CTI CERTIFICATION
TIPS & ADVICE*
*It’s just that, tips from a coach-in-CPCC-training
What to expect…
Breaking down the program into its 10 elements
1. Participate in 'Pod Calls’
The heart of CTI’s Certification program. Once your application to the program is accepted and you nominate your preferred day / time of your calls, you are placed in a ‘pod’ with eight other students lead by a CTI Certification Program Leader (CPL) who will guide you through the 6 month program.
You meet fortnightly online (via Zoom, previously via phone) to a different topic each session. Prior to the program you will receive a calendar detailing the dates and topics in advance.
One of my pod peers initiated a Happy Hour meet-and-greet prior to our first pod which was very helpful in breaking the ice, and I believe contributed to us being able to connect earlier in the program.
2. Study & homework
Leading into the program, and in advance of each weekly session, you’ll be required to carry out preliminary study and homework to deepening your understanding of the Co-Active model from different perspectives.
Content is delivered via CTI’s online platform and might include chapters from the “Co-Active Coaching” handbook, additional articles, audio recordings of sample coaching sessions (and discussions into the coach’s technique) and online discussions to participate in with your Pod peers.
It is an assessment requirement to complete all of these homework tasks in advance of each weekly Pod Call.
3. Participate in supervised group coaching
Held at the same time as your Pod Calls, but the alternate week of the fortnight, for the first third of your program. Your pod will be split up by CTI into smaller groups to meet every other week for 1:1 coaching of your pod peers, in the presence of a CTI Group Supervision Coach.
These sessions are super helpful, and a chance to break down the conceptual learning into techniques and to ask really detailed questions about the model.
4. Participate in triad group coaching
After you’ve spent the first third of your program in Group Supervision, you spend the allotted time for the remainder of the program coaching with your pod peers in triads. One person is the Coach, the second the Coachee and the third plays the role of the Observer.
5. Participate in individual supervised coaching
The Individual Supervision component of the program is 6 x 1hr sessions with a Co-Active Coach nominated by CTI where you both evaluate your coaching according to an assessment framework. Held monthly across the entire duration of the program, you have one coach for the first three months, and a second coach for the final three months.
Each month you are expected to send a 20 - 30 minute audio recording - an except of a recent coaching session with one of your clients (preferably the same one). When you meet together online you will listen to the session, discuss and evaluate together.
6. Coach paying clients
Coaching paying clients throughout the program allows you to study real-life client scenarios, practise techniques, identify where you can learn and explore ‘pure’ CTI coaching.
The program requires that you must five paying clients throughout the entirety of the program. One client might finish with you and another commence, but at any time you must have no less than five clients (you may certainly have more) and they must be ongoing - which CTI defines as meeting for a minimum of one hour per month.
7. Be coached
Meeting with a coach who has successfully gone through the Certification process and is ICF credentialed (at PCC or MCC level) is a hugely beneficial part of the program. Not only do you gain direct access to someone who has walked in your shoes before, but you get first hand experience of six months of continuous coaching.
It’s your responsibility to find and coach of your choice prior to the program (CTI permits you to change this coach at any point) and schedule a minimum of one hour per month for the six month program duration.
8. Additional coaching sessions
The minimum amount of coaching built into CTI’s Certification program is 35 hours (5 clients x 6hrs each, plus 1 mentor coach x 6hrs).
To successfully achieve CPCC you will need to reach 100 hours. This means you will need to make up the difference. Ways to bump up your coaching hours include meeting with your coach for longer/more frequently, run extended Discovery sessions (1hr +), coach your clients for longer/more frequently, do some pro bono or barter coaching (capped at 15hrs, or 25hrs during Covid).
9. Deepen your understanding of Co-Active coaching
CTI’s online hub for Certification students is a rich resource for your during the program. It features over 20 audio recordings of discussions between practising coaches and Certification students, many of whom are asking questions you might yourself have.
Not compulsory, certainly worthwhile.
10. Sit the oral exam
I haven’t yet done this, but stay tuned for tips after I have!
And now for the advice…
10 tips to get the most out of the program
Choose your personal coach wisely. Similar to conducting a Discovery Session with a new client, I suggest preparing some key questions, but mainly on focusing on checking for connection, or a good chemistry fit. I recommend seeking out a coach who is familiar with and committed to the Co-Active model - perhaps a Front of Room Leader (FRL) or a Certification Program Leader (CPL). You may want to also look for a coach who uses / engages with the Co-Active model in a way that would be relevant to the area you would like to end up in. For example, I coach leaders in global workplaces and so I sought out someone who understands the issues leaders in organisations typically face, wasn’t too ‘woo woo’, didn’t use coaching jargon, was generous, had a big bleeding heart, and generally stood powerfully for client success. The kind of coach I want to show up as, really.
Use your CPL as a resource. I have leant on my CPL on a few occasions where I didn’t really know where else to go. And I’m so glad I did. On one occasion I asked her to direct me to somewhere I could get answers, and on another occasion she provided brief coaching on a topic that had come up in my individual supervision. My understanding is that this support is unpaid and outside of their responsibilities, so I suggest taking this advice with that awareness in mind.
Where possible, clear your schedule of anything unnecessary for the six month program duration. Obviously its pretty hard to move your kids out of home if they are very young (also, kids are cute), but having more spare time than usual allowed for a rich experience - I had a little more time to read, listen to the audios and to reflect.
Set up a structure to reflect and deepen your learning. I’m half-way through Certification as I write this, and wish I had’ve bought a journal and blocked out 15 - 30 minutes after each of the above activities to write and reflect, i.e to ask myself what I learned, what I did well and how I’d do it differently next time. Every encounter in Certification provides an opportunity to deepen your learning and forward your progress as a coach.
Lean into your values. One of my core values is Joy, and I put this value of mine front and centre during the program. A “JOY” post-it note on my computer reminded me to stay connected to what was important to me, and enabled me to show up lightly, have fun and relax into the program.
Organise to have a friend or partner close by after your first Individual Supervision. It can be brutally confronting. It’s SO worth it, but you may need a hug afterwards.
I wish I had’ve arranged to start onboarding my five clients after I started the program. Your pod calls commence with content related to Designing The Alliance - good to revisit before you have your Discovery Session with your clients.
Your pod peers provide an opportunity to share your Certification experience with eight other people in similar situations as yours. It’s pretty cool to be able to lean on them, vent your frustrations, discuss your struggles and celebrate your wins. I’ve heard of the following initiatives - staying online after group calls have finished, meeting weekly via Zoom for a seperate catchup or engaging in chat via WhatsApp / Facebook / email.
Set up a professional email if you don’t already have one. I’m so glad I had my domain, website and email set up before I started. It meant I used the same email address for communicating with my clients, CTI and my Pod peers. Keep it simple.
Commit to experimenting and exploring the techniques and tools that you don’t yet feel comfortable using. As the mid-way point to the course approached, I realised that I was still playing it a bit safe when coaching my clients and pod mates, and also that I wouldn’t have the same level of support the course provides, were I to try and experiment after the course was over. Leave your perfectionist self behind when you start this course, and enjoy the ride. Six months will fly by so quickly!