Coaching Through It

DEFINITION: Partners with the client to transform learning and insight into action. Promotes client autonomy in the coaching process.

1. Works with the client to integrate new awareness, insight or learning into their worldview and behaviors
2. Partners with the client to design goals, actions and accountability measures that integrate and expand new learning
3. Acknowledges and supports client autonomy in the design of goals, actions and methods of accountability
4. Supports the client in identifying potential results or learning from identified action steps 
5. Invites the client to consider how to move forward, including resources, support and potential barriers
6. Partners with the client to summarize learning and insight within or between sessions
7. Celebrates the client's progress and successes
8. Partners with the client to close the session 

WATCH: Janet M.Harvey, MCC & Mentor Coach discusses ICF Competency 8. Facilitates Client Growth 

READ: 8 ICF Core Competencies (Updated) + PDF

• Need to make this an everyday behavior – beyond coaching
• Clients can be a partners & should be partners in this practice
• Insight can be the compass for the agreed upon outcome
• “Be useful, not helpful”
• Be a catilizer and not a solutionist
• Move outside the single situation

Questions for Coaches:

• What ways do you check your own coaching assumptions?
• What outcomes have your clients had from coaching?
• What are the metrics that matter? How do you get clients to define their own?
• How do you define success with coaching?
• What ways do you engage your clients to define their own growth?
• What do you hope your client walks away from coaching with? (cope without you)
• What skills or strategies do you think of for autonomy?
• How are you getting comfortable testing assumptions?
• How do you celebrate and close out coaching with your clients?
• ASK A CLIENT:
  • What changes are you going to make?
  • What did you learn from today’s session?
  • What are your next steps?

RESOURCE: 

• Partners podcast
• Mentor Coaching
• Find a Coach - ICF Credential Coach Finder Directory
• Hiring Tips when looking for a coach
• Want to be a coach? ICF's Resource: https://becomea.coach/ 

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What ways do you facilitate growth with your coaching clients? Share how you help others learn and grow beyond "the checklist" for development:

• Follow the pod on Twitter: @CoachingThruIt & Instagram: @CoachingThruIt
• Email us at: [email protected] 
• Connect to the hosts: @laurapasquini & @julieclarsen

Music credit: The song reCreation by airtone has been remixed under a CC-BY license. 

DEFINITION: Facilitates client insight and learning by using tools and techniques such as powerful questioning, silence, metaphor or analogy.

1. Considers client experience when deciding what might be most useful 
2. Challenges the client as a way to evoke awareness or insight 
3. Asks questions about the client, such as their way of thinking, values, needs, wants and beliefs 
4. Asks questions that help the client explore beyond current thinking
5. Invites the client to share more about their experience in the moment
6. Notices what is working to enhance client progress
7. Adjusts the coaching approach in response to the client's needs
8. Helps the client identify factors that influence current and future patterns of behavior, thinking or emotion
9. Invites the client to generate ideas about how they can move forward and what they are willing or able to do
10. Supports the client in reframing perspectives
11. Shares observations, insights and feelings, without attachment, that have the potential to create new learning for the client 

WATCH: ICF Core Competency 7: Evokes Awareness with Giuseppe Totino, MCC
READ: 8 ICF Core Competencies (Updated) + PDF

• Asking the question: this would be to go deeper for the client to process 
• Shares Observations & Noticing: without any attachment
• Silence: hold the space to allow their thoughts, feelings, and emotions to get to completion

Questions

• What sort of questions do you ask without any attachment?
• What ways do you encourage the client to make their own choices?
• What stories are you telling yourself?
• What’s one way you could move this forward?
• What words or patterns are you noticing about your clients?
• How do you "sit back" as a coach to notice?
• What ways do you present thoughts without attachment?
• What way do you let go of your own ego, as a coach?
• What does “good” coaching look like for you?
• What possibilities do you offer your clients
• ASK A CLIENT: 
  • What if… ?
  • What are you taking away from this session?
  • What actions do you want to take from this?
  • What’s one way to move this forward?

