{"id":13108,"date":"2026-09-23T11:02:25","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T11:02:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/?p=13108"},"modified":"2026-09-18T21:53:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T21:53:17","slug":"ethics-competencies-and-pcc-markers-provide-the-foundation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/ethics-competencies-and-pcc-markers-provide-the-foundation\/","title":{"rendered":"Ethics, Competencies, and PCC Markers Provide the Foundation"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A
Ethics, Competencies, and PCC Markers Provide the Foundation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ethics, Core Competencies, and Professional Certified Coach (PCC)<\/a> Markers provide the structural foundation for the International Coaching Federation (ICF) credentialing framework. They establish standard behaviors and ethical guidelines that trained assessors use to evaluate coaching performance fairly and consistently.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Each resource has a different purpose, and they work together in daily coaching practice.<\/p>\n

The ICF Code of Ethics<\/a> guides professional conduct. It helps coaches understand responsibilities related to confidentiality, note-taking, boundaries, and the way they represent themselves in a coaching relationship. It also helps clients understand what they can expect.<\/p>\n

The ICF Core Competencies describe the skills coaches learn, develop, and apply. These include establishing agreements, maintaining presence, listening actively, and asking questions that support the client’s thinking.<\/p>\n

PCC Markers describe the coaching<\/a> behaviors that demonstrate the competencies at the PCC level. They help coaches recognize the difference between knowing a competency and demonstrating it in a real conversation.<\/p>\n

The Four Core Competency Domains<\/strong><\/p>\n

The ICF framework groups the foundational elements and eight core competencies into four distinct operational areas:<\/p>\n