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While Coaching in sports and academics has shown tangible value, I have often wondered, what is the real value of coaching to an organization, its culture, and delivering value to the business? This power talk by business leaders from two highly respected organizations – Google and Microsoft that have embraced coaching, addressed this as part of ICF Coaching Conclave 2021, India.  Madhuri Duggirala, Senior Executive, Google India, has 23+ years of technical experience across the globe, with strong experience in managing, building, and delivering end-user products and services, cloud platform solutions, and Ads media services that serve millions of customers resulting in higher revenues for the organization.  Miss Madhuri initiated her talk recollecting a quote by Bill Gates (which he famously gave in a TED talk), “Everybody needs a coach. It doesn’t matter whether you are a basketball player, a tennis player, a gymnast or a bridge player”. We all need people who give feedback to improve. Coaching enables better performance. She narrated her personal anecdote. While she was in a leadership coaching session with a few directors around her, the coach asked how many of them wanted to be CEOs in the next 10 years. Surprisingly, only 20% rose their hands. Later the coach explained, the question was how many WANT to become CEOs. The question wasn’t how many WILL become CEOs. She realized we limit our beliefs; our dreams have to be skyrocketing. We need to aim for the sky and that is where we wish to be. ‘How to reach?’ is the path, do not worry about the path. From then, she was the first to raise up while she was asked similar questions. The reason she believes is the Coaching she has undergone. She has received coaching from leaders, peers, executive coaches.  The shift in the belief and the outlook that a simple coaching conversation can bring about is incomprehensible. Google and the tryst with Coaching She shared key aspects of coaching across organizations including Google. Many organizations aspire to include the culture of coaching in organizations. The complexity increases as organizations scale up. In Google, the approach is with a notion of building a coaching culture amidst an ever-changing business and ever-growing employee population. It’s not enough to develop a culture, it’s important to sustain the culture by developing a coaching mindset and applying coaching skills regularly. She shared some of the learning beliefs of Google that capture how learning is a process and how actually learning happens in real life. Hearing about a successful organization like Google & its learning philosophy was extremely insightful. People are the biggest asset to any organization. Coaching has to be an integral part of an organization for the employees to thrive. Since coaching culture helps people at all levels. They may have excellent vision and bold goals but for the people to achieve them, a coaching culture is necessary. Coaching culture develops bonds between people, establishes open communications, and increases employee engagement. Therefore the implementation of a coaching culture not only helps the individuals but also the organizations to succeed. Coaching for the VUCA World I sense the urgency to deploy Coaching enterprise-wide because it enables dealing with the unknown. The workplace is very volatile. Not everyone possesses the expertise to deal with the VUCA world. The beauty of coaching is we do not need everything to be effective. We have coaches, leaders around who motivate us to deal with the world, clear the mist, bring awareness, and voila! We are not afraid of dealing with the unknown.  As I was listening to Madhuri, all the ideas of how Google furthers its employees to look inward, look outward, and look forward to aspiring and achieving their personal and professional goals, I was appreciating the vision of the leaders at the helm to create such a supportive culture. No doubt, Google innovates at supersonic speed!!! I truly feel that organizations can take a leaf out of Google’s enviable culture that tops up the training with group coaching, executive coaching, and wellbeing initiatives. The reason I say this is because while Organizations want a collaborative culture, they get stuck with back-to-back training programs. A wholesome program that wraps wellness and healing initiatives, team and peer coaching is the need of the hour.  Quoting Google’s philosophy: “We want employees to come to work and thrive at work; not survive at work”.  Miss Madhuri attributes her success to executive coaches as well as her manager and leaders who have shaped her into becoming an impactful leader  Irina Ghose was the second speaker of the session, She is the Executive Director of cloud Solutions, Microsoft India. She has led the Specialist teams for both Azure and MS 365. Irina is a marathon runner, music lover, D&I champion, and won the ‘Inspirational Women Award’ at Microsoft. She is also the founder of MyLittleBit that supports underprivileged girls, Trustee in SonderConnet, the foundation for women entrepreneurs. Coaching: A pivotal element at Microsoft  Miss Irina Ghose explained the timeline of Microsoft starting from Personal Computing, Server Products, Solution Transformation to the final cloud First Mobile First. She explained how the business transformed, the relevance of coaching and why coaching was pivotal for Microsoft. Over the years of transformation, they understood the importance of internal drivers as well as external drives that were changing.  Miss Irina expresses tremendous happiness while sharing how the entire organization transitioned under the leadership of Sathya Nadella. It was a different journey undertaken in every aspect, how he brought a change in things that mattered the most internally and externally to Microsoft. The company focused on becoming customer-centric. The coaching culture was created when Sathya Nadella became the head. They realized that change was necessary not in the talent, but in how existing talent imbibed the culture to create the future. Taking the Fixed mindset across to a Growth mindset was the cultural transition at Microsoft.  Coaching Culture: A culture of Transformation We all have heard, read, and seen the significant shift Satya brought and accelerated Microsoft to the next orbit, the cultural values were streamlined and well embraced by the teams alike. As a young leader, I was baffled at the way this was done at a company with the scale of Microsoft. Irina answers a part of it below: The Managers were the Pivot for Change, who followed a simple philosophy – How can the managers as leaders show up to be a model and lead the way! How can they create a culture of Coaching! How do they achieve it in a manner that the employees feel they are cared for! Coaching culture was driven by business. The coaches/managers must “Create Clarity, Generate Energy, Deliver Success”. A culture of transformation ensued:  This brought in a lot of cultural transformation. For everything that is done this is a story that is shared with customers. From the digital transformation that was talked about, the first pillar while discussing digital transformation is People Centricity, the investment in people.  Coaching later expanded to customers and partners. In the era of the internet world, everyone has access to information. How could the organization, on meeting the customers and partners, create the trust to attract more of them.  Drawing inspiration outside-in. Instead of speaking, a habit of listening has to be inculcated. Thinking about the smallest executable step that should be taken for the next two weeks and as well for a measurable period of time, shows success. Placing many bets and trying many ideas. Sathya Nadella says, “Everyone bets on a lot of ideas. Some make it, some don’t. It’s the law of averages and one who makes it, really count”.  Driving Creativity and Innovation at all levels. This pertains to who people become in the way of taking up the entire journey. They become more inclusive. I was impressed by the vision Microsoft had to embed coaching as a part of the culture. Their program titled “Super Coach Training” paves the way for this grand vision. The motive was to have a definite number of Super coaches in Microsoft worldwide who in turn would become coaches internally and ensure that they help others who like to step into the Coaching arena. Such a supportive, involving, and the progressive system is in place to put Coaching first in an organization.  Lessons from the Journey  The journey of transformation looks beautiful and inspiring but what are the toughest challenges, failures, and learnings? We need to be patient and tolerant of failure. When one is changing the culture towards becoming a coach, managers are still in the dilemma – how to manage a business and hire to ensure coaching drives business. Nobody can be successful on the first go. Leaders must walk the entire journey with them is critically important. They must share their stories of failure and help in setting realistic, timely goals and milestones to measure success.  Which is better for the organization – In-house coaching or external? Miss Irina says, at Microsoft, they adopt both. In-house coaches have perspectives, based on the development that coaching demands. Also, it is important to have an external coach, because they can identify the blind spots with a neutral perspective. In addition to Irina, Madhuri feels the decision is dependent on the situation. What is the starting point for coaching? Miss Madhuri feels coaching is learning for herself; after coaching someone she always walks back with new insights. That is why she motivates all to be coaches. However, for one to be a coach, he/she needs certain experience and expertise. She has set a standard for promotion, which depends on the number of people they have mentored or coached within the organization. Coaching is beyond a leadership activity, anybody can be a coach. If someone has the skill to offer, he/she can share it and help others rise.

‘ We must never become too busy sawing to take time to sharpen the saw ‘ – Dr.STEPHEN R.COVEY. This quote from Dr. Stephen Covey is related to his 7th habit (7 Habits of highly effective people) calls for continuous improvement for everyone. This, according to Covey helps them to be in a better position to manage change, and move in an upward spiral of growth and change. This is very significant for ICF coaches and one of the reasons why ICF mandates 10 hours of mentoring when they come up for renewal. As an ACC, you certainly have the required skills and competencies to shine as a coach. But ICF competencies and requirements to keep upgrading to meet the changing needs. It is just like how coaches want their clients to learn and improve continuously. Sometimes the process becomes too mechanical in the absence of the need for renewal. At Regal Unlimited, we enable that journey. If your ACC Renewal is pending or you need Mentoring support to complete your ICF -ACC Credential. Then we are here to help.

