The
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has launched a draft
set of professional standards for the coaching profession after concerns were
raised over ‘cowboy’ operators
These
are being introduced to help organisations distinguish high-quality coaches
from cowboy operators who are inexperienced, have little training and lack the
appropriate knowledge and skills.
Judy
Whittaker, CIPD director, membership and education, said: "Coaching is the
fastest growing training practice, but there is growing concern about the lack
of accreditation and regulation of providers.
"We
have developed draft professional standards designed to meet the needs of
coaches and their prospective clients. We will be consulting our members and
leading education providers before finalising the new standards."
The
standards follows the
publication of a CIPD guide on coaching and buying coaching services.
Jessica
Jarvis, author of the guide, said: "Quality within the coaching profession
can be hugely variable and this is where the buyers of coaching services can
face difficulties. Organisations must take a more selective approach to sort
the higher-quality coaches from the cowboys.
"It
is becoming an increasingly popular tool in the promotion of learning and
development, however, organisations must ensure their coaches are appropriately
trained to maximise the impact of coaching for their organisation."
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