The ICF defines coaching as a collaborative partnership where the coach facilitates a process to help clients achieve their goals (ICF Definition of Coaching). The sentence "Supporting change through collaboration and facilitation" best captures this essence, aligning with the ICF Core Competencies and ethical guidelines. Specifically:
Collaboration: ICF Competency 2 ("Embodies a Coaching Mindset") and Competency 5 ("Cultivates Trust and Safety") emphasize a partnership where the coach and client co-create the process. The ICF Code of Ethics (Section 1.3) reinforces this by requiring coaches to "honor the client’s autonomy," highlighting the collaborative nature of coaching.
Facilitation: Competency 7 ("Evokes Awareness") and Competency 8 ("Facilitates Client Growth") describe the coach’s role in guiding clients to insights and actions through questioning and exploration, rather than directing or solving problems for them. This aligns with the ICF’s boundary that coaching is not about providing answers but facilitating client-driven change (ICF Coaching Boundaries).
Supporting change: The ultimate aim of coaching, as per ICF, is to inspire and support clients in maximizing their potential, often through transformative shifts in perspective or behavior (ICF Definition of Coaching).
Analysis of other options:
A. Providing wisdom to individuals, teams, and organizations: This suggests a directive approach, which contradicts ICF’s non-advisory stance (ICF Code of Ethics, Section 2.3: "I will not give my clients advice unless specifically agreed upon"). Coaching is not about imparting wisdom but enabling clients to find their own solutions.
C. Improving well-being by working with the client on their issues: While well-being may improve, this phrasing implies a therapeutic focus on "issues," which crosses into counseling and exceeds coaching’s scope (ICF Coaching Boundaries).
D. Creating customized solutions that meet clients' needs: Coaches do not "create solutions" for clients; they facilitate clients in discovering their own solutions, per Competency 8 and the ICF ethical principle of client autonomy (ICF Code of Ethics, Section 1).
Thus, "Supporting change through collaboration and facilitation" is the most accurate description of the coaching process, as verified by ICF standards.
