The ICF Philosophy and Definition of Coaching

The International Coach Federation adheres to a form of coaching that honors the
client as the expert in his/her personal and/or professional life and believes that
 every client is creative, resourceful, and whole. Standing on this foundation,
the coach's responsibility is to:

1. Discover, clarify, and align with what the client wants to achieve
2. Encourage client self-discovery
3. Elicit client-generated solutions and strategies
4. Hold the client as responsible and accountable
 

Definition of Coaching

Professional Coaching is an ongoing partnership that helps clients produce
fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives. Through the process
 of coaching, clients deepen their learning, improve their performance, and
enhance their quality of life.

In each meeting, the client chooses the focus of conversation, 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 today and what they are willing to do to get where they
want to be tomorrow.

Pledge of Ethics

As a professional coach, I acknowledge and honor my ethical obligations to
clients and colleagues. I pledge to conduct myself responsibly with the highest
degree of integrity and accountability. I strive to do no harm to myself, to those
I serve or to the coaching profession.

Standards of Conduct

1. I will treat all clients with dignity as free and equal human beings.
2. I will conduct myself in a manner that brings credit to myself, others, and
   the coaching profession.
3. I will identify my level of competence to the best of my ability and I will not
   misrepresent my qualifications, expertise, or experience as a professional coach.
4. I will, at the beginning of any coaching relationship, communicate clearly
   the terms of our agreement and the expectations of both parties.
5. I will not claim or imply outcomes that I cannot guarantee.
6. I will respect the confidentiality of client’s information except as released by
   the client, or as required by law.
7. I will obtain permission from each client before releasing their names as
   references.
8. I will recommend different coaches and/or different resources when the
   client’s situation requires this.
9. I will avoid conflicts of interest and will give notice of potential conflicts. I
   will directly address the potential conflict if I enter into a working relationship
   with a client in addition to a coaching relationship and will specifically
   agree with the client on how to avoid or manage any such conflict.
10. I will disclose all compensation I may receive for referrals or advice given
    to a client and ensure the client is aware of such interest.
11. I will respect the commercial aspects of agreements I make with the
    coaching client and the organization which compensates me, if separate.
    I will only make agreements that respect all parties and I will honor
    my agreements.
12. I will not offer professional information or advice I know to be confidential,
    misleading, or for which the accuracy is beyond my competence to assess.
13. I will endeavor to enhance public understanding and acceptance of
    professional coaching.
14. I will freely share my skills and practices with other interested coaches
     in the profession for the purpose of increasing our mutual level of knowledge
    and competence.
15. I will give full acknowledgment to the work and contributions of others.
16. I will respect copyrights, trademarks and intellectual property rights
    and comply with laws and my agreements concerning these rights.
17. I will use the ICF definition of coaching as a basis of my coaching practice.
18. I will inform my clients of my agreement to follow the Standards of
    Conduct of the ICF.

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                                              All materials copyright 2000, 2001, 2002, Ron Mudge
                                                               and Advanced Development Techniques Inc.