ICF or the International Coaching Federation epitomizes the core values of coaching, creating a standard bar for coaches in every niche and detail. With its commitment to empowering coaches across the globe, ICF has very recently upgraded its organizational values.
Following the challenges that the world experienced in 2020 and the imposed uncertainties that still lie ahead in our lives, ICF has revisited its pre-existing values and prioritized the most important core values to the foreground.
Four Pillars of ICF’s Core Values
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) have revised their organizational core values to support and amplify the highest standards of professional coaching. ICF defines these four core values as more than “mere mention on pen and paper.”
These values embody the subsequent standards of professional coaching and empower coaches worldwide. Each of these values represents the ideal reflection of a global leader that the world is currently in desperate need of.
The introduction of these new revitalized core values will make coaching an integral part of this evolving society. It will support people's vision who want to empower this world through coaching.
Exploring the Revitalized ICF Core Values
As mentioned, ICF has introduced four new core values to support the impacts of coaching globally. They include:
- Professionalism
- Collaboration
- Humanity
- Equity
Each of these core values is part of ICF’s “Ethical Principles” that compete with the universal values in the world. These core values are also rendered to unite all the ICF coaches spread worldwide. Coaching aligned with ICF’s core values withholds maximum professional and personal conduct along with the coaches.
Here’s a further breakdown of each of these core values from ICF:
Professionalism
ICF highlights the need to adhere to a stable and professional coaching mindset with the ultimate professional quality that reflects on the responsibility, integrity and competence of the coaching experience.
The value also highlights the importance of a coach staying true and transparent to every statement they make. Also, in empowering clients, ICF emphasizes the importance of personal growth, learning and development.
The value of professionalism also demands supporting the personal and professional development of the students, clients and the other ICF professionals that one interacts with.
Coaches also need to deliver on their commitments, be aware of the ongoing ethical dilemma and respond to them based on ICF’s list of competencies. The core value of professionalism by ICF also highlights the importance of resilience and confidence when faced with challenges during coaching sessions.
Fostering transparency and clear communication related to coaching is also an important part of the values. It also webs in the consistency of action, the portrayal of honesty and courage among the client, and the sessions' coaching.
Collaboration
The second core value worth noting is Collaboration. ICF highlights the importance of social connection and the popularity of community building.
Working with a collaborative approach with the clients supports superior professionalism like no other.
Collaborative coaching promotes the concept of professional coaching by fostering joint creativity and resourcefulness between the client and the coach. It also highlights the importance and need of social diversity to amplify coaching among varying socio-economic classes.
A coach affiliated with ICF should also practice mindfulness with their participation in a collaborative effort, not just with the client.
Besides clients, the collaboration core value by ICF also aligns with the need for cooperation with the other ICF-professionals, clients and the involved sponsors.
Humanity
Jumping on to the third pillar of ICF’s revitalized core values, we have Humanity. Coaching is a supportive and collaborative effort that empowers and improves people’s living. ICF highlights the importance of being humane, kind, respectful and compassionate during coaching sessions with this core value.
ICF highlights that demonstrating humanity means accepting that, as humans, no one is perfect and making mistakes is part of the process. It is important to foster a coaching mindset that understands imperfections as an opportunity to practice self-acceptance.
This also prioritizes the importance of learning every step of the way. People should also be open to others' points of view. Humanity also focuses on the importance of creating authentic relationships with honesty, clarity and transparency.
Self-acceptance of mistakes and owning up to the mistakes is also part of this core value. Being self-aware and accepting fosters a learning attitude for the individual actions instead of being prideful of the achievements.
Fostering a humble and modest attitude about achievements is crucial for this core value. ICF also focuses on cutting out discriminating behavior that boasts superiority. Instead, it highlights the importance of inclusion, dignity and human rights.
Equity
This core value explores to understand the need of others to practice equitable processes for every client, despite their social status, background and other factors.
Practicing equity idealizes the importance of recognizing and respecting the importance of different groups of people in society and their contributions to society.
An ICF-certified coach should also treat every client with equal importance, nurture, care and support, irrespective of their earning background, social status, race or sexuality. Every person should be treated with the same sense of dignity and fairness.
This core value also works for the coach to be self-aware of the systemic patterns of biases that they could integrate into their coaching practices. Eradicating this mindset and approach allows coaches to work with honesty without imbibing any unnecessary pre-existing bias.
Not just to the clients and self, ICF’s equity core value also explores and brings awareness to the importance of social diversity, systemic equality and the ongoing systemic oppression and how coaching can effectively bypass and eradicate that for good.
Conclusion
ICF is a global body that streamlines coaching and the ethics and values that support global coaching standards. Besides their coaching competencies, these revitalized ICF core values for coaching were worth looking into.
At Matrrix, we take pride in providing one-on-one coaching consultations that are aligned with ICF’s core values. All of our certification programs, ACC/PCC/MCC abide by the individual core competencies and values as instructed by ICF.
If you consider a personal coaching consultation or want to enroll in our certification programs, leave us your query at https://www.matrrix.in/contact-us.
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