A guide to coaching - Coaching and Mindfulness · PDF fileCoach Federation, the leading worldwide professional coaching body. I work with life coaching and professional coaching clients,

enlivenedminds.com © Tim Segaller 1

A guide to coaching

The human situation is extraordinary. We’ve evolved over millions of years into the most intelligent beings in our known universe. Our minds are phenomenally powerful – capable of imagining, creating and realising great wonders in the world. And yet we all have experienced how difficult it can be to use our minds to their greatest effect, for our own good. We often get in our own way, and hijack ourselves into doing things we know aren’t in our best interests. Quite simply, we are all prone to falling short of our greatest potential. Coaching is about enlivening our mind, harnessing its resources and turning them consistently towards our own greatest good, so that we can fulfil our potential, in any and every area of our lives. This guide explains what coaching is, how it works, and some of the fundamental theories of human growth and development underpinning the approach that I use in my coaching work:

Part 1: gives you the essential overview of coaching

Part 2: provides more detailed information on the coaching process and psychological models at play in my coaching approach

Part 1. An essential overview of coaching

What is coaching?

Coaching is about making your life or your career work best for you. It’s about understanding yourself better so that you can take more control. People come to coaching for lots of different reasons:

get clarity on direction in their life or career

become more effective in any area of life

discover inner confidence and motivation

improve communication and relationships

deal more effectively with stress

change career and get work-life balance

Whatever your goals, coaching is about helping you work out what you want, and then taking action to make that happen. Coaching is different from psychotherapy or counselling in its focus on the future: the emphasis is on exploring ways for you to be and do more in your life, rather than healing emotional wounds.

How it will work – the coaching process with me

Step 1 – ‘chemistry’ session: a free ‘chemistry’ session on the phone to sense if we’d like to work with each other. If we decide to go ahead, we’ll agree fees, venue (face to face or phone/Skype), and the number of sessions. (With executive coaching, we can also hold three-way scoping meetings with the sponsor and coachee to identify aims, expectations, parameters and structures for the coaching and reporting on its progress.)

Step 2 – doing the coaching work: Throughout the whole coaching process, and each session, I’ll support you in exploring how to get from where you are now to where you want to be – however big or small that step might be. I’ll do this by focusing totally on you and your whole life/work situation. I’ll listen carefully, reflect back what I hear, and ask questions to find out more – to help you understand yourself and your current situation better, and identify what changes you could make to reach your goals. I’ll help you access the powerful inner resources you already have – encouraging and challenging you to overcome obstacles and take the action you need.


Step 3 – review: Throughout the coaching process, I’ll check in with you to see if the coaching sessions are working for you, and what changes to the process and the coaching relationship you might want to make. Step 4 – achieve your goals and celebrate: Coaching is all about helping people realise their ambitions – so it’s important to celebrate the successes and discoveries you’ll make along the way.

My approach to coaching My coaching integrates several core psychological models of human growth and development: Person-Centred approaches; Transactional Analysis; Neuro-Linguistic Programming; Individual Psychology; Co-active Coaching; Mindfulness; and Tim Galwey’s ‘Inner Game’ approach. Uniting all of these is my fundamental belief that all human beings have an innate tendency towards growth and development when two primary conditions are in place: awareness and compassion. I see it as my job to create these conditions for clients, through a combination of warmth and sensitivity on one hand, and robustness and clear insight on the other. This enables you to relax into the coaching, gain quick insights into yourself, and take courage to get into action. My particular strength is in working intuitively with what's alive for you in the moment - in your mind and body - helping you to access your deeper drives and values - and then to work creatively with them. Fees Fees for my coaching work will be agreed in advance. These can either be at an agreed hourly rate, or for a fixed fee for a set of coaching sessions.

Tim Segaller: professional background

My background is in communications and project management, with 13 years’ experience in the private and not-for-profit sectors. This was after graduating with a First Class degree in Classics at Oxford University. More recently I became naturally drawn towards more interpersonal work, first as a workplace/community mediator, then as a coach. I have completed the Approved Coach Specific Training Hours (ACSTH) component of the requirements for Professional Certified Coach status with the International Coach Federation, the leading worldwide professional coaching body. I work with life coaching and professional coaching clients, and have accumulated more than 450 client coaching hours. My broad professional experience means I am able to work with a wide range of clients. I can add value in the workplace through complementary mindfulness training and conflict resolution services. I also offer a unique and innovative programme of coaching integrated with mindfulness training.

