What is a COACH?
A Partner
A Facilitator
A Motivator
Unlocking potential
But a coach is not
It supports and helps
Why work with a coach?
There are hundreds of things you can work on with your personal or professional coach, but here are the ten most important:
You’ll set more interesting and motivating goals
Have you taken a course to teach you how to set goals? Probably not. The coach is an expert who will help you identify and shape goals that are truly meaningful to you, not things you “should” be doing, or castles in Spain, nor goals you’ve recycled from your parents or society.
Setting the right goals is an art, and a coach knows how to take the time needed to help you clarify your personal values and everything that’s really important to you, so that you have something solid on which to build your goals. Values-based goals are naturally motivating, but good coaching is often needed to clarify and achieve them.
You’ll achieve your goals and projects much more quickly
One of the main reasons for hiring a coach is to save you time. Working with a coach teaches you to be much more efficient and productive in all areas of your life, whether it’s your work or your personal projects. We’re not necessarily naturally efficient, even if we think we are.
The coach has the tools and techniques which, when shared with his clients, enable them to achieve things in less time than before.
You’ll make fewer mistakes in your personal and professional life
The old paradigm of learning by trial and error has shifted somewhat to the following position: how can we learn differently, without having to reinvent the wheel? The old paradigm is too costly in today’s world. Mistakes have become increasingly costly in recent years and, for example, the current pace at which professional issues are decided means that in some fields, a single mistake can ruin your day. With a coach, you have a “third eye” who is there and has coached others in your situation, an expert in the art of getting things done with the minimum of fuss. Some customers use their coach as an insurance policy.
You’re about to take your personal and professional development to the next level
Most people are eager to climb the ladder of success in their personal development, profession, emotional fulfillment and life balance. A coach can help you find out where you really are in these areas, and show you ways to evolve and achieve your growth goals. If you’re not yet on that ladder, he can take you there and help you start your climb.
You’ll be able to reduce the number of problems you face and solve the ones you still have
The first step in solving a problem is to ask yourself why you have it. The second is to ask yourself why you have problems in general. The third is to put yourself on the track of a life where you would have no problems at all. This is no joke. Living in a “problem-free zone” is one of the conditions for regular success, and it’s possible. Life is too short and problems too costly. A coach can help you live this kind of life.
It’s very likely that with the help of a coach you’ll increase your income
Clients don’t pay a coach just for the fun of it. Coaching, like any other professional service, is first and foremost aimed at improving your financial situation. Professionals trained at the Institut de Coaching are trained to help their clients develop their earning power, advance their career or choose a new one, become self-employed, improve their profitability, know how to add value to their clients, grow their offering, their productivity and their customers. In fact, even when coaching is personal, it often includes a financial objective.
You’ll be much happier, and you’ll stay that way
What’s the point of increasing productivity and profit if it doesn’t contribute to your happiness? A coach knows how to help you reduce stress, get every aspect of your life in order, simplify or slow down and reorient around what makes you happy.
You’ll be more effective and influential with others: your family, your professional environment and your personal relationships
Communication is what makes life stimulating… Coaches are experts in communication and can teach their clients to relate better to others, to listen, to influence positively, to coach, to motivate and to support others. There are over a hundred communication and listening skills that coaches can pass on to their clients.
You’ll develop your ability to attract
Sales, whether as a profession or as a process, is in decline. Why is this? Because people are increasingly able to choose for themselves what’s right for them.
We are “attracted” by products or services that seem to suit us, or more precisely by the identity of that product or service.
We call this process attraction. Rather than trying to sell anything, to “push” an offer, it’s better to spread an influence that makes you want to buy. And that’s not the same thing at all.
This ability to develop this mechanism works equally well for an individual, a product, a service or an entire company.
Attraction is the new generation of both general and personal marketing. A certified coach can help you get started right away.
You’ll succeed better and more simply in life
Although the term has been overused in recent years, the current trend is nonetheless towards creating a better quality of life. In fact, the old benchmarks no longer work, and people are re-examining what used to be the norm (married, two or three children, a nice car, a secure job, church on Sundays and five weeks’ vacation a year) to redefine their lives according to their own criteria, which correspond less and less to social clichés.
A coach knows this process and can help you build a “tailor-made” life that truly reflects who you are and what your aspirations and talents are.
(source for the paragraph “Why work with a coach?”: coachville)
The coach’s skills

A. Foundation
1. Demonstrates ethical practice
Definition: Understands and consistently applies coaching ethics and standards.
Demonstrates personal integrity and honesty in dealings with customers, sponsors and stakeholders
Takes into account the identity, environment, experiences, values and beliefs of clients
Uses appropriate and respectful language with clients, sponsors and stakeholders
Respects the ICF code of ethics and upholds its Core Values.
Maintains the confidentiality of client information in accordance with contracts with the parties and applicable laws
Maintains the distinction between coaching, counseling, psychotherapy and other support professions
Refers clients to other support professionals if necessary.
2. Embodies a Coaching mindset
Definition: Develops and maintains an open, curious, flexible and customer-focused mindset.
Recognizes that customers are responsible for their own choices.
