach (CBC), Certified Executive Coach (CEC), Registered Internal Corporate Coach (RICC) and Registered Corporate Coach Instructor were thus discontinued. WABC then focused on developing new credentials that better meet certification best practices--in areas such as legal defensibility, detailed grievance and appeal procedures, certification renewal and maintenance requirements, psychometric soundness--and that are more marketable.
These discontinued designations are still valid credentials and may continue to be cited by their holders. WABC thanks the members who worked on these previous designation programs.
Today, besides our new credentials, we continue to offer one designation that was created in the past: Registered Corporate Coach (RCC). Instructors in various locations around the world still offer the RCC program, which will continue until further notice.
Beyond the New Programs
WABC is committed to setting the highest international standards of ethics, integrity and professional responsibility for members by engaging in self-regulatory activities that build and maintain public trust. Beyond the new certification and accreditation programs, here are some of our next steps:
- Continue to develop a body of business coaching knowledge.
- Review and update the WABC Code of Business Coaching Ethics and Integrity to ensure it is aligned with our new certification and accreditation programs.
- Develop a set of professional standards in collaboration with David Lane and Middlesex University.
- Launch additional international business coaching research projects with other leading organizations.
- Introduce new and augment current membership categories in light of our new certification and accreditation programs.
WABC will continue to update members on these and other initiatives.
More About WABC and Membership
The Worldwide Association of Business Coaches (WABC) is the first international professional association dedicated exclusively to the business coaching industry and the only association of its kind with advanced membership standards based on business experience, coaching experience and client references. Since 1997 we've been serving business coaches and their clients. We invite you to explore the benefits of membership today: http://www.wabccoaches.com/ |
