Chapter 1: Mastery in coaching
The association for Coaching (AC), along with other professional bodies such as the
International Coaching Federation (ICF) and European Mentoring and Coaching Council
(EMCC), have played a large role in the development and professionalization of coaching.
What is mastery in coaching?
- The reason why input measures remain the focus for accreditation is because they
are easier to collect and assess than seeking to differentiate between levels of
competence in coaches through assessing output measures
- But output is still the way forward
- The use of diaries, transcripts and examinations are the way forward, along with
better research
There are various frameworks for practitioners
- Such as; the International Coaching Federation, the British Psychological Society
Special Interest Group in Coaching, and the being, doing and knowing framework
(Renshaw & Alexander, 2005)
- But more work is needed to define and refine these frameworks and competencies
themselves
Coach competencies and indicators - All coaches
- 1. Meeting ethical, legal and professional guidelines
- Follows the AC’s professional standards and codes of conduct, including the
AC’s code of ethics and good practice and statement of shared professional
values
- Acts ethically and with the highest integrity
- Promotes the coaching profession in a positive light to all stakeholders
- Complies with the prevailing laws of the country in which the coaching takes
place and/or client organization is operating, whichever is the most applicable
and stringent
- Clearly communicate and show coaching is different from other helping
professions
- Is aware if professional boundaries and refers on to another professional as
appropriate
- 2. Establishing the coaching agreement and outcomes
- Clearly explains the coaching process and own coaching approach, models
and techniques
- Helps the client establish coaching goals and outcomes and agrees an
approach to working with the client that will achieve them
- Agrees a formal coaching agreement with client and all stakeholders,
including clear and measurable outcomes, plus confidentiality, logistics of
coaching sessions, (duration, frequency, location), purpose, contingencies,
monitoring and reporting progress, and commercial arrangements
- Establishes clear roles, responsibilities and boundaries between different
stakeholders, including coach and client
- 3. Establishing a trust-based relationship with the client
- Treats people equally and fairly, with respect and dignity
, - Is optimistic for and encourages self-belief in the client
- Establishes a high level of rapport to build an open dialogue with the client
- Accepts the client as is and believes in the client’s potential and capability
- Acts openly and honestly, including tackling difficult conversations with the
client, using self and personal reactions to offer client feedback avoiding
colluding with the client on issues that block progress
- Maintains agreed levels of confidentiality
- 4. Managing self and maintaining coaching presence
- Pays close attention to the client, staying fully present and engaged
- Remains focused on the agreed agenda and outcomes
- Acts flexibly while staying aligned to own coaching approach
- Stays aligned to personal values while respecting values of the client
- Works to ensure interventions get the best outcome for the client
- 5. Communicating effectively
- Demonstrates effective listening and clarifying skills and differentiates
between what is said and what's left unsaid
- Uses straightforward language that moves the client towards the agreed
outcomes
- Adapts communication to reflect the client’s needs and outcomes
- Provides relevant information and feedback to serve the clients learning and
goals
- Communicates clearly, confidently and credibly with the client
- 6. Raising awareness and insight
- Asks questions to challenge client’s assumptions, elicit new insights, raise
self-awareness and learn
- Helps broaden a client's perception of an issue and challenges to stimulate
new possibilities
- Supports the client to generate options to achieve agreed outcomes
- Provides observational feedback where relevant, leaving the option to act on
it or not to the client
- Uses ‘self’ as a resource for the development of the clients self-awareness
and learning by offering ‘here and now’ feedback
- 7. Designing strategies and actions
- Supports the client to build strategies to meet their outcomes
- Inspires clients the identify and implement self-directed learning opportunities
- Leaves accountability with the client while following through on own actions
and commitments
- Encourages the client to seek support from other to help achieve the client
outcomes
- Provides support while the client tries out new ways of working/behaviors
- 8. Maintaining forward momentum and evaluation
- Maintains an outcome focused approach
- Asks powerful questions that move the client forwards towards the agreed
outcome
- Checks and acknowledges client progress and achievements
- Explores what is working, what is getting in the way and challenges lack of
progress
, - Discourages dependency on the coach and develops the client’s ability to self
coach
- Measures effectiveness of coaching
- 9. Undertaking continuous coaching development
- Regularly requests client feedback
- Actively reflects on coaching practice and outcomes
- Acts on own critical reflections and client feedback to improve coaching
practice
- Participates in regular coaching supervision to reflect on and improve practice
- Participates in continuous professional development (CPD) activities
- Additional competencies and indicators - Executive coaches
- 10. Working within the organizational context
- Understands the organizational context in which the client operates (mission,
values, strategic objectives, market pressures etc.)
- Understands the client’s role, position and authority within the organizational
system
- Is aware of key stakeholders (internal and external) within the organizational
system
- Aligns coaching goals to support organizational aims and objectives
- Understands the relationship between the coach, client and internal
sponsor(s) of coaching
- Is aware of, and works with the organization’s values policies, and practices,
including human resource and people policies and practices
- Takes a systemic approach to coaching the client, encompassing the
complexities of multiple stakeholders, different perspectives and conflicting
priorities
- 11. Understanding leadership issues
- Recognizes the challenges faced by leaders working in organizations
- Identifies ways of, and opportunities for, developing leadership behaviors and
attributes through coaching
- Demonstrates knowledge and experience of working with organizational
leaders
- Constructively challenges the leader to raise his/her standards in areas key to
the organization
- Uses language appropriate for, and recognized by, the client and organization
- Understand the leader’s sphere of influence
- 12. Working in partnership with the organization
- Develops relevant networks and strategic partnerships within the organization
- Designs an effective coaching contract, commercial agreement and working
alliance with the client, line manager and coaching sponsor(s) within
organizational parameters and policies for coaching
- Actively involves key stakeholders in the set-up, monitoring and evaluation of
the coaching, while maintaining agreed levels of confidentiality
- Communicates the progress of the coaching with key stakeholders openly
and honestly, while maintaining agreed levels of confidentiality
- Identifies ways of adding value to the client at the individual, team and
organizational level
