ICF Core Competency #1: Demonstrates Ethical Practice
Show Notes
DEFINITION: Understands and consistently applies coaching ethics and standards of coaching.
- Demonstrates personal integrity and honesty in interactions with clients, sponsors and relevant stakeholders
- Is sensitive to clients' identity, environment, experiences, values and beliefs
- Uses language appropriate and respectful to clients, sponsors and relevant stakeholders
- Abides by the ICF Code of Ethics and upholds the Core Values
- Maintains confidentiality with client information per stakeholder agreements and pertinent laws
- Maintains the distinctions between coaching, consulting, psychotherapy and other support professions
- Refers clients to other support professionals, as appropriate
Three ways to demonstrate an ethical practice:
- Focus on self: how much of yourself do you want to bring into the coach/client relationship? What is your level of honesty, professionalism, and integrity? How are you showing up as a coach? How are you honoring others' identities as a coach?
- Focus on the relationship: how are you showing empathy, care, and nurturing the coach/client relationship? How can you be sure you are honoring the identities of the client? How are you nurturing the relationship?
- Follow the system: believe in the structure, policies, and competencies of ICF. Coach the person; not the problem. T to the P (Trust the Process)
Resources:
Questions to reflect on as a coach:
- How might your identities impact your coach/client relationship?
- What will you do if your identities/experiences are blocking you from being your best coach self?
- How do you create a space for a client to share their identities?
- What curious questions have you used when building the client relationship?
- How do you seek help as a coach?
- How are you better understanding/growing within the ICF system?
- How are you setting up your coaching practice in an ethical way? (e.g. parent/sponsor for coaching)
- How are you keeping things confidential?
Plus encourage your clients to ask you questions during the exploration session:
- What curious questions do you have for me?
- What can I share about my experience?
- What would you like to know about my coaching practice?
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What ways are you thinking about ethics as a coach? Tell us about it!
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