4 Core Values

Our core values are more than aspirational statements to guide our decisions. They represent what guides you — our incredible coaching community — in service of your clients.

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Professionalism

We commit to a coaching mindset and professional quality that encompasses responsibility, respect, integrity, competence, and excellence.

Collaboration

We commit to develop social connection and community building.

Humanity

We commit to being humane, kind, compassionate, and respectful toward others.

Equity

We commit to use a coaching mindset to explore and understand the needs of others so we can practice equitable processes at all times that create equality for all.

How Our Community Lives These Values

Our core values reflect how ICF members and credential-holders live and work with clients to empower them to become their best selves.

We know it can be hard to take our word for it. Here is what others say about ICF’s core values:

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“Having [the values] as our foundation, it allows our interactions to begin in a place of trust and commitment to what it means to be an ICF professional.” 

Todd Hamilton
COO, ICF

“Values are super important, but how we breathe life and make these values come alive is through our own behavior.” 

Lola Chetti, MCC (USA)

Formalizing Our Core Values — Community Effort

In the fall of 2020, a group of ICF representatives, members, and staff members participated in a values summit. The goal was to reflect on what is most important to us as an organization and to you as professional coaches.

A values task force transformed key summit takeaways into a revised set of ICF core values for review and dialogue with the ICF Global Board of Directors. 

After further fine-tuning, we asked you, our community of ICF members, for input. After all, you are the experts on the values you live every day in your work as a coach. More than 4,000 of you responded, sharing feedback on how well the core values reflect you, your work, and the coaching profession. 

Each quality of the final updated statement had more than 75% endorsement from you and your member peers — an overwhelming endorsement of these updated core values. These values also encompass the ICF ethical principles, which are designed to ensure that all our members share a common mission and commitment to professional and personal conduct.

It is so important that our core values are a true reflection of our incredible coaching community.