“Coaching competencies complete an HR Leader.” – Regal Unlimited The time has arrived for the HR leaders to focus on coaching initiatives in their organizations. Considering the turbulent changes, traditional developmental interventions are becoming less productive and successful. Executive coaching provides innovative opportunities to enable HR initiatives to be in sync with business vision. Demonstrating mindful presence while engaging a diverse workforce with driving changes makes it incumbent upon HR professionals to develop coaching competencies themselves. Courtesy of the ICF Coaching Conclave 2021, India, we got to hear path-breaking ideas from the industry leaders and professional coaches through power talks and panel discussions. One such discussion impaneled veterans and coaches in the field of human resources. As an aspiring HR professional, on a personal note, I was looking forward to hearing from such an illustrious panel. Dr. Arvind N Agarwal, Partner, Global HR Lead Partners, holds a Ph.D. from IIT Bombay, PGDBA from IIM Ahmedabad, and BSc from IIT Kharagpur. During his illustrious career spanning over four decades across Xerox, Escorts, JCB, and RPG enterprises, Dr. Agarwal has served in Human resources as well as business roles including CEO for 5 years. Dr. Agarwal, MCC from ICF is an Executive coach in leadership & Organisation Development Consultant, based in Mumbai. Miss Carrie Abner is an Association management executive and has over two decades of experience at the International Coaching Federation, Council of State Governments, and International Council for Voluntary Action. As the Vice President of ICF Credentials and Standards, she works on the certification of coach practitioners and ensures a higher standard for professional coaching practice.  RR Nair is a CXO Coach, OD Consultant, and Advisor/Independent Director. Associated with ISB on Leadership programs, a Past President, NHRDN Banglore, CFI fellow, has won National and Lifetime Achievement Awards from NHRD and CNBC-KPMG.  Dr. Arvind initiated his talk by expressing his concern over the active role of HR during times of pandemics all around the globe. Many of the CHROs have worked tremendously in arranging hospital beds, oxygen concentrates, and now they are trying hard to get all of their employees vaccinated. To sustain the continuity of business, HR leaders have continued to fulfill those traditional responsibilities, despite the best of their intentions, they had to see people laid off jobs, cut down the salaries, and strive to meet the ends of the organization. Yet they had to care for people.   In order to recollect my learnings and reflections, allow me to pen down the panel discussion in the Q&A format, as I recollect to the best of my capability:) Why coaching and how can it lead to the success of an organization? ICF defines Coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking, creative process that inspires and maximizes their personal and professional potential. To be a Coach Practitioner, ICF means a person who has completed a minimum of 60 hours of coach-specific training and has been in this role on an ongoing basis.  A manager who uses coaching skills works with subordinates to create awareness and support behavior change. Miss Carrie feels it is possible to use coaching knowledge, approaches, and skills.  What does coaching offer to organizations and HR leaders? According to research by the Human Capital Institute, 77% of human resource practitioners reported that their organizations are in a state of constant change. In search of a complex landscape of the workplace, Organizations need to implement unique strategies to be able to thrive and succeed. Organizations need to engage their employees. Employees need to feel that their ideas and contributions are valued and they are part of the organization. While organizations have a clear vision, they must have an adaptive environment to create capacity for agility and shift in order to respond to changes in the marketplace is more important. Organizations must also promote a culture of Learning and Development at all levels for individual as well as collective success. Organizations need to build trust. For employees to give the best at their work, there has to be trusted among the members of the team as well as in the organization. Transparency, clear communications, relationship building, listening, and respecting are key elements of building trust. Organizations must create space for experimenting to foster innovation. Therefore, a work environment that is safe for employees to try new ideas, to fail, and to learn from the trails for future refinements has to be created. Coaching supports each of these elements and builds a learning environment in the organization.  What is the role of an HR leader in establishing the coaching culture? Integrating coaching skills into human resources. A well-known fact is that HR leaders have varied roles, coaching supports the HR leaders in the conversations they have with the employees and supports them on their growing and development prospects in the organization. Also to provide an inclusive environment for sharing new ideas.  Promoting coaching culture in an organization. Implementation of a successful coaching culture includes 3 modalities of coaching: (a) Internal leaders who provide coaching. (b) External coaches provide coaching within an organization. (c) Leaders who get trained and certified in coaching competencies (preferably ICF) and then integrate coaching skills into the daily routine. Staying informed about the use of resources of coaching in the organization. ICF is a great partner, helping to recognize the importance of ICF credential coaches who have demonstrated higher standards in professional and ethical practice. Accredited ICF’s coach-specific training programs support and sustain the organization’s culture of coaching within the organization.  The panelist also made a mention of Dr. Daniel Goldman who undertook a study whose findings are reported in Harvard Business Review, the year 2000.  Leaders ranked coaching as their least preferred style. But now the world has many reputed coaching institutions which means that the leaders are ready to ask, listen and learn.  CEOs are yet to be equated with the CFOs with the CHROs. CFOs seem to come across as fact-based and as a stronger point of view on financial capital. Coaching competencies to help CHROs to become even more confident to establish the point of view courageously on issues relating to organizations. Quoting the study he surmised that CFOs have a feeling that CHROs are preoccupied with transactional stuff and therefore must invest more time on the transformational agenda. Coaching becomes more relevant in the transformational arena.  The HR function is dramatically transforming. In such times there is a need to avoid the temptations of taking up many initiatives. Rather, focus on the vital few and concentrate upon their execution. Emerging topics like nature of work, the feature of work, the feature of business models are inherently dynamic topics in which HR professionals with research orientation must do an in-depth study with their competencies. As accredited professionals, they must renew their capabilities and support each other with peer coaching.  There is a guaranteed invitation for CHROs and senior HR professionals as they assume a greater, impactful role to fundamentally alter the culture of an organization.  What are the top coaching competencies that are fundamental to HR leaders?  For the uninitiated, ICF as a Coaching body has collated a list of Coaching competencies (well researched and validated), that we ought to master and demonstrate in the CKA and REcording submissions to get ICF Credential.  Answering the question, Miss Carrie Opined Demonstrating ethical practices is a must for HR professionals and they need to be clear with the limits of confidentiality and expectations from the organization. Additionally, the cultivation of trust and safety is a key factor for success. Research shows that companies with high levels of trust outperform those with lower levels of trust by 186%. Active listening is another competency ensuring that both the parties to a conversation are comprehending each other. What are the coaching pitfalls that HR leaders must look out for? The answer to this question resonated with me the most, because as an aspiring HR coaches, we all want to be forewarned and refrain from erring. Mr. Nair in his inimitable style coupled with his immense experience in the industry gave the perfect reply according to me.  As an HR professional and coach, Mr. Nair listed down a few pointers; lack of distinction between what Coaching is and what coaching isn’t, not being clear on the need to maintain confidentiality, focusing only on organizational agenda, unrealistic expectations of coaching outcomes, not knowing the basics of the art and science of coaching process and not continuously upgrading yourself as a Coach (through ICF Renewals, etc.) Each of these points, I believe, are relevant for HR coaches to be wary about. As an HR professional what has to be done to implement the coaching culture in an organization? Mr. Nair recalls the lesson learned from P L Tandon, Chairman, Unilever India, “It is important to grow local talent and local management”. In Unilever, meritocracy helps in creating the learning environment. The management trainees who are coached, assess the significant leaders of the company. Coaching must be a part of the leadership, organisations must constantly equip people with coaching skills to become effective leaders. He feels that Coaching can not be imitated. It has to be unique, customized for the organizational ethos. The answer brought back reflections from my earlier organizational experience where the Coaches were trying to coach the field and create a unique culture instead of just repeating and imitating the successful case studies of Coaching. They gave critical importance to the value External Coaches (professional and certified) add in creating a distinct culture in collaboration with the internal team leaders. How to integrate coaching competencies into the education system? Unfortunately, coaching as a development intervention is not impactful even in specialized HR schools. Therefore, there is a need for the adoption of coaching and development in a broader and deeper perspective as part of the curriculum for HR professionals.  How to leverage on coaching in a startup ecosystem where people choose mentoring over coaching? The level of intensity and time horizon to accomplish is compressed in start-ups. Therefore, a mentor is preferred because he has an experiential background that enables and empowers the team. Since coaching takes a significant amount of time, mentors play multiple roles of being an advisor, transferring their wisdom in particular fields. Hence, mentors are preferred above coaches.

