International Coaching Federation Adopts Revised Organizational Core Values
Updates reflect global membership commitment to ethical practice.
Lexington, Kentucky, USA (August 27, 2021) – The International Coaching Federation (ICF) today announced a revised expression of the organization’s core values, created to empower and unite all ICF coaches worldwide. The new language encompasses ICF’s Ethical Principles, designed to ensure all ICF members share a common mission and commitment to professional and personal conduct aligned with the ICF Core Values.
“These universal values aren’t just words on paper—we live them every day,” said ICF CEO Magdalena Nowicka Mook. “The power of professional coaching involves being open and non-judging in all interactions. These core values reflect the actions of our team, members, and credential-holders, who represent the highest quality of professional coaching. It is incumbent on us all to continue to be living examples of these values, and to speak up when we witness any behavior that goes against these core values.”
ICF unveiled the updated values following a worldwide survey of the organization’s more than 41,000 members. Over 4,400 members responded with acceptance at levels of 76% or higher for all the proposed revisions. The release of the newly framed Core Values occurs as ICF’s six Family Organizations begin to introduce formal initiatives. It also precedes ICF Converge 2021, the bi-annual event for the global coaching community, which will bring coaching professionals from around the world together virtually October 26–28.
Just as business and the world have evolved as a result of social dynamics, the pandemic and more, so too has professional coaching. ICF is committed to ensuring that the professional and personal conduct standards for members is uniform, culturally appropriate, and accepted by its member professionals.
With the culmination of a comprehensive process of consideration, development and assessment via the member survey, this evolution of ICF’s values reaffirms the organization’s vision—where coaching is an integral part of a thriving society—and mission statement—to lead the global advancement of the coaching profession and empower the world through coaching.
The updated core values are:
1. Professionalism
A commitment to a coaching mindset and professional quality that encompass responsibility, respect, integrity, competence and excellence.
2. Collaboration
A commitment to develop social connection and community building.
3. Humanity
A commitment to being humane, kind, compassionate and respectful towards others.
4. Equity
A commitment to use a coaching mindset to explore and understand the needs of others so I can practice equitable processes at all times that create equality for all.
“ICF’s revised values are both practical and aspirational, and reflect what is most meaningful to ICF and its 41,000-plus members,” said 2021 ICF Global Board Chair Pat Mathews, MCC. “We are delighted to announce the culmination of what’s been a long but rewarding process that now stands as a foundation for leading the coaching industry into the future.”
About the International Coaching Federation
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) is the world’s largest organization leading the global advancement of the coaching profession and fostering coaching’s role as an integral part of a thriving society. Founded in 1995, its 41,000-plus members located in more than 150 countries and territories work toward common goals of enhancing awareness of coaching and upholding the integrity of the profession through lifelong learning and upholding the highest ethical standards. Through the work of its six unique family organizations, ICF empowers professional coaches, coaching clients, organizations, communities and the world through coaching.
Whereas I am in alignment with the new values and the intent, I question the language using non-judging. As a coach I take care to say what I want, not want I don’t want. If a client said to me I want to be non-judging, I would ask: If you were not judging, what would you be instead? The most frequent replies I receive are accepting or neutral.
I wish this document selected another way to express that description of the value.
with respect,
Teri-E
The second value is very important and relevant to our society. Because a cross section of people are clever and creative only to split or disconnect people for personal gain. Sometimes, it is also true that people manipulate everything that might otherwise lead to fruitful collaboration only to prove that a specific individual is not collaborative.
For coaches, it comes as a pleasant duty to eliminate or diminish such impact in the society in our given roles – big or small, with their clear thinking and pure intentions to make the world a better place.
To thrive as a progressive community what we need is clarity and understanding instead of wicked cleverness or intelligence.
Thank you very much.
A noble effort and worthy of support. I only wish that under “Commitment”, there was a mention of “life-long learning” – especially, as a coach, mentor coach, coaching supervisor, and trainer, I see this also as a key component for all parties and the coaching profession as a whole.
I, coach Mai Võ, has read the updated ICF’s core values and commit to live with it.
Revising values by our entity reflects living these values and reseprocating what they really mean to coaching practioners around the globe. Many thanks for the efforts and we definitely commit to these values and live them.
Thank you ICF for sharing the Core value . I am committed to live this values : Professionalism , Collaboration , Humanity , Equity .
With Respect ,
V S Kumar
A well-written and valuable article like this is hard to find these days. It’s great to have this information shared with us. Thank you