August 5, 2005 - The Business Journal Phoenix

 

With at least 1,000 Arizonans calling themselves executive coaches, the craze is causing concern among industry veterans who insist newcomers should be certified and have at least a minimum level of business experience.

Executive coaches help managers and chief executives on their road to success. Many consultants now call themselves "executive coaches," eager to meet those needs.

"I think leaders are hungry for more meaning," said Katharine Halpin, founder and president of The Halpin Cos. Inc. in Phoenix.

"There is a reason for that craze. It's filling the void. It's lonely at the top. Leaders need that confidential, objective third party who can help them shift their perspective."

But executive coaches should be certified, have some type of business experience and be accepted as a member of a national coaching association, Halpin said.

John McGee, a certified business and executive coach based in Denver, agreed.

"I, along with many people in the industry, am very concerned about the number of people who are starting to call themselves 'coaches,'" said McGee, founder of BusinessSuccessCoach.net.

"It can harm the industry as a whole. We need to self-regulate or else governmental bodies around the country will regulate," he said. "We need to have standards of how you can qualify to be a coach."

McGee is a member of two of the largest coaching associations, the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches and the International Coaching Federation.

Halpin, a member of the ICF, began coaching in 1995 and founded the Arizona ICF chapter in 1996.