These Coaching Standards represent our common beliefs about coaching and align us as professionals across a wide range of coaching specialties.

They:

• Enable coaches to gauge their own behavior to assess their integrity as a coach;
• Serve as evidence of our standards for our clients and the general public;
• Help the media and the general public understand clearly what coaching is;
• Help people in related professions to decide, “Am I a coach?”
• Unite coaches from many different schools, backgrounds and specialties around the common theme of coaching.

All coaches listed in the HKICC Directory of Coaches agree to abide by these Standards and the Complaints Handling Process.

HKICC is not responsible for the work of its member coaches, nor does it monitor them on an ongoing basis. HKCC coaches are responsible for their own work and own results. However, HKICC will address complaints against the Standards, if they are brought to our attention.

For details on how to offer a complaint, please read more here.

For the purposes of these Standards, the word ‘coachee’ refers to a person who is the recipient of coaching services. The word ‘client’ is a broader term that refers to the coachee and any other person or organization that agrees to a coaching contract.

A) Coaching Goals

• HKICC coaches facilitate the process of self-discovery that empowers the coachee to achieve breakthroughs and desired outcomes as well as personal growth;
• Through the coaching interaction, the coachees deepen their learning, enhance their quality of life and challenge themselves to produce extraordinary results, supported by the coach’s guidance and expertise;
• The coaching partnership creates focus and clarity that help the coachees take action and move towards the goals that are aligned with their deepest values in life.

B) Coaching Relationship

B-1) Relationship:

HKICC Coaches:

• Build relationships of mutual respect, trust and honesty with their coachees;
• Respect each individual and conduct themselves with compassion, fairness and authenticity;
• Are committed to empowering coachees to make choices that support them in moving forward to achieve their objectives;
• Hold their coachees accountable for achieving their own results;
• Conduct themselves in a professional manner within the coaching relationship.

B-2) Relationship Structure:

HKICC Coaches:

• Explain the coaching structure, process, frequency of sessions, fee structure and contract agreement prior to establishing a formal relationship with the coachee;
• Respect the confidentiality of clients and coachees. They obtain agreement from clients prior to releasing their names or any other confidential information. They do not discuss the contents of coaching sessions outside the coaching relationship except with specific permission from the coachee including between clients and coachees within the same organization;
• Provide contractual arrangements that respect the client’s right to terminate the coaching relationship at any point during the coaching contract
• Seek to change coaching arrangements or end the coaching when it is clear that a client is not benefiting from the coaching.
• HKICC coaches demonstrate high ethical standards by being honest, truthful and working with conviction and integrity.

HKICC coaches:

• Are open and honest about their own level of competence, experience and qualifications;
• Market, advertise and present themselves truthfully;
• Offer only services that they sincerely believe will be of value to the client;
• Are open and transparent about any referral fees they receive;
• Are congruent with their own standards of professionalism and self-care;
• Are aware of and fully comply with relevant laws;
• Have had significant experience working with a professional coach such that they understand the impact of coaching and they have experienced personal growth.

D) Competencies

HKICC Coaches:

1. Use meaningful processes that aim to:

• Encourage coachee self discovery
• Elicit coachee-generated solutions and strategies
• Hold the coachee responsible and accountable
• Discover, clarify and align with what the coachee wants to achieve

2. Seek to improve and expand their skills through continuous professional development;

3. Do not knowingly lay claim to a level of competence not possessed, and at all times exercise competence at least to the level claimed;

4. Provide services only within the boundaries of their competence, based on their education, training, or appropriate experience. They only accept work that they believe they are reasonably competent to perform;

5. Refer clients to other professionals when they perceive that the needs of the coachee may be beyond their professional expertise, particularly in the case of psychological or legal issues.