RESOURCE: ICF Converge Conference

TOOLS: Limiting Beliefs (Coaching Exercises)

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How are you evoking a response, dear coach? Tell us about it:

• Follow the pod on Twitter: @CoachingThruIt & Instagram: @CoachingThruIt
• Email us at: [email protected] 
• Connect to the hosts: @laurapasquini & @julieclarsen

Music credit: The song reCreation by airtone has been remixed under a CC-BY license. 

DEFINITION: Focuses on what the client is and is not saying to fully understand what is being communicated in the context of the client systems and to support client self-expression.

1. Considers the client’s context, identity, environment, experiences, values and beliefs to enhance understanding of what the client is communicating
2. Reflects or summarizes what the client communicated to ensure clarity and understanding
3. Recognizes and inquires when there is more to what the client is communicating
4. Notices, acknowledges and explores the client's emotions, energy shifts, non-verbal cues or other behaviors
5. Integrates the client's words, tone of voice and body language to determine the full meaning of what is being communicated
6. Notices trends in the client's behaviors and emotions across sessions to discern themes and patterns 

WATCH: Sackeena Gordon-Jones, MCC
READ: ICF Core Competency 6: Listens Actively

• Hear clients and having clients feel heard
• If we don’t hear them it’s impossible to help them gain clarity
• Not hear for our sake as a coach, but to help the client hear themselves
• Difference between old competency “active listening” and new
  • New focuses on the verb
  • Speaks to the “being and the doing” of the coach
  • Part of what we give is listening – with all senses
• Listening "to the whole person" -- what the client is saying, not saying, etc. 
• What is the coach noticing and observing, and how are they reflecting it back to the client?
  • When the words of a client may not align with their tone, body language, expressions, etc. 
• Crafting questions based on the observations of your listening e.g. “I’m noticing…"

Questions:

• How do you help your client hear themselves?
• What ways do you make your clients feel heard?
• How do you exist or “be” a coach?
• What does active listening mean to you now?
• How do your clients respond to what you share?
• Can you think of a time when you were not actively listening?
• What ways do you listen to the whole client? E.g. body, non-verbals, context
• How do you listen from the client’s perspective? (empathetic listening)
• What do you notice or observe with clients? (to disrupt a client’s thinking)
• What ways do you take pause to listen better?

Book: The Listening Path by Julie Cameron
Review: Emotional Intelligence

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What ways are you listening actively? Say more... without a checklist at:

• Follow the pod on Twitter: @CoachingThruIt & Instagram: @CoachingThruIt
• Email us at: [email protected] 
• Connect to the hosts: @laurapasquini & @julieclarsen

Music credit: The song reCreation by airtone has been remixed under a CC-BY license. 

DEFINITION: Is fully conscious and present with the client, employing a style that is open, flexible, grounded and confident.

1. Remains focused, observant, empathetic and responsive to the client
2. Demonstrates curiosity during the coaching process
3. Manages one’s emotions to stay present with the client
4. Demonstrates confidence in working with strong client emotions during the coaching process
5. Is comfortable working in a space of not knowing
6. Creates or allows space for silence, pause or reflection

WATCH: Pamela Richarde, MCC
READ: ICF Core Competency 5: Maintains Presence 

• Season 1 Episode #4: All the Feels in Coaching + Storytelling
• Makes coaching unique, key to the profession
• More action-oriented -- all new core comps start with verbs: “Invites another human being to emerge”
• Ability to notice what is going on with the client – when they have an “aha” or a realization
• Big thing: allowing it to be okay to not know as a coach
  • Be curious
  • Not giving suggestions, holding space for for the client to discover a way forward
  • Poor presence: too fast to reaching a solution
  • Give enough space between and get comfortable with silence
  • Avoiding the co-gestions -- not telling what to do in the form of a question

Questions:

• What ways do you bring care into your coaching?
• How do you invite your clients to emerge?
• What ways do you show confidence in your questions?
• How do you step into the “not knowing” space?
• What ways do you flex your curiosity muscle? (avoid the checklist or framework)
• What does silence look like in your coaching sessions?

