Competencies 2 Embodies a Coaching Mindset

Foundation Domain, Competency 2:

Embodies a Coaching Mindset

Introduction

Kompetensi Kedua dalam Domain Foundation adalah Embodied coaching mindset (Menjadikan Pola pikir coaching sebagai bagian diri seorang coach). Ini adalah kompetensi baru yang muncul dari analisa terhadap tugas-tugas coaching yang dilakukan oleh ICF baru-baru ini, serta studi kualitatif tentang proses pembelajaran para coach yang dilakukan oleh tim Riset Akademik ICF. Banyak pekerjaan inti seorang coach, pengetahuan, dan sikap yang diidentifikasi dalam proses analisis pekerjaan, termasuk aspek-aspek praktik reflektif (misalnya, reflektif, kesadaran, dan pengaturan diri). Hal ini telah diidentifikasi dan ditekankan sebagai tanggung jawab pribadi yang penting dimana para coach harus terlibat di dalamnya.

1.                Mengakui bahwa klien bertanggung jawab atas pilihan mereka sendiri.

2.                Terlibat dalam pembelajaran dan pengembangan yang berkelanjutan sebagai coach.

3.                Mengembangkan praktik reflektif yang berkelanjutan untuk meningkatkan kemampuan coaching.

4.                Memelihara kesadaran dan terbuka terhadap pengaruh konteks dan budaya terhadap diri sendiri dan orang lain.

5.                Menggunakan kesadaran dan intuisi nya untuk kebermanfaatan klien.

6.                Mengembangkan dan mempertahankan kemampuan untuk mengatur emosi nya.

7.                Mempersiapkan mental dan emosional untuk menjalankan sesi.

8.                Mencari bantuan dari sumber luar bila diperlukan.

Pola pikir coaching adalah kompetensi utama dan bagian dari " gaya hidup " seorang coach. Hal ini tercermin dari cara seorang coach berinteraksi dengan klien-nya bahkan orang-orang disekitarnya. Ketika seseorang belajar dan mempraktikkan keterampilan coaching, para coach sering merasakan sikap dan perilaku mereka berubah secara positif. Mereka secara sadar atau tidak sadar, menggunakan keterampilan ini dalam percakapan sehari-hari. Pola pikir coaching dapat mempengaruhi bagaimana coach menunjukkan semua kompetensi lainnya dalam kerangka kerja ini. Seperti Kompetensi 1, Mendemonstrasikan Praktik yang Beretika, kualitas seperti profesionalisme, integritas, kejujuran, dan pola pikir coaching sangat penting untuk praktik coaching

Acknowledges that Clients Are Responsible for Their Own Choices

This sub-competency immediately focuses on the fact that coaching is client-centered. Partnership and equality are very important themes within the overall competency framework. However, within those principles, there is also a clear intention and expectation that it is the client who sets the agenda and direction of the coaching work. The client is also responsible for generating their own ideas, actions, and next steps. This acknowledgment is probably initiated right at the very beginning of the coaching engagement when the coach explains to the client (and any other relevant parties) what coaching is, is not, and how it is different from other ways of working. This type of acknowledgment continues throughout the coaching process and shows up in other competencies, examples of which are when the coach:

• Partners with the client in the creation of coaching agreements (Competency 3: Establishes and Maintains Agreements)

• Demonstrates respect for and acknowledges the client’s perceptions, suggestions, and work in the coaching process (Competency 4: Cultivates Trust and Safety)

• Invites the client to generate forward-moving ideas (Competency 7: Evokes Awareness)

• Partners with the client to design goals, actions, and accountability methods and acknowledges and supports the client’s autonomy in doing so (Competency 8: Facilitates Client Growth).

Some practical examples of the many things a coach might say or ask to evidence this sub-competency are:

• “What would you like to focus on today?”

• “How would you like to approach this?”

• “What are your options?”

• “What do you think?”

• “What will you do now?”

• “How do you feel about doing that?”

• “How committed do you feel about this?”

• “What will you do to ensure that you honor your commitment?”

In practice therefore, whilst the coach may explore, inquire, invite, notice, ask, and challenge, these activities are done in complete service of empowering the client to own and take responsibility for themselves and, as per the ICF definition of coaching, be inspired to maximize their personal and professional potential.

Engages in Ongoing Learning and Development as a Coach 

Ongoing learning and development are fundamental to the ICF’s philosophy of coaching. As outlined in Chap. 5, the renewable characteristic of an ICF credential is to underpin a proactive and intentional commitment to continuous professional development activities to maintain and further develop the coach’s knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors as a professional practitioner.

