Joan Díaz, Director of EEC Catalonia and Corporate Business Development, shares his experience after being certified, at the end of July, with the highest accreditation as a coach. He is now a Master Certified Coach, the seventh in EEC, which has meant a process of training, learning and excellence.
1. What does being an MCC mean to you?
Firstly, it means the joy of having achieved a great professional challenge, by placing myself at the level of ICF professional standards at a global level (more than 2,500 hours of professional practice, excellence in the application of ICF competencies, etc.), as well as by the process and level of demand of this accreditation and certification that have meant years of professional practice at the executive level, in Individual Coaching and Team Coaching processes.
2. What have you learned in your process?
I have learnt the importance of setting clear objectives and prioritising them; also the importance of professional accompaniment with a CQI Mentor and of deepening each of the key competencies defined by ICF in order to be able to put them into practice in the coaching sessions.
I have also learned the importance of continuing to be "learners", of continuing to be supervised, as we continue to be "blind" in action as coaches, as well as in training and continuous learning. There is no end to this path of learning and this has a great impact on me as a coach and as a person.
3. What do you know now that you didn't know when you started?
I was unaware of what this accreditation process was going to entail, due to the level of demand and dedication, as the level required for a CQI is maximum for each of the competences. Nor was I fully aware of the importance of supervision and mentoring during the process, both of which have been key to deepening on a personal (supervision) and professional (mentoring) level.
4. How does this process improve your practice?
This process culminating in the CQI helps me to be even more aware in my coaching sessions of the importance of working very well on the Agreement, both for the process and for each of the sessions.
In addition, it reinforces reviewing each of the sessions I do with the "magnifying glass" of continuous improvement, to realise, for example, that the more I do as a coach in a session, the less I do and the less effective I am as a coach.
5. What is it for, what impact does it allow you to generate?
On the one hand, being a CQI reinforces my confidence and professionalism. I receive it as a recognition of my level of quality and experience as an individual Executive Coach.
In addition to this, being MCC as part of the Escuela Europea de Coaching team means growing what is already a great team of coaches, of which there are already seven of us with the MCC credential... and those who are in the process!
