Embracing the Journey: MCC is a Mile Marker

As professional coaches, we often grapple with an internal paradox: the desire to actively help our clients reach their goals versus the seemingly passive act of ‘holding space’ and supporting them to develop and anchor their insights and empowering their voices. In my own journey towards becoming a Master Certified Coach (MCC), I realized that it was not just about saying the words but also embodying the understanding that it’s not my job to get the client to a solution.

The Client-Led Journey

The MCC distinction is more than a certification; it’s a data point or indicator of a coach's ability to foster a space where clients feel truly heard and empowered to hear themselves and listen to their internal wisdom. The shift from being the expert leading a client to a solution, towards being led by the client, can be transformative for both the coach and the client.

This is not to suggest that the coach’s expertise takes a back seat but rather that it informs the coach's use of curiosity to bring forward the client's insights. The coach’s curiosity drives the coaching conversation. The client's insights and awareness determine the client’s actions and, ultimately, the outcomes they are working toward.

A Reflection of Self-Growth

Becoming an MCC-level coach may require less transformation and maybe an expansion of what one already does well, combined with the awareness and development of those micro-skills the coach doesn’t do well or rarely uses. It's about refining those innate skills to shine while also expanding the coach’s capacity to use more of the tools in the toolbox.

Personally, I am transformed with almost every coaching session in which I am the client, the coach, or the observer. I learn something from every conversation: what I want more of, what I want to do less of, and basically, something I need to/want to pay attention to in my own work. This is a testament to the power of coaching; it benefits both the client and the coach as an awareness and insight increasing activity. Our personal evolution is continuous and vital, influenced by how much we're willing to learn about ourselves and remain curious.

I also believe that having the courage to consciously and critically look at our work in service to our learning and development is fundamental to any growth and mastery process. It matters little if we become firefighters, jet pilots, farmers, artists, plumbers, leaders, or entrepreneurs. The simple truth is that in all these professions, becoming masterful requires this journey from “unconscious incompetence to unconscious competence.” That journey needs self-awareness, insight, and the courage to be willing to improve on our craft.

The Mastery of Choice Points

What does it mean to master coaching at this level? It means engaging in a meticulous review of our own work, going over our sessions, assessing our questions for usefulness to the client, exploring different choice points we had, even when we like the question we asked. It’s about asking, "Could I have asked that question differently?" or "What was the degree of partnership that I offered?" and “What would have served my clients insights and self-determination more fully?” It's a commitment to reflect and review our work, recognizing that the path to MCC is paved with the stones of self-awareness and, hopefully, the client's insights, agency, and autonomy.

MCC: A Mile Marker, not a Destination

Getting your MCC is not the endgame; it is a significant milestone, absolutely. Similarly, getting your Ph.D. is not a destination; it’s a starting point for deeper development of understanding. Being a milestone is also a reminder that the journey of mastery is never complete. If you do it well, you will continue to develop and grow your entire life. My bias is that to evolve as a coach and/or a human being means we don’t quit growing but that, in fact, we are perpetually growing, learning, expanding our curiosity, and embracing the new dimensions that each experience brings.

The pursuit of MCC is as much about the credentials as it is about the internal transformation it inspires in us to challenge ourselves to become more compassionate and humble about this idea of expertise. It's about our unwavering commitment to our clients, to our profession, and our own development as coaches. Let us all continue to celebrate each mile marker with the recognition that the journey is where the true magic lies.

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