Mission
The IAC aims to:
- Stand for the continuous development and practice of coaching excellence worldwide.
- Step up to its unique position as a premier global standard for coaching mastery in practice, with a focus on experienced coaches.
- Be an inspirational magnet for governments, organizations, clients, and coaches who want to learn about coaching mastery in practice.
We do this through:
- Adhering to a professional code of ethics.
- Certification for experienced coaches who would like to be recognized for their mastery, regardless of the path(s) they followed to achieve it; support toward mastery and certification for newer coaches.
- Learning agreements to help certified coaches stay fresh and accountable, pathways to support newer coaches, and opportunities to lead and contribute to the development of coaching excellence worldwide.
- Collaboration with other coaching bodies and professions to clarify standards in the marketplace and to become part of the solution for clients, schools and researchers.
- Connection through growth of peer networks, exchange coaching, online communities and resources, linking clients with coaches.
- Building the IAC’s organizational capacity in a way that supports this vision, is in line with our values, and serves the coaching community in a professional manner.
Distinguishing Characteristics of the IAC Certification Standards
Coaches who hold the IAC Certified Coach (IAC-CC) designation are coaching at the most advanced level the coaching profession has to offer. To make good on that claim, the IAC certifies coaches based upon (1) their demonstrated knowledge and awareness of the proficiencies, legal, and ethical standards of coaching, through an online exam, (2) their demonstrated ability to incorporate the IAC Coaching Masteries® into their work with clients through an evaluation of two recorded coaching sessions, and (3) their demonstrated willingness to continue their learning and growth in coaching mastery through the annual submission of personalized learning agreements. These agreements are reviewed regularly to make sure that all IAC Certified Coaches are continuing to embody and to evolve as the highest expression of professional coaching.
In addition to the IAC Certified Coach designation, and to support those seeking that designation, the IAC also offers a Practitioner designation for those coaches who have passed the online exam and have submitted an approved personalized learning agreement. Like the Certified Coach designation, the Practitioner designation is contingent upon the annual filing and review of those learning agreements.