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Friday 21st February
Midday AEDT (Melbourne Time)
Unravelling the mystery around the ICF Credentialing Exam
At Open Door we get a lot of questions about the ICF Credential Exam. The Exam is an important component of applying for an ICF credential and all candidates for ACC, PCC or MCC are required to pass the Exam. The Exam is a tool to measure a coach’s knowledge of the ICF definition of coaching, ICF Core Competencies and ICF Code of Ethics.
According to the ICF, in 2023, 9,795 coaches sat the ICF Credentialing Exam, with 75% passing on their first attempt, 12% passing on the subsequent attempt. The overall pass rate was 87%.
Having recently passed the exam on her first attempt, we thought it might be a good opportunity to pick Paula’s brains about how to prepare for the test? What do I need to know? And gather any tips and advice.
Join Paula as she unravels the mystery around the ICF Credentialing Exam, offers her key tips and answers any questions***.
***Note we will not reveal any questions or answers, but we can offer ideas to assist you to feel confident.
Resource hours: 0.5
Friday 28th February
Midday AEDT (Melbourne Time)
Renewing your ICF Membership? Don’t just tick the box! Exploring the ICF Code of Ethics
Many of us have received the ICF membership renewal email. The process is simple: click the link, accept the terms, select your currency and branch, and pay. If everything runs smoothly, it takes about five minutes—as long as you remember your password and don’t overthink “What do I get for my money?” (That’s a topic for another day! 😉)
However, we encourage you NOT to just tick the box on the terms and conditions. Of course, my mum always said, “Never sign something you haven’t read.” But more importantly, when you check that box, you’re agreeing to abide by the ICF Code of Ethics and uphold the Core Values and Ethical Principles.
When was the last time you read the Code?
This isn’t clickbait—“Breaking news: Coaches refuse to sign the Code of Ethics!” Instead, it’s an invitation to pause, reflect, and reaffirm the principles that guide our practice as professional coaches.
Therefore, join us this week on the Coaching Café, as Natalie and Paula explore the ICF Code of Ethics and discuss how it shapes ethical coaching practices. Take this opportunity to revisit the Code, reflect on its meaning, and strengthen your commitment to professional coaching. We will explore:
✔️ Why the ICF Code of Ethics matters
✔️ How to apply ethical principles in coaching
✔️ The role of Core Values in professional practice
✔️ Key takeaways for coaching integrity
💡 Don’t just tick the box—explore what it means to be an ethical coach!
Core hours: 0.5
Friday 7th March
Midday AEDT (Melbourne Time)
You can’t coach everyone! Maintaining the distinction between coaching and other services
‘Coaching’s fine. And I’m not trying to be controversial. But you can’t coach everyone. I reckon most of my team I have to mentor them. And tell them what to do, because they have no idea.’
The comment was in response to a question I asked a group of managers, as part of our discussion about ‘what is coaching, and what is it not?’. I simply asked: ‘do you have any questions?’
It was obviously more of a statement, than a question. But what is interesting, is that this comment is very common. When we are coaching managers to move their mindset from ‘telling and directing’ to a coaching mindset, there is going to be resistance.
However, as professional workplace coaches, the distinction between coaching and other techniques is extremely important. In fact, it is written into the ICF Core Competency: Demonstrates Ethical Practice.
So this week on the Coaching Café, join Natalie and Paula as we continue our deeper dive into the ICF Core Competency of Demonstrates Ethical Practice and explore why maintaining clear boundaries between coaching and other leadership styles is essential.
Most importantly, we will provide a practical framework to help you:
✔️ Distinguish between coaching and other services
✔️ Respond to resistance from managers
✔️ Maintain ethical coaching practices
✔️ Apply the ICF Core Competencies in real-life scenarios
Core hours: 0.5
Friday 14th March
Midday AEDT (Melbourne Time)
Maintaining confidentiality whilst navigating stakeholder requirements
The meeting was between myself, the HR Manager and the coachee’s manager and I was taking a brief about a potential coaching opportunity. The question was asked ‘so what kind of reporting do you do?’. I offered my standard response regarding confidentiality and who reports the outcomes of the coaching to whom.
But to be frank, since we have our standard responses, it is not something that we spend a lot of time thinking about. And at the same time, it made me realise how we never take for granted the nature of the confidential relationship between coach and coachee. And how important it is to navigate the requirements of stakeholders whilst maintaining confidentiality.
As professional workplace coaches, this is an important part of setting up the coaching agreement. In fact, it is written into the ICF Core Competency: Demonstrates Ethical Practice.
So this week on the Coaching Café, join Natalie and Paula as we continue our deeper dive into the ICF Core Competency of Demonstrates Ethical Practice and explore how to:
✔️ Maintain confidentiality in coaching
✔️ Navigate stakeholder agreements
✔️ Set clear expectations in coaching contracts
✔️ Respond to common questions about reporting
We’ll also provide a practical framework for handling conversations like the one above.
Core hours: 0.5
The renewal of your ICF credential requires a number of Continuing Coach Education to be completed in the three years since the initial award of your credential or since your last credential renewal, as follows:
For more information about the ICF requirements click here: https://coachfederation.org/icf-credential/renew-credential
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Sonya Sherman2024-09-10 11:08:222024-09-10 11:08:22Coaching to shift under-performanceTerms and conditions
- Open Door is bound by the guidelines issued by the International Coach Federation (ICF) in regards to the issuance of Continuing Coach Education (CCE) hours.
- Open Door uses Zoom to track and report on attendance and you have to attend the entire 30 minute presentation (as evidence on the report) to earn the CCE.
- If you do not attend at least 30 minutes of the presentation, then the CCE cannot be awarded. This is not negotiable.
- The facilitator will log on prior to the presentation for you to check your software, and you are encouraged to log on early to make sure that your attendance will be recorded. It is your responsibility to ensure that you can hear the facilitator and see the slides.
- Open Door will not be held responsible for any reason, if you can’t attend the full session, this includes software drops outs or personal matters including ill health.
- You must attend the live session in order to achieve the CCE – you are not eligible to earn the CCE by listening to recording afterwards.
- Open Door reserves the right to change the topic, time, date or presenter as needed. We obviously try to avoid this, but sometimes it cannot be helped. Thanks for your understanding.