Web: enlivenedminds.com Email: [email protected] Phone: 07866 566496

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“Tim was great at asking questions which challenged my fixed ideas about myself and the future.”


Part 2. In-depth view: coaching process, principles and models Contents 1. What is coaching? 2. Core principles: growth and change through coaching 3. Psychological models used in coaching

a) Person-centred approaches b) Relaxed learning: The Two Selves (Tim Galwey) c) Transactional Analysis – coming to terms with the past d) Mindfulness Based Approaches e) Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)

4. Getting the most out of coaching ‘Scoping’ meeting and chemistry sessions (especially in professional coaching) Coaching preparation questions Wheel of Life Performance awareness appraisal Preparing for each session questions

Appendix: International Coach Federation Code of Ethics

1 What is coaching?

Coaching is a process of self-discovery leading to increased awareness and choice. Its form is a series of conversations in which the coach puts the client’s agenda at the heart, supporting them to move forward in their life. The coach pays the client exquisite attention, showing them a deep respect and belief in their capabilities – assuming strength, not weakness. The coach does this by listening attentively, asking questions to go deeper, and reflecting back what they hear. This leads to growing insight and clarity for the client about themselves and their situation, and how it might be changed to meet their goals and objectives. The coach helps maintain forward momentum through a balance of support and challenge, encouraging the client to move into action. International Coach Federation (ICF) definition: “An ongoing professional relationship that helps people produce extraordinary results in their lives, careers, businesses or organisation. Through the process of coaching, clients deepen their learning, improve their performance and enhance their quality of life. The client chooses the focus of the discussion, while the coach listens and contributes observations and questions. This interaction creates clarity and moves the client into action. Coaching accelerates the client’s progress by providing greater focus and awareness of choice. Coaching concentrates on where clients are now and what they are willing to do to get where they want to be in the future, recognising that results are a matter of the client’s intentions, choices and actions, supported by the coach’s efforts and application of the coaching process.” Coaching is not…

Therapy/counselling: helping people move away from certain problems or general unhappiness, with the assumption often that there are emotional wounds that need diagnosing and healing. Coaches are not trained to do this kind of work. Of course, emotions will often still play a significant role in the coaching process, during which clients may take action that has some kind of healing effect. But the focus in coaching is the solution, not any emotional problems. So the coach assumes that the client is well already, and wants to move forward towards specific goals in their lives.

Consulting: providing advice and expertise to address a specific issue in an organisation

Training: teaching a skill (though modern teaching is increasingly adopting coaching methods)


2. Core principles: growth and change through coaching

a) Core principle of growth The core principle about human growth underlying my approach to coaching is this:

Human beings have an innate tendency towards positive learning and growth when the right conditions are created. The two primary conditions are awareness and compassion.

In the coaching context, the coach creates these two conditions for the client: 1. Awareness. The coach helps the client understand who they are in the context of their life history and current circumstances, and the resulting nature of their thinking, feeling and behaviour. 2. Compassion: The coach demonstrates an unswerving commitment to the client, believing in their capacity to learn, grow and change. Crucially, if the client lacks self-belief, the coach’s job is to help the client create it for themselves. These two fundamental conditions give rise to the possibility of change and choice for the client. Coaching can thus be seen as a mirroring process: showing the client both who they really are right now, and who they could become - in terms of their behaviours, feelings, thinking processes, values, goals, perceptions.

b) Core principles in coaching The core principle above gives rise to three further core principles underpinning the coaching process: i. The client is creative, resourceful and whole The starting point is a belief that clients have all the resources they need to make their life work for them. They do not need to be ‘fixed’, because they’re not broken in the first place. They have vast potential to achieve a great deal, often much more than their current reality. They may want help in tapping into their internal resources, which is where the coach comes in – to provide a setting in which the client can find their own solutions. It’s vital the client comes up with their own answers and solutions as they know themselves better than anyone else does. This doesn’t mean the coach can’t make offerings or suggestions, based on a shared understanding of client’s stated goals and the way they think/feel/behave – but the coach must not be attached to these offerings, as they might not sit well with the client. ii. The coach and client co-design the coaching relationship The first key principle about the client’s innate resourcefulness leads naturally on to the principle of equality and collaboration in the coaching relationship. It is a ‘designed alliance’, in which the coach creates a protective circle around the client and their agenda. Both coach and client give all the power to this relationship, which empowers and sustains the client. In this ‘co-active’ relationship, coach and client have equal but different roles: the client sets the agenda and content, while the coach is a catalyst for change by managing the process. To make this happen, the coach creates the right environment both physically and in terms of the relationship. The key components of this are confidentiality, trust, truth, openness, and spaciousness. This creates a sense of safety balanced with courage so the client can take risks and move forward. Finally, this is a holistic process: the coaching takes in the client’s whole life, as all the decisions people make in different areas of their lives are interconnected. This is the case even when the stated goal of the coaching has a narrow focus.