In the medical field, several opportunities for coaching exist. Coaching can help patients overcome the burden of their illness, which could be physical, mental, or financial. Coaching can benefit doctors, nurses, and other staff to cope with the pressures of their job. Caregivers too can benefit from coaching. How can doctors add Coaching to their repertoire? Is it time to include coaching in the medical ecosystem? The following talk by expert coaches and domain experts from Health and Nutrition space highlights the role of Coaching in the Medical Field Venkatadri Ranganathan is the COO, Nutritional Science Business, Tata Chemicals Ltd. MCC (ICF). He has worked for over 30 years across various roles in Hindustan Unilever, Tata chemicals, and Rallis India. Venkatadri is a Mechanical Engineer and PGDM from IIM Lucknow. He is on various committees and advisory boards in CII, IMC, BCCI, CSIR, and Welingkar Management Institute.  Dr. Prithika Chary is a senior Consultant Neurologist and Neurosurgeon, Kauvery Hospital. She had been practicing neurology since 1978. The first and only lady in India to be qualified and practice as both a Neurologist and Neurosurgeon. She initiated comprehensive services for epilepsy in Chennai by starting EPICENTER ( Epilepsy Institute of Centre for Treatment, Training, Research & Education). An NLP Practitioner, life and brain health coach, Dr. Prithika Chary, empowers and enables girls, women, and the economically underprivileged.  Rosarii Mannion is the Global Board Director of the International Coaching Federation. She is a national HR Director, a strategic consulting Partner with global organizations. She aims at maximizing organizational performance, staff engagement and promotes coaching. She has won awards – ICF Ireland Business/ Executive coach of the year and the Legal Island HR Leader of the Year. The chartered Fellow, CIPD, a qualified Mediator, Executive and Conflict Coach, she holds a BA, HDip, MA, and MSc, currently serving as Treasurer on the Professional Coaches Board, ICF Traditionally, Coaching has been effectively used in executive coaching . The nursing staff at hospitals have a lot of disturbing scenes such as injuries, accidents, and even deaths. Particularly during the times of covid, they have seen a lot of unnatural, unusual happenings. Nobody knows what would happen and at what moment. A patient may easily get into depression which could worsen the condition. The nursing staff is the witness to all of it. The greatest challenge for them is to remain mentally balanced and provide assurance to patients, both together at the same time. Coaching is the best way to resolve the mental issues of the doctors/nurses and help them build hope within the patients. Need for coaching in health care Dr. Prithika Chary believed coaching was an important and integral part of health care, long before it professionally became necessary in organizations. Our likes, preferences, and needs of life indeed are dynamic. The evolution of these needs is part of growth, support, and guidance. Coaching, in my opinion, provides all of these. The goals of coaching in healthcare are aimed at clinical outcomes, quality of life for patients and doctors, integration of work and life, enhancements in personal and professional achievements.  The industry of healthcare is very complex and fast-growing with the advancement in technologies. It is uncertain. Each individual is responsible and accountable.  The doctors are involved in the management of the problem, treatment, rehabilitation, prevention, and serving society which is an important aspect of the healthcare industry. While the journey seems adventurous, the challenges involved bring complexity.  The doctors are taught to be autonomous. They cannot wait for others to guide them in times of emergency. They have to make conscious decisions on the spot and get it right every time. A wrong decision can cause loss of life. The staff at hospitals go through a lot of stress, anxiety, mental trauma while they handle patients and their personal lives. A good health and wellness coach according to Dr. Chary is a healthcare professional, who is trained in behavior change, motivational strategies, and communication techniques.  In my limited interactions with the Medical fraternity, I have surmised that some of the staff do not wish to undergo coaching, due to the feeling of knowing everything. The concept of Coaching staff/doctors etc. is not well accepted because the medical field is more tilted towards subject matter expertise and clinical practice. Coaching only helps in becoming better individually. Therefore, the doctors’ community must not resist coaching. It is the suggestion which the speakers provide, to which I equally resonate.  Dr. Rosarii Mannion believes, “Our health Service are equal to Human Services  – provided by PEOPLE, for PEOPLE with PEOPLE. This must reflect in the society we serve”. Coaching is an aligned intervention for doctors and patients. Coaching is immensely valuable for healthcare professionals, organizations and service users. There is substantial evidence that proves if coaching is done in the right manner, the same is reflected onto the patients and even the mortality rate. A real-life example – How Coaching bridges the gap The session then got redirected to personal examples and anecdotes from the lives of speakers. When they say a picture speaks a thousand words, then imagine how much can a real-life anecdote communicate, because a story paints thousands of beautiful pictures. So, allow me to share one such anecdote from the life of Mr. Muthu.  Mr. Muthu has diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia. Despite seeing Dr. James five times a year, he was confused about his six prescriptions and was not making any progress. Dr. James then introduces him to Marry, a health coach. She worked with Mr. Muthu on his life goals, lifestyle, time management, and empowerment. Marry helped build knowledge, skills, tools, and confidence to be an active participant in his care.  Coaching intervention can help in moving from old power to renew power Miss. Rosarii feels because of the generational shift, there will be more of Gen Z coming into the workforce. They have been raised in the era of “New Power” who will be open for coaching. They are progressive, they want to support, engage and perform to the best of their abilities. The picture below describes the attitude of new generations.  Health Coaching supports more Holistic Care Makes participants more confident and assertive. Allows patients, client services to negotiate better. Supports better cultural and emotional intelligence. Allowing the parties to actively participate as part of solution finding to health issues. Foregoing ‘Transactional’ mindset to building positive and open relationships. According to me, the following proverb beautifully sums up the role of coaching – “Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish, you feed him for a lifetime”. Coaching empowers people. It doesn’t directly give a solution, rather co-creates the solution. It builds, enhances the skills to deal with problems that arise in lives and take active ownership. Creating the need for coaching in doctors As I mentioned earlier as well, naturally, doctors are resistant and they do not wish to be coached. But Dr. Prithika opines that doctors undergo copious amounts of stress and they need stress management coaching. When coaching is incorporated as a part of healthcare training, doctors will be able to manage the challenges and strike a balance in work and life integration, when the end of the day brings satisfaction that they have enjoyed the work.  She consciously points out a major threat to doctors – the patients suing in courts. She feels 90% of the cases against doctors are due to poor communication skills. In an attempt, she often takes communication skills coaching to doctors and medical students. Organizations must make sure that they provide the doctors with all that is required to manage their professional and personal lives. They have to move in at the right time and engage doctors to take up coaching. How can coaching professionals help in empowering the patients? There are coaching professionals who are actively involved in interacting and coaching the patients. This practice is prevalent but the patients do not completely believe in a person, who isn’t from medical background coaching them. Therefore, the coaching process must involve medical practitioners who may be senior nurses or knowledgeable pupils who have the authenticity and have gained the faith of the patients, if not the doctors themselves. The coaching has to be done in a defined, continual process from prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, quality of life, and return to personal and professional efficiency.  How can Executive Coaching be aligned with the needs of medical coaching While coaching patients is one game, coaching executives and senior leaders/managers is a different ball game. Miss Rosarii assumes coaching in the Medicare field relates to stress, weight reduction, chronic conditions, whereas Executive coaching pertains to the empowerment of staff who have changing roles, performance enhancement, improved leadership abilities, social skills, etc. Since the relationships and outcomes are different in each case, the way of approach also needs to be different. The recipient of coaching in the medicare field is more accepting and directive. It’s not directional in the case of Executive Coaching. Anyone who wishes to implement coaching into medical organizations must check the certification and accreditation as given by ICF, so as to build trust and credibility in Coaching as a profession.  Counseling vs Coaching – Recommendations to the coach This question by a visitor intrigued me because I have seen the prominence of Counselling and Therapy in the healthcare field rather than ‘ Pure and Classical Coaching ’. The coach must concentrate on empowerment of the patients or medical staff, providing them with appropriate tools & techniques. As a certified coach, who has a code of ethics and has undergone training, no one must venture into areas where they are not properly qualified. It’s part of training, no one mixes counseling and coaching. A coach knows the needs of the client and serves in accordance. In view of Dr. Prathika, the important way to approach the client is by Motivational Interview. Active listening is an important tool that needs focus in healthcare coaching. Both as a Medicare professional and Executive coach, patients need to be encouraged and empowered to be able to listen actively.