Engages in a process of continuous learning and development as a coach.
Develops ongoing reflective practice to improve coaching practice
Remains aware of and sensitive to the impact of context and culture on self and others.
Uses self-awareness and intuition to serve customers.
Develop and maintain emotional management skills
Prepare mentally and emotionally for coaching sessions.
Seeks help from external resources when necessary
B. Co-creating the relationship
3. Defines and maintains contracts
Definition: Partners with clients and stakeholders to define clear contracts regarding the coaching relationship, process, plans and objectives. Concludes contracts for the entire coaching process, as well as for each coaching session.
Explains what coaching is and isn’t, and describes the process to clients and stakeholders.
Reach agreement on what is or is not appropriate in the coaching relationship, on what is or is not contained in the proposed contract, and on the responsibilities of the client and the parties involved.
Reach agreement on the guidelines and specific parameters of the coaching relationship, such as logistics, fees, timing, duration, termination, confidentiality and the involvement of other players.
Works in partnership with the client and stakeholders to define the overall coaching plan and objectives.
Partners with the client to ensure affinity between client and coach.
Partners with clients to identify or reconfirm what they want to achieve during the session.
Partners with the client to define what they feel they need to address or resolve to achieve what they want during the session.
Partners with the client to define or reconfirm success indicators for the coaching cycle or session.
Works in partnership with the client to manage the time and objective of the session.
Continues coaching towards the customer’s desired outcome, unless otherwise specified by the customer.
Partners with the client to end the coaching relationship in a way that enhances the experience
4. Develops a space of trust and security
Definition: Partners with the client to create a climate of security and support, enabling the client to express him/herself freely. Maintains a relationship of mutual respect and trust.
Seeks to understand the customer in context, which may include their identity, environment, experiences, values and beliefs.
Demonstrates respect for the “client person”, their perceptions, style and language, and adapts coaching accordingly.
Acknowledges and respects the uniqueness of the client’s talents, ideas and work in the coaching process.
Demonstrates customer support, empathy and care.
Acknowledges and encourages the expression of the customer’s feelings, perceptions, concerns, beliefs and suggestions.
Demonstrates openness and transparency to show vulnerability and build a relationship of trust with the customer.
5. Remains present
Definition: Is fully aware and present with the customer, using an open, flexible, grounded and confident style.
Remains focused, attentive, empathetic and responsive to the client.
Demonstrates curiosity during the coaching process.
Manages emotions to stay present with the client.
Demonstrates confidence in working with the client’s strong emotions during the coaching process.
Is comfortable working with not knowing.
Creates or allows space for silence, pause or reflection.
C. Communicate effectively
6. Active listening
Definition: Focuses on what the customer says and doesn’t say to understand what is being communicated in the context of the customer’s systems and to support the customer’s expression
Considers the customer’s context, identity, environment, experiences, values and beliefs to better understand what the customer is communicating.
Reflects or summarizes what the customer has communicated to ensure clarity and understanding.
Recognizes and explores beyond what the customer communicates.
Notes, recognizes and explores the client’s emotions, energy changes, non-verbal cues or other behaviors.
Integrate the customer’s words, tone of voice and body language to determine the full meaning of what the customer is communicating.
Notes trends in the client’s behaviors and emotions during sessions to discern recurring themes and patterns.
7. Promotes awareness
Definition: Facilitates client awareness and learning by using tools and techniques such as powerful questioning, silence, metaphor or analogy.
Takes into account the customer’s experience to decide what might be most useful.
Challenges the customer to promote awareness or discovery
Ask questions about the customer, his or her way of thinking, values, needs, desires and beliefs.
Asks questions that help the customer explore beyond habitual thinking.
Invites customers to share more of their experience in the moment.
Note what works to improve customer progress.
Adapts the coaching approach in response to the client’s needs.
Helps the client identify the factors that influence present and future patterns of behavior, thought or emotion.
Invites customers to develop ideas about how they can move forward, and what they are willing or able to do.
Helps customers by reformulating perspectives.
Shares observations, intuitions and feelings that can create new learning for the customer, without becoming attached to them.
D. Encouraging learning and growth
8. Facilitates client growth
Definition: Partners with the client to transform learning and discoveries into action. Promotes the client’s autonomy in the coaching process
Works with the client to integrate new awarenesses, discoveries or learnings into his/her worldview and behaviors.
Partners with the customer to design goals, actions and accountability measures that integrate and develop new learning
Recognizes and supports the customer’s autonomy in designing goals, actions and accountability methods.
Helps the customer to identify potential results or learnings from the identified action steps.
Invites the customer to consider how to move forward, integrating resources, support and potential obstacles.
Partners with the client to summarize learnings and insights/discoveries during or between sessions.
Acknowledges customer progress and successes.
Partners with the client to complete the session.
Translators for the French version: Patrice Birot, Gaëlle Coqueblin, Marie-France Fourrier, Denise Sin Blima, Eric Turquet
2020 International Coaching Federation
Source : https://www.coachfederation.fr/deontologie-referentiels/referentiel-de-competences-reactualise-applicable-courant-2021/