iii. The coach serves the client In this co-designed relationship of equals – with the client’s agenda and resourcefulness at the heart – the coach serves the client with unswerving commitment and presence. Their role is as a pro-active, committed catalyst for change.

3. Psychological models used in coaching

There are many coaches out there, using many models of human growth and development. The following shows several core psychological models that I use in my coaching.

a) Person-centred approaches Human beings have an ‘actualising tendency’ – an innate movement towards wholeness and growth. This can be damaged or blocked, particularly through childhood experiences, but can be nurtured back into life, though three conditions, that good coaching helps create:

1. Unconditional positive regard – demonstrated by the coach towards the client.

2. Empathic understanding – the coach ‘gets’ the client and hears deeply what they’re saying, and understands and accepts it without judgment. This triggers a process of insight and awareness in the client, with the natural release of their intelligence and resources.

3. Congruence – the client perceives the coach as being real, authentic, and honest – not putting on an act. It’s as if the coach is walking alongside the client in their world, which creates a robust and productive coaching partnership that can provide a balance of support and challenge.

b) Relaxed learning: The Two Selves (Tim Galwey) Learning and growth take place most when we are able to overcome certain old habits of mind. The key condition for this is a calm, concentrated mind, so that unconscious functions work without interference from thoughts. This is about not trying too hard, and a true self-confidence that unlocks energy and potential. This approach recognises that we have two selves: Self 1: The ‘teller’ – the thinking, conscious egoic mind. Self 2: The ‘doer’ – the body and unconscious mind. The key to learning and growth is a healthy relationship between the two. This can be seen in this simple process:

Step 1. Observation of how it is now – just as it is, without judgment. Often Self 1 assigns negative or positive value to an event, which leads to a generalising thinking and labelling process (e.g. ‘I’m no good at drawing’). Often these self-judgements become self-fulfilling prophecies, especially when we have emotional reactions to the judgments, leading us to tense up and try too hard. Letting go of judgements doesn’t mean we should ignore errors, rather we should see them as part of the developing process.

Step 2. Ask yourself to change: Self 1 co-operatively programmes Self 2 with image and feel, exposing it to best practice and role models. Self 2 sees, feels and is aware of what it is doing, and what it might need to do to affect a change. Self 2 then just learns naturally a new way of doing something.

Step 3. Let it happen – trust the body and just give it a chance to respond and learn.

Step 4. Non-judgmental, calm observation – of the results, leading to continuing observation of the process until behaviour is automatic. Lapses in concentration will occur, when the egoic Self 1 is in control – wanting to achieve more and be better than others. But if instead we can let the deeper self take over, we will keep learning and


improving. The paradox here is that if we give up wanting to be better and more than others, than we can relax and learn to be the most that we can be.

c) Mindfulness Based Approaches ‘Mindfulness’ describes a way of paying attention in the present moment to oneself, others, and one’s environment. It’s a direct, intuitive knowing of what we’re doing while we’re doing it. It counteracts the unhelpful human tendency to get stuck on ‘autopilot’ – when our attention is caught up in thoughts, emotions, worries for the future, and memories of the past. Its roots are in ancient practices, but it’s now being used increasingly in the secular world – training people to become more skilled at working with their mental states.

Recent research has shown many benefits from mindfulness. Put simply, it can completely alter the way the brain works – making it more effective, robust and flexible. Specific benefits include:

Less stress – and more resilience as you learn better responses to difficult situations, and to turn off the damaging ‘fight/flight/freeze response’ in your body more of the time.