“What you have achieved, holds less significance than ‘how’ you have achieved it” – Regal Unlimited  While the accomplishments are celebrated, all the achievers know that the merit was always in the journey and not only in the destination. At Regal Unlimited, we believe that all three are important, the journey, the destination,  and the company that keeps the journey exciting and memorable. “I am a ‘so and so’ Coach.” I am sure this line sounds music to your ears because becoming a ‘coach’ demonstrates mastery of domain expertise. Coaches today are ubiquitous, still, a common query we keep hearing is ‘how can we become an ICF-Coach?’ While the process is quite simple, we find that there is a lack of authentic content around it to simplify and explain the process. In this blog, we will chart out the path to becoming an ICF-ACC Coach. If you are an aspiring coach, leader, professional, and /or business owner who wish to become a professional ICF Coach & bring orbit shift in your professional career, then you are at the right place.  We will be keeping this blog in the Q&A format and answer the seven most frequently asked questions by beginners, aspiring coaches. Brace yourselves for a simple, yet defining #Regal Ride What is coaching? Coaching is a transformation process, a framework that allows an individual to move to their full potential. Coaching aims at maximizing potential and focuses on their personal and professional growth. Improved performance is one of the collateral benefits of coaching.  Coaching takes you from where you are to where you want to be. Coaching is meant to take the client to a more resourceful state. ICF defines Coaching as a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires you  to maximize your potential (Credits: https://coachingfederation.org/ ) Coaching can challenge your self-limiting beliefs, put the spotlight on your strengths, expose your blind spots (and we all have them), and let you shine in the brilliance which you truly deserve. A coach through coaching conversations, holds a mirror for the client so that they can grow, professionally and personally. A professional coach uses the framework of ICF/EMCC, not frameworks based on personal experience.  A coach is also a cheerleader (believing in the client’s potential and cheering for him/her to accomplish it) Coaching, in our opinion, is the most customer-centric profession where the client is a true hero and at the same time have a detached-attached relationship with the client. (Did we start describing who is a ‘good coach’, well it was deliberate to outline the key essentials:)  What is ICF?  We repeated this word ‘ICF’ often in the first answer, here is the explanation.  ICF stands for International Coaching Federation, an authority and gold standard in Coaching and Coach Training across the world. ICF is the largest network of professional coaches with over 40,000 members. ICF is a global brand with an exceptional market standing. ICF promotes the science, the art, and the practice of coaching. ICF invests heavily in research and curates the best practices of coaching so that the coaches can be trained to serve the clients in the best way.  ICF Methodology trains a coach to develop the right attitude, skills, and coaching mindset. The ICF coach training competencies provide an empowering framework to coach and also enhance the credibility of the coach. It is more likely for a client to go for a coach who has an ICF credential than a non-certified/yet-to-be-credentialed one.  Affiliation with an international brand like ICF gives the Coach an edge. ICF members also subscribe to the ICF code of ethics. ICF has designed a rigorous and relevant curriculum for the coaches with a strong focus on the Practice of Coaching as opposed to a purely theoretical approach. Why is it necessary to be an ICF-certified coach?  Irrespective of your knowledge, background, or professional and personal experiences, pure coaching is a different ball game. Coaching is different from mentoring, training, consulting, and therapy (more on this here). Coaching is a process, and like every process, it must have a clearly defined framework to be followed. ICF provides us with a framework to coach. It is backed by years of research and is continuously updated to incorporate the best practices in the profession of coaching from across the globe.  Becoming an ICF member gives the coach the confidence to use the framework, to be a part of the coaches’ network at the local chapters, and beyond. While the process is given preference, ICF defines it as a ‘creative process’ thereby leaving room to accommodate the diverse needs of the clients. Coaching impacts lives, hence a well-validated framework ensures the highest quality of ‘Coaching’ to the clients. We consider it the best way to give the best service to the coachee and client. In the process, the coach also learns and grows.  Your client deserves the best, and credential from ICF ensures that you are the ‘best in Coaching.  What is the difference between certification and credentialing? ICF does not provide the coach training directly, it has approved certain Coach Training institutes to provide the required training hours. The curriculum of which is duly approved by the ICF. Regal Unlimited is one such Coach Training Institute.  After completing the training hours and mentoring, the Coach Training Institute  CERTIFIES the learner-coach as a professional Coach.  But ICF Credentialing requires two more steps, it requires submitting a recording of Coaching Conversation and appearing for the online test conducted by ICF. If only the Coach is found qualified and clears the test, ICF issues the Credentials. In a nutshell, Certification is issued by the Coach Training Institute and Credential is offered by ICF. Certification is a pre-condition for ICF Credential. More on this in question 7: steps to becoming an ICF-ACC Coach. What are the different types of coaching? And do we need separate training?  There are various niches in coaching. Some of the popular ones are; executive coaching, career coaching, life coaching, diet coaching, leadership coaching, and the recent emerging ones are relationship coaching, millennial coaching, etc. These coaching niches are just extensions of ICF coaching. ICF gives you a foundational framework on “How to Coach” Once you master that, one can use it to choose any niche one prefers (based on their area of expertise) There is no need for any separate certification or training after you have earned the ICF certification. You can choose any niche and apply the ICF framework and the process. The ICF certification is Universally applicable (hence the global brand). Pure and classical coaching is just learning the art and science of coaching and applying it as it is. The cherry on the cake is that identifying the coaching niche and building a brand around it, is an integral part of the ICF curriculum at Regal Unlimited.  Why do HR/L& D executives or Agile/Scrum professionals need ICF coaching, training, certification & credential? Professionals in these areas of human resources or technology, agile, scrum, and others, are actually consultants, though they call themselves coaches. There is a lot of coaching happening in bits and pieces, but it is still not pure coaching. The transition from mixed coaching/consulting to pure coaching is an important shift for them. These roles are constantly in touch with the ‘people’ while other tools and techniques motivate the ‘people’ Coaching is proven to touch the core and inspire action. Coaching has become an accepted competency in HR, Agile, and Tech roles because Coaching involves tapping into human potential. Hence the keen interest to pursue ICF professional coaching.  How can I become an ICF-certified coach?  ICF is the gold standard in coaching and is considered to be the best coaching platform in the world. Getting ICF credentials is one of the most important tasks in your coaching Journey. To become an ICF- ACC credential coach one needs to follow the below steps. Step 1: Coach Training Hours It involves 60 hours of coach training which includes both synchronous (minimum 50%) and asynchronous learning. Step 2: Mentor Coaching ICF mandates that a minimum of 10 hours of mentoring is provided as part of the curriculum by the MCC/PCC credentials coaches. Step 3: Coaching Practice The learner is required to clock in at least 100 hours of coaching practice to qualify the required ICF- ACC norms. Step 4: Submission of Recording  It further involves the completion of assignments and coaching conversation recordings of the learner that need to be submitted for the ICF application. One Coaching conversation must be recorded and sent for evaluation to the ICF. Learner-Coach is expected to demonstrate the application of the concepts and coaching competencies in this recording.  Step 5: Appearing for CKA  Lastly, the ICF application and Coaching knowledge assessment (CKA) is an online test conducted by the ICF to evaluate the conceptual understanding of the ICF Framework and Coaching Competencies. Once the learner qualifies the CKA, ICF issues the ACC credential to the learner.  The course completion certificate is issued upon the completion of Step 1,2, 3 (part of 100 hrs), and Step 4 (assignments) by the Coach Training Institute (Regal Unlimited is one such ICF Approved Coach Training institute) After applying for the ICF Membership, Step 4 and 5 can be completed.  We know it looks like a lot of work, but believe us, we got your back! We, at Regal Unlimited support and handhold you throughout this journey of becoming an ICF Coach. We have Master Coach Trainers who are qualified and experienced in the ICF Methodology. We have trained more than 230+ professional coaches and will be excited to manifest your dream of becoming a professional coach too. A lot of our trainers come from the corporate space, with a vision to incorporate coaching in their work, and life. Visit Regal Unlimited , or drop in a query to info@regalunlimited.com

Dear Leader, “We won’t take you back, we only propel you forward in the year.” To be  ‘Regal’  is to be majestic in life (Professionally and Personally) and as we draw curtains to the eventful 2021, we ask you to introspect and envision the transformation and progress in your journey ahead. Presenting a snapshot of our journey with ‘YOU’. Please feel free to watch, read and listen to any of the following resources. ICF India Conclave 2021 was the biggest coaching event of the year. The event was filled with deep insights and experiences from eminent speakers on various topics. you can have a look at some topics by clicking on the button below. For over twenty years, Leon VanderPol has devoted his life to personal development and inner leadership. He is the founder and Managing Director of the Center for Transformational Coaching. Watch his insights from this webinar by clicking below. Listen to an amazing podcast on coaching that can change the mindset of a leader. Subash CV, the master trainer delves deep into how mindsets can be changed, and leaders can be created! Regal Talks is a series of conversations with HR leaders, Coaches, Industry thought leaders to bring out their views. This talk with Siddharth Sathpathy tells us about the importance of storytelling in leadership.

