Putting myself in the position of a Financial Planner, Accountant, Coach, Therapist, or Psychologist who wants to learn more about financial coaching and expand my value add to my clients, where do I start looking for the right course for me?
As a financial coaching artist, practitioner and provider of financial coaching training, I will endeavour to keep my thoughts on the matter as objective as possible. I love learning and am on a continuous quest to learn more about coaching, human behaviour, and financial coaching. In the post, I will share the framework I use to evaluate courses or programs:
- My objective
It is crucial to ask yourself:
- How will this course support your personal development and whom you want to become?
- What is your intention?
- What are your expectations of the course?
- How will the course support you and your stakeholders?
Understanding why you want to enrol for a Financial Coaching course is paramount as you want to be clear that your intention is clear to enable you to apply your full attention to the course.
2. Philosophy
The quality of the financial coaching course will depend on the coaching philosophy’s quality that underpins the coaching model and the integration with the financial planning framework.
As for the financial coaching model or philosophy, it is vital to ensure that it is a well researched and recognised model and that the facilitators have deep knowledge and experience. Also, do some reading and watch some youtube video’s of the philosophy to see if you resonate with the model.
Integrating the coaching model with a financial planning framework like the six steps process is essential, allowing you as a learner to create a language and distinction relating to financial coaching that you can apply in practice.
3. Course Content & Structure
Usually, the provider will supply you with a prospectus that gives you a view of the course’s content and how the course is structured.
Looking at the course content, you will be able to determine if the course will be able to address your expectations, secondly, if there is an integration between coaching and financial planning.
The two most crucial points around the course structure need to include co-hort learning. From personal experience, rich knowledge sharing and integration happens between learners in the class or virtual class. Secondly, there needs to be enough space between sessions to integrate the learning into practice. Coaching is all about integrating a new way of being into the way of delivering financial planning.
If you want to become a credentialed coach or financial coach, do the provider’s courses build your skill and competency to become credentialed as a coach.
Ask what will you have achieved on completion of the program? What skills will you gave learned?
4. Provider
Is the provider reputable?
Is the provider a registered education provider?
Is the provider a registered provider at the Financial Planning Institute?
Is the provider a registered provider at COMENSA or ICF?
What will the social proof of the education be for your clients on completion?
Depending on the type of course you want to do, all these are important. However, if you’re going to venture on a journey to become a credentialed coach, these are essential factors to consider.
5. Facilitators
Do the facilitators have experience in coaching, financial coaching, and financial planning? Preferably a combination.
Suggest you make a shortlist and then set up a call with one of the facilitators and meet them and discuss the course content. This will serve you well as this conversation will indicate that you resonate with the facilitator and how passionate the facilitator is about the content and the future of financial coaching.
6. Professional Bodies
Is the course or program registered at SAQA?
Is the course accredited with Financial Planning Institute?
Is the course registered at COMENSA
Depending on the type, of course, you want to do, all these are important. However, if you’re going to venture on a journey to become a credentialed coach, these are essential factors to consider.
7. References
Still not sure talk to some learners that attended the provider’s courses in the past. With POPI, this is not that easy. However, most providers will have a list of students who gave permission to share their information in such cases.
8. Cost
Lastly, you can look at the cost of the program and the value you will reap on completion of the program.