Clearer mind – increased attention, concentration, and memory enables you to do things better and faster.

Emotional intelligence – as you become aware of what’s going on for you and others, you’re better able to communicate assertively while kindly, and so build healthier relationships.

Creativity – and innovative thinking, due to an ability to hold a wider perspective and think ‘outside the box’.

Decision making – and problem-solving skills, particularly at times of high pressure, as your mind sifts through lots of data more intuitively and efficiently.

Healthy body – an enhanced ability to relax in your mind and body leads to a stronger immune system and alleviates problems like hypertension, heart disease and chronic pain.

More enjoyment – mindfulness isn’t only about alleviating problems, it’s also about finding out what really makes you tick, so you can do more of what gives you pleasure and fulfilment.

For detailed research into the benefits of mindfulness see: http://mindfulnet.org/page4.htm Practising mindfulness can be broken down into a simple three-step process:

Awareness – becoming more aware of your present experience

Being with – learning how to ‘be with’ with your present experience

Choice – having dwelt with your experience, then making wise life choices

d) Transactional Analysis – coming to terms with the past

i) The inheritance of our past In Transactional Analysis (TA), there are five ego states or psychological realities we all move through, or get stuck in, or tend towards too much or too little: Controlling Parent (CP), Nurturing Parent (NP), Adult (A), Adapted Child (AC) and Natural Child (NC). The Child Ego State is made up of archaic relics of our childhood, all the emotions we experienced when little. At birth we start out with basic emotions, like primary colours: fun & affection, anger, sadness and fear. Together they make up the natural child (NC). They gradually develop into more subtle and complex patterns of feelings and behaviour, which become central to our self, defining our behaviour for the rest of our lives. As a result, in certain circumstances we respond automatically from that basic position, feeling at that moment like the child we once were. The natural child can be a healthy state, when we are spontaneous and imaginative. But if over-developed, it becomes the rebellious child, who is selfish and reckless.

http://mindfulnet.org/page4.htm


As we grow up other factors come into play – most of all our parents, who impinge on our consciousness from the beginning. Almost everything the baby does elicits some kind of response from them, which has a profound influence. Usually the mother responds to her baby’s cry with love and comforting behaviour, but sometimes might respond harshly.

ii) How these states show up in our lives (and in coaching) By going over our whole lives, we can see our life in the round: the influences, chains of cause and effect, the connections between events. All of this has given us a unique view of the world. In particular, we see how as little ones we answered two major questions: 1. Am I OK? 2. Are they OK? These become fundamental life positions:

I’m OK, you’re OK Get on with

Optimistic, healthy outlook Balanced relationship

Problem solver

I’m OK, you’re OK Get rid of

Critical and mistrustful, lacks insight into self Anger/frustration

Blames others I’m not OK, you’re OK

Get away from Looks for approval, undervalues self

Inadequacy, guilt, fear Blames self

I’m not OK, you’re not OK Get nowhere with

Often doesn’t bother, beaten before begins Despair, rejection Blames everyone

Similarly, the father might have strict views about not spoiling the child. When this happens – as it will inevitably from time to time even with very loving parents – the child has to learn to cope and defend themselves from the consequences. It’s about learning a strategy to cope with our primal situation.

These adaptations become the nucleus around which the rest of our behaviour grows and develops. This is the adapted child (ac). It can be healthy (co-operative and considerate) or unhealthy (submissive and withdrawn).

Parent ego state: This is when we behave like our parents, who had immeasurable influence on us in early life. This ego state contains all the values we learnt from them – our sense of right and wrong. This state has two sides, which are accessible to us to differing degrees, depending on the way our parents brought us up. The nurturing parent (NP) can be healthy in providing love and comfort, or unhealthy in suffocating the child. The controlling parent (CP) again can be healthy, providing structure in a consistent and fair way, or unhealthy by too much criticism and punishment.


