Business View Oceania - June 2023

35 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 5, ISSUE 6 INTERNAT IONAL COACHING FEDERAT ION “We don’t lobby directly, however, we do have many chapters that are operating at the state level and have very direct and friendly relationships with their legislatures and local governments. At the federal level, we are members of several coalitions that have to do with the credentialing of individuals. For example, we are avid supporters of initiatives taken up by the American Society of Association Executives. “The federal government is very, very big on coaching and there are phenomenal coaching initiatives within the federal government, so we are not directly working with the feds, but we have many people who do and they happen to be members of ICF.” Mook believes that coaching is a profession that can be learned and that “anybody can attempt to become a coach. In our over 60,000 members, we have a very diverse community who are great coaches,” she avers. The ICF also has a newly revised set of eight core coaching competencies, based on evidence collected from more than 1,300 coaches around the world including both ICF members and non- members, and representing a diverse range of coaching disciplines, training backgrounds, coaching styles, and experience levels. “Establishing a relationship is a core competency,” Mook explains. “Confidentiality is one of the most important elements of the coaching relationship; being able to instill in a team or individual that the conversation is a safe one. And so are coaching ethics. We have a robust code of ethics for our members and ethical conduct is the first of our coaching competencies.” Mook also believes that a good coach is someone who is very self-aware and, perhaps most importantly, a good listener. “And it’s not just an innate trait – it is something that requires deep and continuous education to ‘stay fit for purpose’ in order to offer a service to a client in a way that best supports the client.” Mook stipulates some best practices for an individual or business looking to hire a coach.