The credential renewal process requires that all coaches complete at least 40-h of Continuing Coach Education across each 3-year period that their credential is valid. This education is described on the ICF website and can come in various forms, including:

• ICF-approved training

• Other training

• Self-paced courses and other self-study

• Mentor Coaching

• Coaching Supervision

• Research and Teaching

For those coaches who want to renew their credentials at the ACC level, part of this development must include at least 10 h of Mentor Coaching so that it is clear that the coach is still fully understanding and applying the core competencies. At least three hours of development in coaching ethics is also required for coach’s renewing their credential at any level, thereby re-emphasizing the importance of ethical practice and professional conduct. Learning and development opportunities are available from ICF Chapters and ICF Accredited training schools all around the world and also via the ICF’s Learning portal.

This theme of ongoing learning and development is considered a core task and activity of a coach as an important part of the “self-work” with which a coach engages in order to better serve their clients. From a very practical perspective, taking a proactive approach to this requirement is highly recommended. We can count many, many examples of when a coach has approached us because their 3-year credential period expires within the next couple of months or so and they are suddenly trying to complete 40+ h of development. Not only is there an expectation of intentionality within the credentialing process, but it is also so much easier to complete this development in a meaningful and cost-effective way when it is planned ahead across the three periods. It is also this concept of intentionality that supports the self-work and ongoing learning, which is at the heart of a “coaching mindset.”

Develops an Ongoing Reflective Practice to Enhance One’s Coaching

Reflective practice has been identified as a specific and significant activity within the area of ongoing learning and development as outlined in the sub-competency above.

For these purposes, reflective practice includes three core tasks: reflection, awareness, and self-regulation. Such reflective practice could take on many forms, some examples of which are:

• Coaching supervision (see Chap. 29)

• Peer group reflection

• Journaling

• Mentor Coaching

• Observed coaching practice followed by debriefing and feedback

• Listening to recordings of client work

As described in Competency 7, Evokes Awareness, the coach is facilitating client insight and learning for their client. In this case, the coach is role-modeling this behavior for their own insight and learning. Self-regulation can take on several forms including managing one’s own emotions within the coaching process, the use of one’s own intuition as well as staying in coaching mode and managing one’s own inclination to tell, suggest, judge, or “fix” the client.

Senantiasa Menyadari dan Terbuka terhadap Pengaruh Konteks dan Budaya pada Diri Sendiri dan Orang Lain

Area utama yang dibahas dalam sub-kompetensi ini adalah tentang bias: Bias yang mungkin dibawa oleh seorang coach ke dalam proses coaching dan juga bias yang mungkin dimiliki oleh klien terkait proses dan pelaksanaan coaching. Oleh karena itu, bagian dari mindset coaching adalah agar coach senantiasa menyadari kemungkinan (dan kecenderungan) adanya bias (baik pada diri sendiri maupun orang lain) dan bagaimana hal ini dapat mempengaruhi dan berdampak pada pekerjaan yang sedang dilakukan.

Secara praktis, hal ini dapat ditunjukkan melalui mengakui, berbagi, dan memeriksa asumsi-asumsi yang mungkin ada pada diri coach, misalnya mengenai klien dan/atau apa yang sedang dihadapi. Sebagai contoh:

- "Saya menyadari bahwa saya membuat asumsi di sini; namun, saya ingin tahu apakah..."

- "Saya ingin mengecek pemikiran saya dengan Anda di sini... apakah...?"

- "Tolong sanggah atau koreksi saya jika saya salah, namun menurut Anda..."

- "Beritahu saya jika ini tidak masuk akal, saya berpikir bahwa barangkali..."

Sub-kompetensi ini juga dapat ditunjukkan oleh coach dengan menanyakan atau menantang asumsi klien yang berkaitan erat dengan beberapa aspek kompetensi lain yang akan dieksplorasi dalam setiap kasus yang relevan. Namun, terkait dengan bias-bias yang ada pada diri coach, maka cara lain yang penting dan berharga untuk mengeksplorasi dan mengatasinya adalah melalui proses latihan reflektif seperti yang telah dijelaskan pada sub-kompetensi sebelumnya.

Uses Awareness of Self and One’s Intuition to Benefit Clients

The use of intuition in the coaching process is considered very important and is also a skill to be carefully balanced and managed. Research on the use of intuition shows a vast range of results, from highly flawed to remarkably accurate, and still intuition can light a creative spark. Using intuition with careful judgment and good sense, along with a lack of attachment to one’s own sharing may very well stimulate client awareness or learning.

The coach can share their intuition with the client in several ways, including:

• “I have a hunch that...”

• “I’m feeling a strong sense of (XYZ), what do you think or feel about that?”

• “It strikes me that...”

