As you approach 2,500 coaching hours, an important question comes up: should you renew your PCC or go for MCC?
It may be tempting to treat this as a binary choice, but the first step in decision-making isn’t choosing between the available options; it’s understanding what you stand for.
Motivations for mastery
I was recently part of a panel conversation when a guest asked us to share our motivations for doing MCC and convince them it’s worth it (challenging ask, isn’t it? 🙂).
Initially, I gave the practical answers I expected they were looking for:
MCC differentiates you in the coaching market.
Some clients are looking specifically for MCC.
MCC supports you to fully express your unique coaching gifts and evolve as a person.
These are all true, but I also shared something more meaningful. I said that for me, becoming a master coach was an inner journey; the external benefits of the MCC credential came second. I also told them that every coach I meet brings their own essence to this process.
Then Wenije Zhuang, one of the coaches from my Mastery in Coaching program, shifted the discussion with this beautiful response:
“Don’t ask yourself: Why do I need to become an MCC? Ask deeper questions. What kind of coach do I want to become? What kind of human being do I want to become?”
Discovering your why
Ask a hundred people why they want to become an MCC, and you'll get a hundred different answers. What matters is finding the reason that belongs to you. Understanding your deeper why gives you an authentic lens for decision-making.
Wenije started Level 3 training with no intention of applying for MCC. The milestone itself didn’t motivate her.
“Before the journey, I wasn't against becoming an MCC; I simply couldn’t see how the credential connected to the future I wanted to create. My deeper vision is to help people rediscover ways of knowing that go beyond the words, to reconnect with themselves, with others and with the world, through creativity, art, nature and embodied experience.”
Wenije wasn’t chasing prestige or personal gain. Her choice to undertake Level 3 training was based on alignment with her purpose and core values:
“MCC is not just this ultimate goal; it’s a commitment to becoming the coach I can be to serve my vision with greater impact and greater depth. Through this journey, I found myself piece by piece. The credential doesn’t define me, but the learning journey, the discipline, and the standard of excellence behind it will support me to become the practitioner my vision requires me to become.”
What actually changes when you become an MCC?
At PCC level, there is a strong emphasis on techniques, process and structure, and rightly so. We all must grasp foundational coaching skills to ensure we are practicing competently and ethically.
MCC is a different paradigm. It’s when we move beyond structure and rely on our presence and intuition to partner fully with our clients. MCC is about letting go of control and focusing on the who, not the what, of coaching.
What changes is that we gain the freedom to express our true selves in the coaching space.
This paradigm shift is exactly why we may need different questions to get there.
Reframing the questions we ask ourselves
Many PCCs hesitate on the brink of MCC because they are asking themselves:
Am I prepared to put in the work?
What if I don’t have time?
What if I fail?
How will MCC benefit my coaching business?
Under closer examination, we’re assessing risk and reward. We’re making capability judgments and asking, ‘Is going for MCC going to pay off?’ But success and failure are subjective concepts. They say more about our personal standards than the transformative impact of our coaching.
It’s worth noticing the emotions these questions stem from, and whether asking them leaves us feeling empowered or anxious.
Humans instinctively pay attention to perceived threats and rewards. But if we reframe our questions, we can often find far more inspiring motivations to pursue the MCC journey.
What if we asked:
What does becoming an MCC allow me to give?
How could MCC support my growth as a coach so I can serve my clients better?
Will MCC allow me to develop my presence and connect more deeply with people?
Who do I want to be as a person?
These are meaningful questions which tap into our sense of purpose rather than our fears.
You don’t have to decide alone
From an evolutionary perspective, decision-making was never meant to be solitary. Collaboration is an intelligent survival strategy that allows us to combine expertise and avoid isolation.
Other people can be a valuable sounding board for working through our thoughts and desires. That’s why it helps to talk to someone who knows you well when you’re making a big decision. If you’re deciding about the MCC path, why not talk to a mentor coach, supervisor, or a trusted peer?
When I was a PCC, I invested heavily in quality training and surrounded myself with Master Certified coaches who were already modelling the MCC mindset. I learned about MCC coaching from them, but more importantly, I learned to trust myself because they trusted me so deeply. I’m so grateful for how they shaped my coaching career.
Community is something I’m intentionally building for other coaches on the path to mastery. In my Level 3 program, Mastery in Coaching, we learn together and support each other through every stage of the MCC journey. I also host free Q&A sessions where PCC coaches can connect with peers currently on the MCC path, so they can find the same kind of psychological safety and shared experience that helped me trust myself.
Next steps for you
If you feel the pull towards MCC, then I encourage you to sit with this question: What does coaching really mean to you?
That deeper knowing will guide you better than any rational risk-reward list.
If you'd like to untangle this with someone, I'm happy to talk it over on a free discovery call. You can also learn more about my community-based Level 3 ICF-accredited course here, or download the brochure.
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