Books

• Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters by Priya Parker
• Own the Room: Discover Your Signature Voice to Master Your Leadership Presence by Amy Jen Su & Muriel Wilkins
• HBR Article: The Leader You Want to Be by Amy Jen Su

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How are you thinking about your coaching presence? Tell us about it!

• Follow the pod on Twitter: @CoachingThruIt & Instagram: @CoachingThruIt
• Email us at: [email protected] 
• Connect to the hosts: @laurapasquini & @julieclarsen

Music credit: The song reCreation by airtone has been remixed under a CC-BY license. 

DEFINITION: Partners with the client to create a safe, supportive environment that allows the

client to share freely. Maintains a relationship of mutual respect and trust.

1. Seeks to understand the client within their context which may include their identity, environment, experiences, values and beliefs 
2. Demonstrates respect for the client’s identity, perceptions, style and language and adapts one's coaching to the client 
3. Acknowledges and respects the client's unique talents, insights and work in the coaching process 
4. Shows support, empathy and concern for the client 
5. Acknowledges and supports the client’s expression of feelings, perceptions, concerns, beliefs and suggestions 
6. Demonstrates openness and transparency as a way to display vulnerability and build trust with the client

WATCH: Osama Al-Mosa, MCC
READ: ICF Core Competency 4: Cultivates Trust and Safety

• The focus is more on safety -- psychological safety
• The relationship doesn’t have a negative impact on self-image, no judgment, risk free. Psychological safety.
• Trust: the coach is going to do things in my best interest. 
• Ultimate atmosphere for the client, allows going inward. 
• Coach becomes a partner - What is a partner?
• Coach “doesn’t have a stake in the game” – is this true? 
• Demonstrated well, you can understand the client in their own context

Questions:

• What ways do you earn trust with your clients?
• How do you build psychological safety? 
• What tips do you have for doing this? 
• Have you ever had to re-establish safety and trust? If so, how?
• How is this a core piece of coaching? 
• The tension between curiosity vs. questioning to make a point
• What ways do you stay curious? (unbiased)
• How do you avoid consulting and advising with clients?
• How do you move clients away from “ticking the box”? 

Resources:

• Psychological Safety - Amy Edmondson
• Rachel Botsman - Trust & Rethink Moments Podcast
• Do your own work! Learn & get perspective on your own identity and others

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Do you have a 90s 1-hit-wonder playlist we should listen to? Share that and how you are earning trust with your coaching clients.

• Follow the pod on Twitter: @CoachingThruIt & Instagram: @CoachingThruIt
• Email us at: [email protected] 
• Connect to the hosts: @laurapasquini & @julieclarsen

Music credit: The song reCreation by airtone has been remixed under a CC-BY license. 

DEFINITION: Partners with the client and relevant stakeholders to create clear agreements about the coaching relationship, process, plans and goals. Establishes agreements for the overall coaching engagement as well as those for each coaching session.

1. Explains what coaching is and is not and describes the process to the client and relevant stakeholders
2. Reaches agreement about what is and is not appropriate in the relationship, what is and is not being offered, and the responsibilities of the client and relevant stakeholders
3. Reaches agreement about the guidelines and specific parameters of the coaching relationship such as logistics, fees, scheduling, duration, termination, confidentiality and inclusion of others
4. Partners with the client and relevant stakeholders to establish an overall coaching plan and goals
5. Partners with the client to determine client-coach compatibility
6. Partners with the client to identify or reconfirm what they want to accomplish in the session
7. Partners with the client to define what the client believes they need to address or resolve to achieve what they want to accomplish in the session
8. Partners with the client to define or reconfirm measures of success for what the client wants to accomplish in the coaching engagement or individual session
9. Partners with the client to manage the time and focus of the session
10. Continues coaching in the direction of the client’s desired outcome unless the client indicates otherwise
11. Partners with the client to end the coaching relationship in a way that honors the experience