Once we decide on these positions we tend to hold on to them for the rest of our lives. We construct a world which confirms and supports these beliefs and expectations. To a certain extent we need to do this to function (we couldn’t possibly keep updating it at every moment, or we’d never do anything). But this can also lead to making our life a self-fulfilling prophecy. It’s like we act out some kind of life-script or life-plan, even unconsciously engineering situations to ensure that the script comes into play. These are psychological games, which are coping responses or strategies to get our needs met. They kind of work for a while, but are basically dishonest. Characteristics of such games include: repetition, predictability, hidden agenda, switching position, and familiar bad feelings. The games are played at two levels: 1. Social level – where things appear to be open and honest. 2. Psychological level – covert manipulation. Such games eventually cause us to minimise or discount ourselves and others, putting us into a position where we don’t use all the resources available to us. These life script issues can also show up by taking a position on Kahler’s drama triangle (persecutor, victim and rescuer); as ‘gremlins’ - ‘individuals’ inside our heads that produce unwanted inner states; and as assumptions limiting our worlds, and as default working styles. iii) We can choose to change In the adult ego state (A) we can choose to respond rationally rather than react out of a conditioned reflex – and deal with the reality of what is happening in the here and now. We can plan, consider, decide and act – with knowledge and skills available for immediate use – in the process learning something new about ourselves. We can look at our life plan through non-pathological glasses. We can start to take responsibility for our own actions – and realise that we have power to change our situation and ourselves. We can step off the drama triangle and onto the winner’s triangle of voicing vulnerability, being powerful and responding. This is an ‘I’m OK, you’re OK’ dynamic state of authentic living – responding genuinely to the demands of each moment, which is full of possibilities and challenges. It’s hard work: we are likely to resist some of the above truths which may seem illogical, or frightening and threaten our equilibrium. As we start out on this road of change and learning, we may get confused – when fixed boundaries begin to unfreeze. But it can be the beginning of creativity, the anxiety that drives the process of change. This is what Emotional Intelligence (EI) is about: 1. self-awareness - enabling someone to manage their feelings and bounce back from misfortunes, to control impulsiveness, and delay gratification; 2. understanding emotions in others (empathy); 3. relationship management – through understanding and handling emotions. EI allows us to grow because it moves us on from independence to interdependence – maturity and self-acceptance combined with acceptance of others despite their differences, allowing one to relate to others and cooperate with them. iv) Ringing in the changes through coaching Coaching recognises that the client can choose to change by recognising the themes and patterns of their lives – and seeing them for what they are: conditioning. Then, by seeing through this conditioning, they can consciously, freely choose other ways of being and doing – gradually over time. The client may seek to develop within their personal limitations or to stretch or challenge those limitations.


e) Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) NLP is an approach to communication and personal development that sees a connection between the neurological processes (‘neuro’), language (‘linguistic’), and behavioural patterns that have been learned through experience (‘programming’) and can be organized to achieve specific goals in life. It can be particularly effective in ‘creating a vision’ for the future, and anchoring certain key desired states of mind. A key aspect of this is understanding our physical sensations, our emotions, and thinking, which all affect each other. We can start to become more aware of what conditions in our lives lead to different states of mind. From this, we can consciously choose to affect our states, and then to anchor positive and helpful ones by dwelling in them and noticing what is happening in our body, emotions and thinking. NLP also provides a powerful framework for shifting our perceptual positions – i.e. seeing things from different points of view when we feel stuck in a limited perspective. This is particularly helpful when stuck in a conflict situation.

4. Getting the most out of coaching

Coaching is a serious business. After all, it’s about taking a long and hard look at yourself – where you are now, where you want to be, and how you can bridge the gap. This being so, to make coaching work, it’s good to spend some time reflecting on these big questions – before, during and after a series of coaching sessions. This section shows a selection of processes, exercises and reflections I use in my coaching work to help clients prepare for coaching, and get the most from it.

‘Scoping’ meeting and chemistry sessions (especially in professional coaching)

Procedure: where, when, how often, how many sessions, what it will cost

Reporting/reviews/ feedback – to whom and how? Confidentiality.

About you: why coaching and why now…aims/outcomes…part of appraisal/supervision/360 feedback?

Coaching relationship: coaching methods and styles? How can I best support you? What are your best ways of processing and learning? What level of challenge are you comfortable with? How will we address difficulties between us? Do we click…what do you see in me? Are you committed to the coaching process?

What tools should we use:

Performance appraisal – your existing systems and/or fresh – i.e. 360 feedback/stakeholder input (manager, colleagues, direct reports)

Personality assessments: MBTI; DiSC, StrengthsFinder, Kolbe, MAPP, Strong Interest Inventory

‘My’ tools – coaching preparation questions…future self/life purpose…values clarification…job wheel of life…performance appraisal awareness

Coaching preparation questions These questions will help you begin to think about your life now, and your potential goals and outcomes for your coaching. Take some time – perhaps even spread over a few days – to allow the most potent responses to emerge. Jot these down in here, and bring them to your first coaching session.