Menggunakan Kesadaran Diri dan Intuisi yang Memberikan Keuntungan Bagi Klien

Penggunaan intuisi dalam proses coaching dianggap sangat penting dan juga merupakan keterampilan yang harus diseimbangkan dan dikelola dengan hati-hati. Penelitian mengenai penggunaan intuisi menunjukkan hasil yang sangat beragam, mulai dari yang sangat tidak akurat sampai yang sangat akurat, namun intuisi tetap dapat menyalakan percikan kreatif. Menggunakan intuisi dengan penilaian yang cermat dan akal sehat, tanpa adanya rasa terikat terhadap pengalaman pribadi coach dapat menstimulasi kesadaran atau pembelajaran klien.

Coach dapat berbagi intuisi mereka dengan klien dalam beberapa cara, termasuk:

- "Saya memiliki firasat bahwa..."

- "Saya merasakan perasaan yang kuat tentang (XYZ), bagaimana pendapat atau perasaan Anda tentang hal itu?"

- "Saya merasa bahwa..."

Develops and Maintains the Ability to Regulate One’s Emotions

This is all about understanding and managing our own emotions as a coach. It's important to be aware of our own emotions and how they can affect our coaching sessions. We need to be able to regulate our emotions so that they don't interfere with the client's progress. This topic is explored further in the chapters on maintaining presence and active listening. Our emotional state can vary from session to session and it can also be influenced by the client's emotions. It's important for us to be aware of this and continually monitor our responses and reactions. In this way, we can ensure that our emotions don't negatively affect the coaching process.

The self-awareness that develops as a result of ongoing learning, development, and reflective practice is a useful quality that enables us to regulate our emotions. Examples of when we might need to regulate our emotions are:

• You have a client who is really very excited about Christmas and is demonstrating enthusiasm and passion about preparing for the festivities. What if your own relationship with Christmas is not so positive and you find it a period of sadness, loss, or disappointment? How will you regulate your own reactions, responses, and biases?

• Your client shares that they are getting divorced and you have just recently experienced a very painful and acrimonious divorce yourself. How will you ensure that your own emotional experience does not creep into your coaching practice?

• Your client shares their excitement for an upcoming trip, and they describe a trip that you did last year which was the most amazing experience of your life. How will you regulate your emotions so that your own “story” does not take over the client’s space?

In some cases, if we are unable for some reason to regulate our emotions, it may even be appropriate to stop working with that client or suspend our coaching practice for a period of time. For example, if our own life experience means that we are personally going through a very challenging time, or the topic the client brings is one that is particularly triggering and sensitive for us, it may simply be that we cannot be suffi[1]ciently self-managing and present for others. This is something that is ideally suited for exploration with a coaching supervisor and is also addressed in the ICF Code of Ethics in Part Four: Ethical Standards, Section II—Responsibility to Practice and Performance.

As an ICF Professional, I:

Item 17: Recognize my personal limitations or circumstances that may impair, conflict with, or interfere with my coaching performance or my professional coaching relationships. I will reach out for support to determine the action to be taken and, if necessary, promptly seek relevant professional guidance. This may include suspending or terminating my coaching relationship(s)

Mentally and Emotionally Prepares for Sessions

This aspect is important for Competency 2 because it's about a practice that helps us become better coaches. It means preparing ourselves for our clients' work by getting in the right mindset. It's an ongoing process as we continue to learn and grow professionally and personally. Before each coaching session, we make sure to do specific activities to get ready. Research shows that good coaches always do this to be successful.

Such preparation can take on different forms and will vary based on the personal preferences of the coach. This could include activities such as going for a walk, taking some exercise, meditating, sitting quietly, and reflecting. It could also include consideration for other aspects of when and how the coach can access their optimal coaching mindset, for example:

• Are there days of the week or times of the day when the coach is “at their best”?

• How many clients can the coach engage within one day and still be fresh, professional, present, and available for each one?

• How much space in between client engagements does the coach need in order to be fully prepared for their next client?

A useful paper on this is by DiGirolamo et al. (2016).

Seeks Help from Outside Sources When Necessary

The previous elements of this competency are designed to support the development of a good coaching mindset. However, we have also ready seen above some examples of when and how our mindset could be impaired or impacted in a way that is not helpful to our client or the coaching process. In these cases, it is therefore important that the coach seeks the support needed for them to address this in whatever way is most appropriate. Coaching Supervision is a very useful source of support, and this is covered more in Chap. 29.

Conclusion

This chapter has introduced and outlined the new competency that has become part of the updated ICF Core Competency model. This addition underscores the importance of the being of the coach as well as the doing of coaching and the fact that the role of the coach extends beyond direct interaction with the client and other stakeholders. We have explored each of the sub-competencies and how they in turn link directly to and are in support of other competencies within the model. We have also highlighted various ways that coaches can engage with and meet this competency as a valuable part of their ongoing development toward coaching maturity.