WATCH: Julius Ordonez, MCC (Founder of ICF Philippines Chapter)
READ:  ICF Core Competency 3: Establishes and Maintains Agreements

• Divided between setting up the coaching relationship, and during the coaching session.
• Differences: 
  • New competency mentions the stakeholders with respect to sponsored coaching relationship
  • About setting up the engagement
  • Mentions compatibility – are you the best person for the job? 
  • What are the measures of success? Agreed upon at the start of the relationship
• Really about ability to facilitate a process – can you keep the process going so that client and stakeholder get the results they are looking for
• ASK your clients: What brings you into coaching? What do you know about coaching? What do you want to know about my coaching practice & background? 
• Ability to break down coaching in everyday terms – not technical or a checklist
• Coaching contract and definition of coaching in their own ways -- this should before you sign an agreement with the client (no jargon, explain fully)

Questions

• What ways do you set up your coaching relationship?
• How do you explain coaching to clients? (before, during, and after)
• What are your best practices for contracting with clients?
• What experiences have you had with sponsored coaching?
• What is critical to “educate” the coachee on?
• How do you provide awareness of the coaching practice or process? (e.g. introduce a tool, offer observations, etc.)
• What ways do you probe further to the PCC and MCC level?
• What have you learned about alignment with clients?
• What do you want to be referred to (as a coach)?

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How are you setting up your clients for success? What ways do you maintain the coaching agreement? Let us know!

• Follow the pod on Twitter: @CoachingThruIt & Instagram: @CoachingThruIt
• Email us at: [email protected] 
• Connect to the hosts: @laurapasquini & @julieclarsen

Music credit: The song reCreation by airtone has been remixed under a CC-BY license. 

DEFINITION: Develops and maintains a mindset that is open, curious, flexible and client-centered.

1. Acknowledges that clients are responsible for their own choices 
2. Engages in ongoing learning and development as a coach 
3. Develops an ongoing reflective practice to enhance one's coaching 
4. Remains aware of and open to the influence of context and culture on self and others 
5. Uses awareness of self and one's intuition to benefit clients 
6. Develops and maintains the ability to regulate one's emotions 
7. Mentally and emotionally prepares for sessions 
8. Seeks help from outside sources when necessary 
9. About maintaining a professional practice, recognizing the culture of self and others, and understanding that we (coach and client) are members of systems. 

WATCH: Colin Brett, PCC with ICF Core Competency 2: Embodies a Coaching Mindset [VIDEO]
READ: Link to the Updated Core Competencies

• Managing emotions, using intuition for benefit of client
• To evaluate, I will look at the “phrasing of intuition”: is there room for the client to say I’m wrong?, am I being sure it doesn’t sound like fact when I deliver it?
• Be physically and mentally prepared for a session
• Asking for clarity when something a client says “stands out”. Example: a coach is nodding, but has a confused look on their face. Don’t just brush over something.

Questions:

• How are you building a reflective practice grounded in continued learning? 
• What is your “wind up/down” process? 
• How are you listening for permission (by the client)?
• What ways do you check your emotional “level” with clients? (balance)
• How does your context/culture influence your coaching practice? (on the exam)
• How do you seek help/support for difficult clients? (coaching mindset)
• How do you let your intuition go? 
• How do you physically and mentally prepare as a coach? 
• How do you set the tone at the beginning of your coaching session?
• What is your closing ritual for coaching?

Recommended reads:

• 2 pages with  MBS podcast
• How to Begin: Start Doing Something That Matters by Michael Bungay Stainer
• Just Work: Get Sh*t Done, Fast & Fair by Kim Scott
• ICF Learning Portal

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What are you doing to think more about you coaching mindset, dear coaches? What's 25 seconds before you start a coaching session look like? Share with us! 

• Follow the pod on Twitter: @CoachingThruIt & Instagram: @CoachingThruIt
• Email us at: [email protected] 
• Connect to the hosts: @laurapasquini & @julieclarsen

Music credit: The song reCreation by airtone has been remixed under a CC-BY license. 