We started the full coaching conversations with the current batch last weekend. We take some time to start the full session practice to prepare the mind to learn and internalize the ICF coaching competencies. Two learners practiced a session as a coach and a coachee. The coachee brought up a real, personal problem that he was facing. He was brave to bring an emotional issue and open to discussing it in the breakout room, in front of others. And that is part of the evolution of the learner coach, like peeling the onion. The coach kept it simple went by the process, keeping aside the wealth of his professional and personal experience. And delivered an excellent coaching conversation. The client was delighted. Later in the day, the coach delivered a great conversation in another breakout room, yet again. If the first one was a fluke, the second attempt was not. (“Nothing is a fluke or a coincidence or an accident”) – The coach is already within us. We just got to get rid of what is not necessary. A sculptor knows the idol was always there. He had to remove the unwanted stone and allow it to emerge in all its glory. – It is also about surrendering to the process, keeping aside all our ego-based cognitive knowledge. – It helps to be curious about the client, empathetic to the client, and the possibility of the conversation. Aspiring coaches who come into our programs should have the coaching mindset. It can not be taught now but should be already there. That mindset manifests in different ways as they start their coach training. Their ability to quickly move into pure coaching conversations, demonstrating the pure and classical coaching competencies, will depend on their level of coaching mindset.

Ajay, an Agile Professional at one of the ‘big four’ corporations has had a stellar career. For the last 12 years, he has successfully led agile teams for product design and development. His track record speaks volumes about his expertise in Agile Methodologies. Off late, the deployment of the projects has been slipping away. In a recent Enterprise-wide Agile intervention, the team, though well equipped, could not deliver the required outcomes. Ajay wondered, where has he gone disarray? Dropped performance, missed targets and stalled projects are a reality in the Agile world. Despite following the Agile process playbook to the letter, what are the agile professionals missing? ICF Coaching Certification: The Missing Piece for Today’s Agile Professionals Agile interventions cannot operate from a ‘problem-solving mindset’ alone, they need a deeper coaching mindset to complete the project holistically. The Agile/Lean space is undergoing a tectonic shift. This shift demands adding behavioral coaching in conjunction with the process coaching of Agile.  Why Are Agile Professionals Pursuing ICF Certification? To win the game, go where the puck is going to be, not where the puck already is… Do you know that less than 1% of the Agile Coaches are ICF-Certified and the industry needs more!!! ICF Coaching Certification is fast becoming a CAPSTONE Certification for Agile/Scrum professionals and Technology Leaders/Consultants. The industry is evolving and so are the learning needs of the leaders, teams, and organizations. Efficient processes + Inspired people = Successful Agile Projects Adequate focus is given to streamlining the processes, tools, and frameworks through Agile Methodologies. But it is the second piece of the equation that is the real game-changer. ICF certification aims to bring back the focus on ‘context’ rather than the hard-hitting ‘content’ alone. ICF Coach Training certification is not just another addition to the list of certifications, it is quickly becoming a sought-after credential in the technology industry, agile/scrum, and project management communities across the globe. Reason 1: Transition from Goals-Centric Coaching to Behavior-Centric Coaching: As Agile Coaches/Professionals, we definitely would have worked with teams and goals. But Agile professionals are realizing that a mere Target – Centric approach might not work with the millennials, cross-functional teams, and remote work styles (after all, they have different needs and motivations) ICF-Certified Professional Coaching ensures that Agile Coaches are probing and positively exploring the behaviors of the team members, understanding the deep-seated beliefs from where behaviors emanate. In essence, Agile Coaches are expected to ‘Coach’ their team members instead of just managing them through instruction-based ‘Process-Coaching’. Coaching co-creates the goals, creates accountability towards the goal, and inspires action (that is non-directive) Coaching attacks the root problem (beliefs – emotions) and not only the symptoms (behaviors) Reason 2: The shift from Agile Coach to ICF Coaching with Agile: There is one question, every Agile professional should be asking oneself: How Can I Differentiate Myself as an Agile Coach? Organizations are waking up to the fact that knowing nuances of ‘Process Coaching’ might not amplify the results for the teams. True, knowing the Agile methodologies, processes and having a good grip on the tools are important to guide Agile and Product Teams. But ‘Process Coaching’ has become a hygiene factor. Unless merged with the Behavioral Coaching that helps in the unwrapping of the beliefs, habits, behaviors of the team members, Process Coaching will yield transactional results. Agile Coaches who are equipped with ‘Coaching Competencies’ of Active Listening, Humble and Appreciative Inquiry, Coaching Presence, Setting Goals, and Evoking Awareness to achieve the desired action will enhance the contribution of Agile Coaches, thereby differentiating them from the crowd. Reason 3: A surge in Industry Demand for ICF Credentialed Agile Coaches: Tech Mammoths like Accenture, TCS, Google have invested their Learning and Development in nurturing the ‘Coaching Culture’ and are demanding the ICF-Credentialed Coaches to lead their Enterprise-level Agile interventions. Especially in Europe and USA, organizations are looking for Coaches who can bring the best of both worlds; the technical expertise of Agile Coaching and the psychological understanding of Coaching team members for behavioural Changes, underpinned by Trust and Empathy. – Shift from Project Manager to Project ‘Coach’ Progressive Organizations have truly transitioned to leading the projects through Project ‘Coaches’ along with Project Managers. Traditional managers would work on managing the resources (men, material, money and machine) while the Project Coaches take a more ‘holistic’ approach and work on aligning the objectives, challenging and supporting the leaders, team members on their beliefs and co-creates positive solutions for the project challenges. Reasons 4: ICF Coaching Certification goes beyond ‘Employment’ ICF Coaching Certification has also become an accepted second-career alternative for the established Agile Coaches. ICF Coaching Certification is a certification of ‘Purpose.’ Coaching, we believe is a true calling. Agile Coaches are investing in this certification to make a bigger impact that goes beyond coaching Agile teammates. Coaching as a second career is a career of fulfilment and satisfaction. Agile Coaching ends with our stint as an Agile Professional, but the ICF-Certified Coaching credential opens up a host of new avenues to continually coach and co-learn individuals, teams, leaders of choice, even beyond the formal terms of employment. Agile Coaches are already looking to enhance their impact, presence and economic value through ICF-Certification. ICF-Certifications welcomes these leaders to explore coaching in various niche areas, like business coaching, relationship coaching, executive coaching, life coaching, etc. depending on their interest and expertise. It truly increases the ‘working-life’ of a professional. Reason 5: Professional Growth + Personal Excellence = Fulfillment The journey of ICF Credential involves a lot of unlearning. The certification challenges all learner Coaches, and to quote the words of a successful Agile Coach; “ICF Credentialing journey involves a lot of self-churning. In the peer-coaching sessions, lots of behavioral inefficiencies (gaps) surface, lots of biases spring up, lots of blind spots start to become visible…” The journey is aimed at personal excellence and based on the mastery of ‘self’ To limit ICF Credential journey to mere ‘Certification’ will be a gross understatement. While Agile Coach Certification polishes your Agile Performance and Leadership skills, ICF Certification with Agile holds the mirror to your true potential as a whole person. Mastering the “Coaching Competencies” has become imperative for Agile Coaches, Scrum Masters, Trainers and technology leaders to galvanize teams, collaborate and inspire the action towards organizational objectives to create the desired impact. How Can You Become an ICF Certified Coach? Go where the puck is going to be… And we truly believe that Agile/Scrum is up for disruption, that will bring back the focus on ‘Coaching the team members for high-performance’ instead of just managing the projects to completion At Regal Unlimited , we are starting an ICF Coach Training & Certification program , exclusively for Agile Leaders, Professionals and Scrum Trainers. A curated program, facilitated by Agile Leaders and Coaches that talk at length about how can Behavioral Coaching be merged with Agile Coaching. Become an ICF Certified Coach now. Write to us at info@regalunlimited.com or contact +91 9451422750