Why have you decided to seek coaching at this point in your life?

Broadly speaking, how do you feel about your life to date? What do you feel proud or disappointed about? What dreams of yours feel unfulfilled?


What are your values in life?

What makes you come alive?

How would a good friend describe your strengths and areas for development?

What do you find easy in life?

What do you find challenging in life?

Do you have any specific goals you want to work towards in coaching – in any area of your life (e.g. work, lifestyle, social life, relationships, health, etc.)?

How do you feel about your career? Are you getting what you want from your job? If not, what goals might you have, and what experience, skills and knowledge might you need to acquire to get you there?

Knowing yourself and how you operate, how can I as your coach best support you?

How will you know if the coaching has worked for you?

Wheel of Life/Priorities Wheel

Performance awareness appraisal (professional coaching only)

Note below the performance skills and/or qualities your job demands of you and their relative importance both to you and your company. On the right, mark what you consider is your current proficiency level for each skill with an X. Mark where you want to be with an O.

Importance (0-10) Rating (X and O)

Skill or quality To me To company Low High 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Decide what to label the eight sections that together represent your whole life (a snapshot of now). Choose what feels right for you – examples of common options are: physical environment, career, money, health, friends and family, relationships, personal growth, fun and recreation. Score where you are now out of 10 in each section – and mark that on the circle. Which ones do you want to increase? Show your new desired scores on the circle. How might you make these changes?

Priorities version Using the same circle, label the Wheel with eight priorities in work/life. Again, score your sense of satisfaction 0-10. Identify two areas that you want to affect immediately. What actions will you take? When? What support do you need to ensure the actions happen?


Coaching diary: from [date] to [date]

1. Coaching session review: to fill in soon after the coaching session

What did we talk about in this coaching session?

What did I learn about myself, other people, or the world around me?

What actions or further enquiries (if any) did I say I would follow up on, and by when (if that helps)?

Actions By when?

2. Between sessions

You might find it helpful in between our coaching sessions to jot down a few things about how things are going. The following questions might help direct your reflections: * What am I learning about myself? * What am I discovering I’m good at that I didn’t know before? * Any challenges for me? * What am I learning about other people? * What do I really enjoy doing? * What am I learning about how life works?

Actions I took. You can use this space to write about the actions that you said you’d take during the last coaching session. This is not about me ‘checking up’ on you…it’s to help you think about what does and doesn’t help you do the things that you know you really want to do.

Actions – what did I do and what didn’t I do? What did I learn in the process?

Any new things to talk about? Use this space to write about anything else that you might want to talk about in your next coaching session.


Appendix: International Coach Federation Code of Ethics

Part One: Definition of Coaching Section 1: Definitions

Coaching: Coaching is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.

A professional coaching relationship: A professional coaching relationship exists when coaching includes a business agreement or contract that defines the responsibilities of each party.

An ICF Professional Coach: An ICF Professional Coach also agrees to practice the ICF Professional Core Competencies and pledges accountability to the ICF Code of Ethics.

In order to clarify roles in the coaching relationship, it is often necessary to distinguish between the client and the sponsor. In most cases, the client and sponsor are the same person and therefore jointly referred to as the client. For purposes of identification, however, the International Coach Federation defines these roles as follows:

Client: The "client" is the person(s) being coached.

Sponsor: The "sponsor" is the entity (including its representatives) paying for and/or arranging for coaching services to be provided.

