Given that the biggest challenge for the coaching profession is educating untrained coaches, uninformed organizations, and the general public, what can we do and how can we do it?
Start with what we can do and brainstorm the options. To get this started, here are a few ideas:
- Talk about coaching by inviting others to share their perceptions, validate common misperceptions, then share how specifically coaching is different.
- Write about coaching in articles, reports, research papers, dissertations, publications, and blogs.
- Speak about or present on coaching.
- Provide free informational presentations in person or online discussing coaching and/or coach training.
- Invite untrained coaches to visit the ICF website and learn about ethics, competencies, and standards.
- Inform prospective clients – individuals and organizations – about the ICF standards, competencies, and ethics.
- Invest in coach training or coaching certification prior to providing coaching services.
- Ensure that all your coaching work is in keeping with the Code of Ethics and competency standards.
As the coaching profession grows and establishes itself, the more each of us follows the Code of Ethics, including promoting coaching and ethics, the more the general public, organizations, and untrained coaches understand the significance of coach training and coaching standards. This in turn supports and enhances the quality of coaching.