“To win the game, go where the puck is going to be, not where it already is.” The Agile/Scrum/Lean industry is going through a tectonic shift. The increasing focus on merging the ‘ Coaching competencies ’ along with the techniques, tools, and frameworks of Agile Methodology has gained traction, globally. We hosted a panel of Agile Experts and asked them just this one question: How can Agile/Scrum professionals benefit from ICF Certification ? What shifts when an Agile/Scrum/Tech professional pursues ICF Coaching certification and training? A panel of eight experts & trainers answer this question: 1. ICF equips you to lead ‘People’ By Nanda Lankalapalli I was a technologist turned into an Agile Trainer and a Coach. Over the period I realized that working with people requires active listening. Also, I realized that asking the right question is more important than providing solutions to their problems. I took my coaching journey with Regal Unlimited and it made a lot of difference in how I deal with my professional and personal life. I recommend leaders (of any domain/function) to have coaching as a core skill! 2. Coaching embeds resilience in the systems and teams By Jerry Rajamoney Yes, definitely one can benefit from the ICF certification. In today’s VUCA World it’s very important to develop resilience. I believe the coaching skills like active listening, powerful questioning truly help an individual to develop resilience in themselves or in their teams.  3. Professional Coaching is an essential competency in the Agile Coaching and yet the weakest link By Srinath Ramakrishnan Agile Leaders and Agile Coaches would benefit immensely from an ICF Certification. The Agile Coaching Competency Framework of the Agile Coaching Institute talks of Coaching among other essential competencies for an Agile coach. Professional coaching certification for Agile Coaches has gained impetus over the last few years when Agile thought leaders from organizations such as Scrum Alliance and Scrum.Org observed how coaching was the weak link in the jigsaw puzzle of Agile Coaching competencies. For guide-level coach certifications from Scrum Alliance, one is expected to demonstrate professional coaching skills at the ICF-ACC / ICF-PCC level, though the ICF certification is not mandatory. For me, my coaching journey with Regal Unlimited started after completing my Agile coaching training from Lyssa Adkins and Michael Spayd, the gurus of Agile coaching, who recommended an ICF certification to broaden one’s Agile coaching skills.  The training at Regal Unlimited involved significant learning and unlearning and it was a transformational journey for me, both personally and professionally. Having a coaching mindset, practicing active listening and asking insightful questions, exhibiting curiosity, building relationships were some of the competencies I developed after the training. My coaching journey still continues. 4. Coaching changes mindset, creates space for the team, instead of advising/instructing By Anbu joseph One of the responsibilities of being an Agile coach is to work with people to change their mindset towards being agile. Also, as part of the agile coaching framework, professional coaching is one of the core competencies which is mandatory for working with various levels of people in the organization.  5. Coaching unlocks potential of Agile teams Minesh Paulraj One of the responsibilities of being an Agile coach is to work with people to change their mindset towards being agile. Also, as part of the agile coaching framework, professional coaching is one of the core competencies which is mandatory for working with various levels of people in the organization.  6. Coaching helps Agile Teams to deliver faster customer-value By Gaurav Chaturvedi I have a firm belief that ICF certification is beneficial for Agile/Scrum/Tech leaders. Organizations across the globe are transforming for faster value delivery to their customer and one of the key elements for this is self-managed teams and individuals that can independently work up to their potential. Leaders with ICF certifications work with teams and individuals to unleash their potential for being self-sufficient in delivering quick value. 7. Builds connections & steers high-performing teams By Bharat Polagani In my honest opinion, ICF certification benefits every professional, and agile/scrum/tech leaders are not an exception. The additional advantage agile leaders have got is the added opportunity to practice the markers in their job. Agile leaders are called so when they bring out the best in their teams. ICF Coach Training gives the relevant mindset, toolset, and techniques. I truly learned the listening gaps in me after starting the credentials. I genuinely became curious about the stories of others without any judgment. My presence in the space is much more active now. I am peaceful in my dealings and able to reduce the mental chatter during conversations. I clearly see that the level of connection has improved between me and others.  I think this connection is  Making me feel great about myself  It is converting into meaningful partnerships that will take me and others to places. 8. Coaching is bigger & deeper, it goes beyond ‘Agile.’ By Anurag Sharma It asks the question back to Agile/Scrum/Tech leaders, do they really want their clients to create unlimited abundance and fulfillment into life and business or are they happy by enabling the clients to learn agile ways of working. Almost for a decade, I am practicing and mentoring teams on Agile ways of working. And while coaching I always carry the ‘Agile-Agenda’ in mind. This forces me to think whether it’s about me or my client.  How about, I have a competency that will be focused on empowering my client to identify what really matters to them and what they want to achieve, and then through coaching I can nudge them toward discovering and deploying the best possible solution based on their own actions. When I first discovered what actual coaching means, then the shift happened:  ICF defined coaching exceptionally well, “Partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential” While if you look at Agile Coaching from one of the famous authors – Lyssa Adkins “In the context of agile teams, coaching takes on the dual flavor of coaching and mentoring. Yes, you are coaching to help someone reach for the next goal in their life. You are also sharing your agile experiences and ideas as you mentor them, guiding them to use agile well. Coaching and mentoring are entwined for the sake of developing talented agility so that more and better business results arise through agile.” Agile coaching is predominantly agenda-driven and inclines most of the time towards mentoring.  As I started my ICF journey I have a few initial realizations – Coaching is much bigger and deeper, it goes beyond agile – It’s all about my client – Coaching creates deep, lasting transformation for yourself and your clients — so you both can achieve the most ideal results in alignment with your higher purpose.

Life is a Journey It has been over two years since I traveled for work. I took a short trip to Goa to attend the World Dynamic Premiere of their new model, Slavia. (Once an automobile guy, always an auto guy – even if auto finance or “CV”!). A couple of getaways between the waves, with family and dogs to a pet-friendly resort nearby. So, I was looking forward to this retreat for professional coaches at Yelagiri. Hills are always inviting, even though summer.  What is your Podi-Idli?  We left early Bengaluru early morning to avoid the infamous traffic! We decided to meet at Murugan Idli @ Krishnagiri. Idli is one of the most popular breakfasts in the South, hence not what we typically eat out. Murugan is a favorite form of the Divine but not a fancy brand name for a popular restaurant. The restaurant was full of people when we walked in, mostly eating podi idli . We all started with podi idli and vada too. Over the next 30 minutes, we observed podi idli was the most preferred item in the crowded restaurant. Was it the taste, popularity, convenience, or the health quotient of steamed idli? Maybe all of it, and more.  When 7 coaches come together, the conversation has to go beyond the food. The conversation went to “What is your #podidli?”  when John Serrao asked us a classical coaching question: thought-provoking, open-ended and curious. The question lingered throughout the retreat making us reflect on what our USP is as professional coaches.  Back home, while on FB, this came up, an ad for the podi, the powder: “Podi Idli is the ultimate comfort food for most Indian households. It is an amalgamation of the fresh taste of familiar spices, childhood memories, and a whole lotta love!”  Life is a journey… the journey to ‘become a coach’ is as much a transformational one. The climb up the short ghat road, with limited zig-zag, was a quick one. I had got my car serviced and was all set for the drive to the hills. It was great to escape after 2 years of pandemic-related restricted to move.  https://regalunlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/93E06B6D-C625-468E-8937-83AD441BC183.mp4 This beautiful statue of Buddha greeted at the entrance of the property. One of the core coaching competencies of the ICF way to coaching is coaching presence . We build all our coaching presence outside the training and practice. We adopt different practices to strengthen that.  At the lobby, it was this statue of Sant Meerabai. She is all about surrender. We keep reminding ourselves about the need to surrender to the coaching process. Coaching is a transformational process. Hence, deeply spiritual. Mindfulness/meditation and surrender/devotion are all integral to coaching.  Waking up with Nature: For the next three days, I woke up to this sound of Nature… well before the Sunrise. There was no need for an alarm clock. We are all aligned with Nature, but modern living has taken us away from it. Check out the audio clip.  https://regalunlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Yelagiri-Main-Road.m4a Coaching Intensive: We spent 2.5 days reflecting on each of the ICF coaching competencies at the Mastery level. The ICF coaching competencies have so much depth as they unfold in deep exploration and in practice sessions. It was veritable deep dive. We started the coaching intensive setting the intent . Not mere expectations. There was no need to spend time for ice-breakers or introductions, as that was partly achieved around the podi-idli breakfast. We chose to Building on the coaching fundamentals, building a strong practice. Deeper awareness; deepen the ICF CC awareness. How do I bring synchronicity in every aspect of my being (brave, deep!).  Can we get more clarity? Go back to fundamentals. Blend with ICF CC. Absorb as much, and challenge me. To know what not to do. CC 3 partnering at mastery level.  Being a coach. Be open to what will emerge.  Leave a legacy. Thought leadership.  