ABOUT WABC CERTIFIED BUSINESS COACH (CBC)

WABC Certified Business Coach (CBC) is a highly respected global credential designed for advanced business coaches who can access a broader and deeper range of WABC business coaching competencies and knowledge and provide a fuller professional offering. Business coaches at this level apply their coaching to more diverse, although largely fixed, agendas that are directly related to business and organizational outcomes. 

Purpose of Credential

CBC:

• Sets global standards for advanced professional business coaches, and clearly identifies these standards for buyers of business coaching
• Provides an independent, robust, transparent assessment process that recognizes appropriate levels of education and continuing professional development for advanced business coaches at this level
• Contributes to the definition, development and self-regulation of the business coaching profession

Type of Credential

CBC is an independent, evidence-based credential that carries re-certification requirements (no prerequisite credential required*). 

*Each WABC credential is intended to be a stand-alone credential, which enables business coaches to pursue the credential that is right for their ambition, professional goals and client needs at any point in their careers.

Granting Institution

CBC is awarded by WABC, headquartered in Canada.

ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES

You are an ideal candidate for CBC if:

• You have some business coaching experience and want to enhance your client services, and
• You’re a senior leader or manager wishing to engage with leadership coaching, or you are moving to a development role within your organization or to freelance work as a business coach, or
• You’re an internal business coach who works beyond the level of manager-as-coach and provides the same level of service expected of external coaches within the confines of your own organization (e.g., coaching to key areas of the organization outside your own line management responsibility), or
• You’re an external business coach who works with clients within limited areas of service, or
• You’re an external consultant wishing to enhance your coaching offer, and
• You have a minimum of 7 years of business and organizational experience.

HOW TO EARN CBC

To earn CBC, you must meet these requirements:

• Pass a screening interview with a WABC Accredited (Level 2 – CBC) program instructor, and
• Meet minimum WABC membership requirements for CBC (currently WABC Affiliate Member^™), and 
• Be a current WABC member in good standing, and
• Successfully complete a WABC Accredited (Level 2 – CBC) program. Completion includes passing a written and performance related assessment.

HOW TO MAINTAIN CBC

To provide ethically sound and expert guidance, professionals in all areas of practice must keep up to date on the latest research and evidence on how to effectively serve their clients’ needs. 

A clear professional development strategy allows business coaches to stay relevant and innovative in providing the best possible expertise to their clients.

As an advanced-level professional credential, you have a few ongoing requirements to maintain your credential that are designed to complement your coaching practice as an opportunity for learning and growth. 

As a CBC, you must:

• Maintain your WABC membership: Join and renew your membership every year to remain in continuously good standing, and
• Re-certify your CBC: Submit and pass your Professional Development Record (PDR) five years from the date you graduate from your WABC Accredited (Level 2 – CBC) program, and every five years after that.

Taking a Sabbatical

Taking a sabbatical during your career may affect your CBC credential.

• If you offer business coaching services during your sabbatical, you will retain your CBC as long as you continue to meet the requirements (see “How to Maintain CBC” above). If you do not meet those requirements, your CBC will be revoked (see “When CBC Can Be Revoked” below).
• If you do not offer business coaching services during your sabbatical, you are no longer eligible for WABC membership. You must resign your membership as specified in the Terms of Membership, and your CBC will be revoked (see “When CBC Can Be Revoked” below).

When CBC Can Be Revoked

CBC can be revoked under certain circumstances. Examples include not meeting the credential verification or re-certification requirements or being cited for a legal or ethical violation. If your CBC credential is revoked, you will no longer be able to use the credential and you must remove all references to it, including logos, from marketing, promotional and other materials in your control (e.g., your website, résumé, signature block, LinkedIn). You must also return your non-refundable certificate to WABC.

HOW TO LIST CBC

The WABC Certified Business Coach (CBC) credential must be listed in a specific way. Please log in to your dashboard for further guidance and access to applicable WABC logos.

Credential Verification

At WABC, we support credible business coaches, and another way we do this and maintain our high standards as a professional association is through our credential verification service. This service requires members who hold academic degrees or professional designations from organizations other than WABC to have those credentials verified by us if they wish to list them in materials that display WABC trademarks (e.g., WABC logo, CBC). For full details, refer to our Credential Verification Policy.