One of the things I really like about the ILM Level 7 in Executive and Senior Level Coaching is that it forces you to stop and think about areas you might have unintentionally skimmed over in your coaching.
Most of the coaches we work with say something similar early on:
“I’ve done loads of coaching… I’ve just never really formalised or structured it.”
And that’s fine. In fact, it’s more common than not.
A lot of people arrive at Level 7 already coaching at a good level. They’ve got presence, they’ve got experience, and they’re getting results. But what the qualification does, is help them step back and properly examine what they’re doing, perhaps what is missing, elevating their work to another level.
And one of the quickest areas where that sharpening happens is ethics.
Ethics is the foundation of everything you do as a coach.
So… what do ethics in coaching actually mean?
Doing the right thing, in the right way, for the right reasons.
The core principles include:
Confidentiality, Boundaries, Transparency, Non-Disclosure, Competence, Integrity, Client first, Ongoing reflection, CPD, Objectivity & Non-bias, Sensitivity to political situations, Stakeholder Management.
Ethics is what underpins trust. Coaching is still a largely self-regulated profession, and a qualification holds you to account.
When coaches come into Level 7, they often expect to learn more technique.
What they don’t always expect is that they’ll refine their professional judgement and organisational context more than coaching tools. In fact, if it’s tools you need, then you may be better suited to a level 5.
If you are interested in a 1:1 conversation about your own coaching practice, email me at ross@thelearninganddevelopmentcompany.co.uk
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