I need to do an MCC-level coaching demo in my coach mentoring class, headed up by Carly Anderson.
MCC stands for Master Certified Coach, a credential designated by the International Coach Federation. Currently, I hold the ACC credential and am wanting to move up in the ranks of ICF. Pardon the military metaphor:)
My Plan to do MCC-Level Coaching
My coaching demo will be fish-bowl style. Coaching an outside volunteer in front of a class of peers. 10 of them who are there to observe my coaching, evaluate me, and learn from the experience.
I have a TON of coaching experience and have done countless demonstrations. I’ve been hired as a life coach by hundreds of people. And they’ve been largely thrilled with the results. But I’m nervous about this one. I’m not so used to ICF-style coaching and, to pass the class, cannot afford to fall back on old habits. Even though I prefer my own coaching style, ICF doesn’t care. Their way or the highway.
To the plan.
There are 10 Characteristics of MCC-Level Coaching
And here they are, courtesy of Carly Anderson:
- Connection
- Presence
- Partnering
- Spaciousness
- Emotional Content, the Light and the Shadow Simplicity
- Ignore Nothing
- Trust
- Vulnerability
- Expanded Learning
To pass an MCC life coach performance evaluation, the candidate needs to receive a score of eight or above (1-10 scale) on each area, according to the judgment of the ICF reviewer.
The ICF PCC markers also factor into such evaluations. Basically, if you’re doing a performance evaluation for ICF, you’re being judged on more stuff than you can possibly track, especially during the heat of a live coaching session in which you’re being observed with 10 sets of critical eyes.
Coaching the Who, not the What
For my MCC demonstration, I’ll focus on the following:
Coaching presence: First, relax. Go into slow mode. Don’t be in a rush. Create a spacious setting for coaching.
Forget solutions: The coach doesn’t come up with solutions. The client does. The coach sees who the client is – in a resourceful light – and ask questions or gives feedback to encourage the client to step into that aspect of self.
Be curious: And share the curiosity in partnership with the client.
Explore the coaching outcome thoroughly.
Check-in half-way through to get takeaways.
Notice non-verbal shifts and point them out. Don’t ignore anything.
And that’s a wrap.
Anyone considering becoming a life coach, here are some reasons to do so.