Is 2019 the year you will master the ICF Core Competencies?

by | Feb 5, 2019 | ICF Coaching Competencies, ICF Credentials | 0 comments

If mastery feels like too big a concept, perhaps you’d like to take a few steps and begin to move in that direction.

As coaches we can get so busy building our businesses and supporting our clients, that we forget about supporting ourselves in the area of skills development. It’s easy to get into patterns or habits within our coaching and miss opportunities to fully expand into our maximum potential as a coach.

We also may default to certain ways of coaching that focus on a few main competencies and neglect others. If utilized, these forgotten competencies would more strongly benefit and support our clients.

What do you see? Of all the 11 Core Competencies, is there one you would like to gain more mastery in this year?

As a reminder, here they are:

  • Meeting Ethical Guidelines and Professional Standards
  • Establishing the Coaching Agreement
  • Establishing Trust and Intimacy with the Client
  • Coaching Presence
  • Active Listening
  • Powerful Questioning
  • Direct Communication
  • Creating Awareness
  • Designing Actions
  • Planning and Goal Setting
  • Managing Progress and Accountability

We’ve come up with a few ideas and questions to help build capacity for the Core Competencies:

  1. Review the ICF Ethical Guidelines. Also, you may check out the free Ethics training available at coachfederation.org.
  2. Notice when you’re coaching — do you a have a clear agreement with your client for the goal and focus of the session?
  3. What more can you do to build the trust you’ve already created with your clients?
  4. Try out some new ways of preparing for coaching that will help you truly be present with your client.
  5. After each session, take time to reflect on your ability to listen to not only what your client was saying, but also what might have been underneath the words.
  6. During your reflection, notice the questions you asked, and ask yourself, what made them powerful?
  7. Practice direct communication with family and friends. How clear and concise are you in day to day conversations?
  8. Notice at how many levels you are connecting with your clients. Are you able to bring information from previous sessions into the conversation? Do you use your curiosity about what is not being said to help your client make connections?
  9. How comfortable are you ‘not knowing’ what direction the client will take? Take a risk by brainstorming new opportunities and possibilities for action with your clients.
  10. Do you notice your client walking away from sessions with a tangible action plan, or a sense of next steps, or possibility for forward movement? If this is missing, how can you expand your ability to help your client to create a solid plan?
  11. Are you truly able to let go of all responsibility for your clients’ outcomes for their ability to take action? If not, what can you do to help yourself partner with your client while not taking the lead or assuming responsibility.

We hope these ideas might stimulate your thinking and we’d love to hear your thoughts and the actions you’re taking to strengthen the ICF Core Competencies in your coaching.

If you are interested in a deeper conversation around the Core Comps, we’d love to have you join us for the Deeper Conversations CCEU course beginning in March.
Learn more here: Deeper Conversations Coaching

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