In all cases, coaching engagement contracts or agreements should clearly establish the rights, roles, and responsibilities for both the client and sponsor if they are not the same persons. Part Two: The ICF Standards of Ethical Conduct Preamble: ICF Professional Coaches aspire to conduct themselves in a manner that reflects positively upon the coaching profession; are respectful of different approaches to coaching; and recognize that they are also bound by applicable laws and regulations. Section 1: Professional Conduct At Large As a coach: 1) I will not knowingly make any public statement that is untrue or misleading about what I offer as a coach, or make false claims in any written documents relating to the coaching profession or my credentials or the ICF. 2) I will accurately identify my coaching qualifications, expertise, experience, certifications and ICF Credentials. 3) I will recognize and honor the efforts and contributions of others and not misrepresent them as my own. I understand that violating this standard may leave me subject to legal remedy by a third party. 4) I will, at all times, strive to recognize personal issues that may impair, conflict, or interfere with my coaching performance or my professional coaching relationships. Whenever the facts and circumstances necessitate, I will promptly seek professional assistance and determine the action to be taken, including whether it is appropriate to suspend or terminate my coaching relationship(s). 5) I will conduct myself in accordance with the ICF Code of Ethics in all coach training, coach mentoring, and coach supervisory activities. 6) I will conduct and report research with competence, honesty, and within recognized scientific standards and applicable subject guidelines. My research will be carried out with the necessary consent and approval of those involved, and with an approach that will protect participants from any potential harm. All research efforts will be performed in a manner that complies with all the applicable laws of the country in which the research is conducted. 7) I will maintain, store, and dispose of any records created during my coaching business in a manner that promotes confidentiality, security, and privacy, and complies with any applicable laws and agreements 8) I will use ICF member contact information (e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, etc.) only in the manner and to the extent authorized by the ICF. Section 2: Conflicts of Interest As a coach: 9) I will seek to avoid conflicts of interest and potential conflicts of interest and openly disclose any such conflicts. I will offer to remove myself when such a conflict arises.


10) I will disclose to my client and his or her sponsor all anticipated compensation from third parties that I may pay or receive for referrals of that client. 11) I will only barter for services, goods or other non-monetary remuneration when it will not impair the coaching relationship. 12) I will not knowingly take any personal, professional, or monetary advantage or benefit of the coach-client relationship, except by a form of compensation as agreed in the agreement or contract. Section 3: Professional Conduct with Clients As a coach: 13) I will not knowingly mislead or make false claims about what my client or sponsor will receive from the coaching process or from me as the coach. 14) I will not give my prospective clients or sponsors information or advice I know or believe to be misleading or false. 15) I will have clear agreements or contracts with my clients and sponsor(s). I will honor all agreements or contracts made in the context of professional coaching relationships. 16) I will carefully explain and strive to ensure that, prior to or at the initial meeting, my coaching client and sponsor(s) understand the nature of coaching, the nature and limits of confidentiality, financial arrangements, and any other terms of the coaching agreement or contract. 17) I will be responsible for setting clear, appropriate, and culturally sensitive boundaries that govern any physical contact I may have with my clients or sponsors. 18) I will not become sexually intimate with any of my current clients or sponsors. 19) I will respect the client's right to terminate the coaching relationship at any point during the process, subject to the provisions of the agreement or contract. I will be alert to indications that the client is no longer benefiting from our coaching relationship. 20) I will encourage the client or sponsor to make a change if I believe the client or sponsor would be better served by another coach or by another resource. 21) I will suggest my client seek the services of other professionals when deemed necessary or appropriate. Section 4: Confidentiality/Privacy As a coach: 22) I will maintain the strictest levels of confidentiality with all client and sponsor information. I will have a clear agreement or contract before releasing information to another person, unless required by law. 23) I will have a clear agreement upon how coaching information will be exchanged among coach, client, and sponsor. 24) When acting as a trainer of student coaches, I will clarify confidentiality policies with the students. 25) I will have associated coaches and other persons whom I manage in service of my clients and their sponsors in a paid or volunteer capacity make clear agreements or contracts to adhere to the ICF Code of Ethics Part 2, Section 4: Confidentiality/Privacy standards and the entire ICF Code of Ethics to the extent applicable. Part Three: The ICF Pledge of Ethics As an ICF Professional Coach, I acknowledge and agree to honor my ethical and legal obligations to my coaching clients and sponsors, colleagues, and to the public at large. I pledge to comply with the ICF Code of Ethics, and to practice these standards with those whom I coach. If I breach this Pledge of Ethics or any part of the ICF Code of Ethics, I agree that the ICF in its sole discretion may hold me accountable for so doing. I further agree that my accountability to the ICF for any breach may include sanctions, such as loss of my ICF membership and/or my ICF Credentials.

Documents

A guide to coaching - Coaching and Mindfulness · PDF fileCoach Federation, the leading worldwide professional coaching body. I work with life coaching and professional coaching clients,