Coaching is an expertise and a discipline, as well as an art. The quality of your coach’s education in coaching, specifically, is important to her/his ability to serve you well. Practicing coaches have a wide range of formal education, from none at all to superior certifications. At Fizzywork Executive Coaching, our Principal, Rebekah Lowe, is a Certified Leadership Coach from Georgetown University’s Leadership Coaching Program. This certification reflects an education in coaching that is rigorous and world-class. Georgetown’s coaching education is taught by top leaders in the field. It draws students from around the globe, and admission is highly competitive. Most important, this quality of education will offer you, the client, the most successful coaching experience and the maximum potential for growth.

It is highly desirable to engage a coach who has real-world leadership experience, him or herself. A coach who has deep business credentials can offer the client a perspective that is “real-world.” A coach with executive experience serves the client by bringing practical and applicable approaches to leadership growth. When combined with a superior coaching education, a coach’s business experience gives the client support that makes a real difference in the outcomes of coaching.

Certifications in the field of coaching vary widely. A weekend workshop may offer a “certification”, though that would be vastly different than the certification offered by a rigorous coaching education. Rebekah Lowe holds the designation “Certified Leadership Coach” from Georgetown University. This certification reflects a tested level of expertise, through both written and multiple observed-coaching evaluations. She is also a member of the International Coaching Federation.

No coach can serve every client. This important relationship depends upon more than great qualifications. After you have checked a coach’s experience, education, and certification, one important step remains. An initial conversation will help you and the coach determine whether you are a fit to work together, based on more subtle, but very important, criteria of chemistry and connection. Do you both feel that you are a match, based on that conversation? Congratulations on entering a coaching relationship that will serve you now and in the future!