ICF Core Competencies and PCC Markers:

3. Establishes and Maintains Agreements

Core Competency 3: Establishes and Maintains Agreements

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 honours the experience

PCC Markers

  • 3.1: Coach partners with the client to identify or reconfirm what the client wants to accomplish in this session.

  • 3.2: Coach partners with the client to define or reconfirm measure(s) of success for what the client wants to accomplish in this session.

  • 3.3: Coach inquires about or explores what is important or meaningful to the client about what they want to accomplish in this session.

  • 3.4: Coach partners with the client to define what the client believes they need to address to achieve what they want to accomplish in this session.

Source: International Coaching Federation (ICF)

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