Pivot – what next as a professional coach? All at the mastery level. What does Mastery mean to you in any field? We discussed that in detail. Also, what are the common mistakes, barriers? It is both the art and science, but also beyond. Every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it – Michelangelo. We were there to re-invent the coach in us. The coach after all assumes the client is complete and thus has all the answers. It all starts with self-work, deep work, or self-care. Hence the retreat. We discussed the practical issues we coaches face at various levels of our practice. Mastery is not a mirage. After years of practice, it is about re-inventing the coach in us.  We will remain in touch to build on this and strengthen our coaching muscle.  This is a lifelong journey to learn and grow. Mastery is about coaching from a state of Being. All in the service of our clients. We are blessed to see the transformational shift in our clients through professional coaching. All work and no play… A retreat is not about all the serious discussions in the conference room. It is also about getting out and getting some fresh air, walking around, go for boating, enjoying the drizzle outdoors, and some rock climbing.  It was indeed a deep, spiritual Satsang. We discussed “love” in the context of coaching and religion, with an avid golfer in the room, many discussions beyond the inner game. The rock climber brought her perspectives. The engineer, his passion for touching lives. How the Scale-up coach was partnering with clients to move forward, 5X, 10X. And the biker his perspectives. I was happy to be an impresario curious about the unfolding story… we are all genuinely dancing in the moment. I felt grateful for the role of the impresario.  I got some time to reflect deeply, have some deep conversations with others. We always wanted to do something like this for the coaches’  community. We don’t prioritize self-care, self-compassion, or self-love as much as we should. I spent the entire four days without TV and no social media. The TV remained off throughout the stay. I stayed with my morning rituals. I had to skip the long walks due to knee pain. All physical pains are manifestations of mental/emotional disturbances at energy levels. Wonder what caused the knee pain! I came back with a few good friends and some clarity in my head. #Pivot.   The topic of coaching at the Mastery remained in my thoughts.. hence penned down these reflections. Also discussed Mastery at @Mentza today, 28th March. Check out the recording And the journey continues… – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – —

“Your actions drift to where your Attention goes, and your Attention goes where your Intentions take you! Have the right intention; then attention and necessary action will follow!”  Congrats, if you have completed your ICF-ACC training and are practicing as a Coach. The critical question pressing your mind may be, What next, from here?  “What got you here, will not get you there. Where are you heading to?”  And it is a genuine query to have because while conversing with many ICF-ACC credentialed coaches , we realized that there is an air of ambiguity in the ICF-PCC journey. While the process of becoming an ICF-PCC seems to be clear, the INTENTIONS behind pursuing the same are not well documented! So, we asked a team of ICF-PCC Credentialed Coaches from the Regal Coaches alumni community to share with us insights on the importance & impact of ICF-PCC on their journey as a Coach. The objective of this blog is to put before you, why ICF-ACC coaches pivoted to ICF-PCC.  For us at Regal Unlimited, it is an opportunity to shift from ‘doing’ to ‘being’ a coach. To shift to the realm of art, on a strong foundation of science and process. Thus the client shifts from What to Who… We asked them,  How has ICF-PCC impacted you – professionally & personally. Should ICF-ACC Coaches pivot to ICF-PCC Credential? What do they stand to gain? So, if you are ICF-ACC or have completed ICF Coach Training, then this blog helps you understand the inspiration & intentions with which successful Coaches looked at ICF-PCC ______________________________________________ ICF – PCC is more Experiential & Less Theoretical By PK Narayanan  PCC journey involves looking at the same Core Coaching Competencies in a different way; through a different lens; from a different level. That experience translates itself into our life – both Professional and personal. Since it’s more experiential (less theoretical), the way we approach our Clients changes; the way WE ARE, CHANGES. It was a significant chapter for me in 2016. Though the ICF PCC certification for me started with a professional advancement objective, it ended up serving many purposes – including a change in the way we are, as a Coach. Therefore, I would definitely recommend ICF PCC certifications for ACC Coaches. _______________________________________________ Gain visibility as a Coach By Swaminathan ICF PCC has helped me professionally & personally. Professionally it has supported me to gain more visibility as a Coach. And personally, it has helped me in the transition from state of “Doing” to “Being” _______________________________________________ ICF PCC digs deep – into Mastery By Manoj Keshav Little knowledge is a dangerous thing. If you want to dig a well and find water, then one needs to dig it deep enough. PCC is about mastery of coaching skills and it is only mastery that helps us harvest the fruits of our labor. I strongly recommend ACC to complete their coaching journey with ICF PCC Certification. _______________________________________________ ICF-PCC has been a self-purification exercise By Venkat Narayanan It has considerably changed my behavior, especially my listening skills leading to an enormous improvement in my relationships. I have become more receptive to feedback and considerably less judgmental. The ability to accept things as they are has increased. The focus has now shifted from finding mistakes to finding positives first. ACC helps you deal with WHAT whereas PCC helps deal with the WHO. In the process, it is a self-purification exercise. _______________________________________________ While ICF ACC deals with the ‘WHAT’, ICF-PCC takes you to understand the ‘WHO’ By Vikas Malhotra At an ACC level, we understand the importance of questioning and the various kinds of questions one could use. But it’s still pretty mechanical. We understand the what of the coachee and can coach them accordingly. However, at the ICF – PCC level, we go deeper, into the “who” of the person. The unconscious self of the coachee, where most of their decisions are driven from. That helps make real shifts. Many of our problems need transformation at that level. A shallow level of what needs to be done doesn’t work there. It is for these intrinsic level situations that a PCC works the best. And like I said above, every deep coaching session heals, not only the coachee but the coach themselves. It is a surreal journey. I would highly recommend ACCs to experience this and add depth to their coaching. Having tasted the goodness of coaching, it’ll do a world of good to your coaching by diving deeper and adding this cutting edge to your practice. It’s impacted me hugely. When I started this journey, I thought I was going to learn something. I felt the learning would be at a cognitive level. However, once in the learning journey, I realized it was something much deeper. I started looking at myself, others, and things around me differently. To top it off, the trainers from Regal Unlimited acted as true facilitators, facilitating these shifts within us, helping us look at deeper insights, shifting perspectives, and transforming into a new me. This is a journey, I would highly recommend everyone to go through. It’s not just learning, but something much deeper to experience. _______________________________________________ ICF PCC is a critical factor, considered for Coaching assignments by Corporations By Jay Having a PCC certification is often table stakes to be considered for a coaching assignment by companies. Corporations are looking for ICF PCC Credentialed Coaches for the assignments. There’s also an enormous amount of learning in the journey from an ACC to a PCC. Personally, It’s taught me to be more empathic in all my interactions. __________________________________________________ ICF PCC enables you to be a more Confident Coach By Sriram Sampathkumar The ICF-PCC has impacted me immensely, starting from personal awareness to being able to present myself as a confident professional coach in front of my clients. It has enabled me to be in a position where I am meaningfully helping my clients while at the same time growing myself. _______________________________________________ Why ICF – PCC for Coaches – Conclusion  We began with  – Right Intention propels Right Action. It’s true with ICF-PCC. These successful Coaches from diverse backgrounds converge on one critical element – While ICF ACC might have been a professional necessity, ICF – PCC certification begets a lot of personal development (going deeper into who we are as a COACH and who we are as a BEING) It adds a definitive edge in getting coaching assignments, sharpens the practice and makes a coach more confident and closer to demonstrating mastery.  At Regal Unlimited, we focus on Coaching from the state of “BEING” and fine-tuning the ART of Coaching in our ICF-PCC Coaches so that every Coaching conversation with the clients is at a Mastery Level. Having trained and mentored several ICF aspirants we take pride in nurturing an elite & strong community of 250+ ICF Coaches.  If you are looking for ICF-PCC in India , then partner with the BEST ICF-PCC Certification provider. Regal Unlimited is one such pioneer and the best in the category! We are starting a dedicated cohort for ICF-PCC. This is an online, virtual ICF PCC coach training program at convenient times for professionals! Write to us: info@regalunlimited.com for more details. _______________________________________________ FAQs for why choose ICF – PCC after completing ICF – ACC 1. What is the difference between ICF - ACC & ICF - PCC From 2022, ICF ACC is being referred to as ICF Level 1 & ICF PCC is being referred to as ICF Level 2. At the ACC level, it is about learning to ‘become a coach’. At PCC, it is ‘being a coach’. At ACC, the focus is on the science and process. At PCC, it transcends to the art, on a strong foundation of the process/science. An ICF-PCC Coach is not only able to demonstrate the coaching process – but s/he is able to ‘be’ with the client in entirety At an ACC level, we understand the importance of questioning and the various kinds of questions one could use. The questioning at this level, revolve around addressing the ‘What’ aspect of the Coachee.  ‘What’ aspects deals with the problem/ issue the coachee is facing. Hence, understanding this aspect would enable the coach to partner with the coachee for empowering him/her/them to find solution for the issue at hand.  However, at the ICF – PCC level, we go deeper, into the ‘who’ of the coachee, as well. Tapping into the  unconscious self of the coachee, from where most of their decisions are driven, helps to make real shifts. Be it for partnering with the coachee in understanding the issue or for solution-finding. Many of the problems need transformation at such deeper levels. A shallow level approach to what needs to be done might not work in such cases. It is for these intense level of situations/instances, ICF-PCC works the best. 2. Why should I opt for coach training from the International Coaching Federation? The foremost aspect that should be noted is the credible & global brand name that gets added-value to you and your skill. The training process backed by robust framework helps you evolve as an individual. The course not only grants you an ICF credential but also inculcates in you a proactive and optimistic outlook which helps you make the best of every situation The curriculum of ICF Coach Certification enables you to develop the right attitude, ethics and skills that would help you position yourself in the market The ICF credentialing enhances your credibility factor which in turn ensures customer delight.  The ICF credentialing grants you an entry into an ever-expanding network of coaching professionals wherein you learn from your experience and that of others. Currently there are 50,000+ trained and certified coaches  The process translates into enhanced productivity as the client will find himself/ herself psychologically secure around you The ICF curriculum ensures increased Return on Investment with research showing that globally, clients prefer an ICF credentialed coach over a non-certified coach  Research on Coaching Landscape in India | Regal Unlimited Research | ICF Coaching 3. What are the certification and credentialing requirements for ACC and PCC? On the surface level, the differences lie in the manner in which both the courses are structured- Total commitment: ICF – ACC requires a minimum commitment of 60 hours whereas ICF – PCC requires a minimum commitment of 125 hours Mentoring hours: 10 each for ACC and PCC Coaching Practice: Minimum of 100 hours for ACC, Minimum of 500 hours PCC  Submission to ICF for Performance Evaluation: In the case of ICF – ACC, 1 coaching conversation’s audio recording and transcript needs to be submitted whereas 2 coaching conversation recordings in the case of ICF – PCC Application to ICF and ICF Credentialling Exam remains common for both ICF-ACC and ICF-PCC Credentials. 4. How do I upgrade from ICF - ACC to ICF - PCC? Firstly, you must choose the proper Coach – Training institute. There are a few pointers that will help you choose the best possible training institute which we have covered in another blog . Choosing the institute is a crucial decision to be made as to whom you choose to be a part of your journey. And it is popularly said that the company determines the quality of your journey. So you may consider reading through this blog and can view your decision with a clearer lens. Or else, you can also try experiencing it by becoming a part of our next PCC cohort subject to vacancy 🙂 You will attend our training sessions which will extend to around a total of 125 hours.  If you are already an ICF-ACC, then 100+ hours of peer coaching you have completed during your ACC credentialing stage will be available to you to set off against the total of 500 hours of peer coaching required for PCC credentialing; effectively, you need to do only 400 hours more as against 500 hours. Else, you need to undergo the practice for all the required number of hours. Finally, you need to send 2 recordings of your coaching conversation to ICF for the completion of your credentialing journey along with the assessment and mentoring sessions that are available to you. 5. Why do you need PCC credentialing? Why choose Regal Unlimited? The reasons one should opt for a PCC certification with Regal Unlimited- The ICF – PCC curriculum is designed to embody the coaching mindset and enable the learners to coach the clients from the state of ‘Being’ The curriculum is in alignment with the ICF-PCC Markers and stands to deliver ICF Coaching Competencies in a holistic way by a group of MCC (Master Certified Coaches) Finally, to ensure the learning is endured, a rigorous focus on the ‘practise’ of coaching will be undertaken. An ICF-PCC credentialing requires a minimum of 500 hours of coaching practice. At Regal Unlimited, we aim to provide an ecosystem to the students to practise coaching and complete clocking in the required number of hours. We give due focus on Coaching Practice – adequate practice gets the coach to ‘flow’ in the session and create a phenomenal impact on the clients. Methodical feedback is critical while practicing – and the experienced Mentors/Trainers of Regal Unlimited offer personalised feedback for ICF-PCC coaches The ICF-PCC curriculum stands to deliver at the confluence of Science, Art, and the Practice of coaching By bringing together the best of the elements from research-backed psychology and the eastern philosophies, Regal Unlimited aims to  provide a wholesome learning environment to the students 6. How can I become an ICF PCC? In case you choose to directly get credentialed as a PCC, like every coach training requirement, it starts with choosing the right coach training institute. Once you choose us, you will need to commit to: 125+ hours of Coach training.  Complete the assignments given within the specified time. Complete at least 500 hours of peer coaching  Submit  audio recordings and transcripts of 2 coaching conversations to ICF.  Regal Unlimited will be there at every stage to help you, assess your progress, aid in the submissions, and beyond too. We have a 100% success rate.  Choosing Regal Unlimited as your companion in the journey, might add you as one of our contributors to maintain our success rate. 7. How long is ICF ACC or ICF PCC Credential valid for? 3 years. Post that, you would need to renew your credentials through fulfilling the requirements as per the ICF mandates. You can avail the list of requirements here .

Career Pivot – Corporate Leadership to Professional Coaching:  In 2012, when I decided to  pivot from corporate to entrepreneurship, I thought of becoming a consultant and a functional trainer. The idea was to leverage my two decades of work experience, with all its ups and downs.  Divine Grace, I discovered coaching at INSEAD. I knew this was my calling . Now into my 10th year as an entrepreneur, and having survived :), I am more sure now this is my life purpose. Most of us end up in careers that seemingly  happen  to us. Or  accidental , as many would label it. But when you want to pivot, it is surely a matter of choice. My initial inquiries helped me arrive at the journey of that leg. I was clear on 2 things to ‘Become a Coach’: I will not become a self-styled coach, if at all if there is something like that. Rather go through the difficult route of becoming a ‘professional coach’. Go directly to a PCC, professional certified coach, not ACC or MCC. I wanted to be a professional coach, an executive/leadership coach, with all the necessary ingredients thereof. (As a mentor for coaches, I am more sure of the power of the ingredients – training hours, mentoring hours, coaching practice hours, assignments, recordings with transcript, and CKA. No shortcuts here, just embrace the rigor of the program…  When we make choices with awareness, we don’t go wrong. I still feel that was the best way to start my 2nd innings. To become a coach is a blessing, as we touch lives. For that, it helps to go through the rigor of the journey. Why PCC level training, certification, and ICF credential? One of the first lessons I learned at ICF Assessor training for PCC (ACTP) was PCC did not stand for the perfect certified coach. Perfection is a journey, not a destination. It has to be a journey… ICF framework is based on eight coaching competencies. Personally, it is the science, and process at the ACC level. At the PCC level, we transition to the realm of art, based on the same 8 coaching competencies. The same set of competencies, but deeper. Art also means going beyond the stated objectives (goal behind the goal), partnering at deeper levels, dancing in the moment (listening at all levels), challenging, and tapping into intuition. A new awareness and actions based on that, are the outcomes for the client. Being intuitive is going to be the differentiator for the professional coach, just as for transformational leaders. The business of coaching gets deeper at this stage. The program with @Regal Unlimited gets sufficient focus in this area too. ICF rightly calls this ‘professional’, as the practice gets really professional. While coaching is customer-centric, professional ICF coaching goes into partnering. Not coach-centric, or client-centric. Why Regal? We are into the eighth year of coach training, for aspiring coaches, corporate executives, business owners, and professionals. Our focus is on practice, practice, and practice. We don’t ignore coaching at the cost of business/entrepreneurial skills to deep personal work. Our community of professional coaches, there is nothing comparable to it. This life support system is based on coaching. The community of professional coaches, internal and external. After all, “The journey, destination, and the community are all important”, as the little dragon responded to Panda. Being an ICF PCC helps you to coach at a deeper level. It helps you to tap into the emotions, (limiting) beliefs, biases, and other limiting factors. A professional coach is also trained to be unbiased and non-judgemental. Most importantly, it is a deep journey within for the coach. We start our next ICF-approved Regal Coach Certification for PCC-ICF on July 5th, 2022, at 6 PM IST/GMT+530. To apply, pls write to  info@regalunlimited.com . Conditions apply. Our admission policies are tailored to make your journey truly meaningful. Few seats left. For details, pls visit:  https://regalunlimited.com/icf-approved-pcc-coach-training/