DEFINITION: Understands and consistently applies coaching ethics and standards of coaching.

1. Demonstrates personal integrity and honesty in interactions with clients, sponsors and relevant stakeholders
2. Is sensitive to clients' identity, environment, experiences, values and beliefs
3. Uses language appropriate and respectful to clients, sponsors and relevant stakeholders
4. Abides by the ICF Code of Ethics and upholds the Core Values 
5. Maintains confidentiality with client information per stakeholder agreements and pertinent laws
6. Maintains the distinctions between coaching, consulting, psychotherapy and other support professions
7. Refers clients to other support professionals, as appropriate 

WATCH: Dr. Frances Penafort, MCC for ICF Core Competency 1: Demonstrates Ethical Practice [VIDEO]
READ: Link to the ICF Core Competencies (Updated)

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:

• ICF Code of Ethics
• Ethics CCE Course (3 CCE units) 42:19 min 
• 3 Approaches to Being an Ethical Coach by Tatiana Krawczyńska-Zaucha, PhD, PCC
• ICF Code of Ethics Videos Series [YouTube]
• Ethics Resources - hotline, liability insurance, FAQs, interpretive statements & CoP

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!

• Follow the pod on Twitter: @CoachingThruIt & Instagram: @CoachingThruIt
• Email us at: [email protected] 
• Connect to the hosts: @laurapasquini & @julieclarsen

Music credit: The song reCreation by airtone has been remixed under a CC-BY license. 

For Season 3 of Coaching Through It, Julie & Laura dive into the eight (8) core competencies that guide their coaching practice as outlined by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Use this as a study guide if you're a coach working towards your credentials or learn more about the practice if you're "coach curious" -- these episodes will get into coaching applied from this framework.

Interested in studying along? Here are the ICF Core Competencies resources we'll be using for this season:

• 8 ICF Core Competencies (Updated) + PDF
• Longer Version; 8 ICF Comps
• YouTube Playlist

What questions do you have about the ICF Core Competencies?
If you're coaching, how are you putting these into practice?

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Want to learn more about coaching? Have a question or topic we should discuss? Let us know!

• Follow the pod on Twitter: @CoachingThruIt & Instagram: @CoachingThruIt
• Email us at: [email protected] 
• Connect to the hosts: @laurapasquini & @julieclarsen

Music credit: The song reCreation by airtone has been remixed under a CC-BY license. 

Amy Corron (she/her) is an innovative and creative higher education professional who is passionate about effective facilitation, curriculum design, intergroup dialogue pedagogy, and coaching. She is currently an Associate Director/Lecturer for the Archer Center for Student Leadership at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and an International Coaching Federation trained coach specializing in values-based coaching for academics and higher education professionals.  She believes in the transformative power of coaching, and utilizes a coaching mindset in all areas of her work to help those around her find greater alignment and joy in their work and lives. Learn more about Amy’s coaching at:

• Website: https://www.amycorron.com/
• LinkedIn: /in/amy-corron/
• Twitter: @amersy
• IG: @amersy

“In coaching, you’re the one holding the space and helping your client work through whatever they’re bringing to you. It’s not about what you’re bringing to them.” ~Amy Corron, on letting go of “the plan” as a coach.

• Coaching Questions:
  • What do you need to let go of?
  • What do you need permission for?
  • What do you need to grab onto next?
• Coaching Tools
  • Finding Your Mantra
  • Future Self
  • Naming Your Inner Critic
  • The Wheel of Life
  • Reflective Writing
  • Visualization
  • One-Way vs. Two-Way Door Decisions
  • Working Backwards

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Want to learn more about coaching? Have a question or topic we should discuss? Let us know!

• Follow the pod on Twitter: @CoachingThruIt & Instagram: @CoachingThruIt
• Email us at: [email protected] 
• Connect to the hosts: @laurapasquini & @julieclarsen

Music credit: The song reCreation by airtone has been remixed under a CC-BY license.