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Every coaching fingerprint is unique. Sharing yours helps clients understand your approach and what they can expect in partnership. Every coach carries a fingerprint—not on their hand, but in their practice. A coaching fingerprint is the pattern of values, beliefs, and commitments that makes your coaching unmistakably yours. In the 2025 ICF Core Competency update , coaches are now called to share their coaching philosophy with clients. That might sound abstract, but it’s really quite concrete: you’re simply letting clients see your fingerprint, so they know how you’ll show up and what you stand for. What Do We Mean by “Coaching Philosophy”? When some people hear the word philosophy , they imagine professors in ivory towers debating abstract ideas. But your coaching philosophy isn’t about lofty theories.

When fear takes the wheel, the Saboteur’s flag goes up. Name it, tame it, and reclaim your ship. Picture this: You’re the captain of a sturdy ship. The sails are full, the crew is ready, and your compass is pointing true north. You're poised for adventure. Then—out from the shadows—emerges a pirate. He’s loud. He's persuasive. And he's hellbent on steering you back to the pier. He grabs the wheel, snarling: “You’re not ready to lead this voyage.” “Storms will sink you.” “Better turn back now.” That pirate? That’s the Saboteur —the inner hijacker fueled by fear, self-doubt and your brain's overzealous risk-management department. He's not evil, but he is exhausting. And if left unchecked, he'll keep clients moored in the harbor, never letting them sail toward the life they actually want. Every client has one. (Spoiler: so do you.) When we’re working with the pirate, we’re working with a voice to be noticed and unhooked from—not a belief to be rewritten or an assumption to be tested. As coaches, our job isn’t to toss the pirate overboard or argue with him. It's to help our clients notice when he’s at the helm—and guide them back to the voice of their inner captain.   What Is the Saboteur, Really?

Your map and compass for the 2025 ICF updates: simple tools, clearer routes, better coaching. Coaching evolves; so do the rules of the road. In September 2025, the ICF gave the Core Competencies a tune-up —not a remodel, a refinement. Think sharper edges on a familiar tool. If you’ve been practicing inside the 2021 model, you’re still on home turf. The map didn’t change; the legends got clearer. What Stayed vs. What Shifted What didn’t budge first: the backbone. We’re still working with eight competencies that revolve around ethics, agreements, trust and safety , presence, listenin g , evoking awareness, and client growth. Ethical practice and confidentiality still anchor the relationship. The coaching mindset and a client-centric partnership still set the tempo. The structure stands. So what did  shift in the updated 2025 ICF Core Competencies? Language, mostly—and the expectations that language quietly carries. There’s now a glossary, which sounds unsexy until you realize it trims the wiggle room. Shared terms mean fewer “it depends” debates and more clean partnering. Several indicators were added or tightened, and one competency definition got a subtle polish. Nuance, not upheaval. Summary of the 2025 ICF Core Competency Updates

Values are the blueprint. When clients build on what truly matters, alignment becomes structure—and fulfillment finally has room to live. It happens all the time in coaching sessions. A client feels stuck. Maybe they’re staring down a decision they can’t make. Maybe they’re exhausted but can’t explain why. Or maybe they’ve done all the “right” things—checked the boxes, earned the title, filled the calendar—and yet something feels hollow. These are clues. Red flags that their core values are either unclear or unmet. And as a coach? This is where your work gets transformative. Because when a client tries to design a fulfilling life without knowing what they truly stand for, it’s like trying to build a house without a blueprint. Core Values Are the Blueprint Core values are the quiet architecture of a well-lived life. They’re not fluffy ideals. They’re the inner compass that influences what your client says yes to, what they turn down, what fulfills them, what frustrates them, and even the legacy they want to leave behind. When those values are honored, life feels aligned and anchored. Decisions come more easily, boundaries are cleaner, energy flows where it matters, and life begins to feel truly theirs. When those values are ignored or unclear, it’s a different story. Clients may chase goals that never satisfy them, say yes when every fiber of them wants to say no, or quietly betray themselves in tiny, daily ways. It’s like standing on a cracked foundation—unstable, unsustainable, and exhausting. Your role as a coach is to help them clarify, claim, and construct around the blueprint that’s uniquely theirs.

Unlock your client’s potential with coaching tools that deepen learning and open new doors to action. In Co-Active Coaching , a cornerstone principle is the belief that clients are naturally creative, resourceful, and whole . They already carry the keys to their own growth. The coach’s role isn’t to hand over solutions, but to create the conditions where the client discovers which key fits, turns it with confidence, and feels the satisfying click of something unlocking. This is where the Co-Active context of Forward and Deepen   works like a hinge, allowing insight to swing into action. “Deepening the learning” and “forwarding the action” isn’t a straight hallway—it’s a dynamic passage with doors that open when curiosity meets courage. Insights swing open into choices; choices open into commitments; commitments open into transformation. Three skills act as trusty keys in this process: Brainstorming  (expanding creative options) Requesting  (inviting commitment) Challenging  (evoking courage and growth) These aren’t blunt tactics. They’re artful moves used when clients stall at a locked door. And instead of jiggling the knob for them, we invite them to step forward and try the key themselves. That’s why asking permission matters. “Would you be open to a few ideas?” “Can I make a request?” “May I offer a challenge?” These tiny pauses aren’t about formality—they’re about partnership. They remind the client: you’re the one with the keys to your life; I’m just here to keep the light steady while you choose which one to use.

When your coaching sounds more crystal ball than clarity… it’s time for a language refresh. So, real talk. If you’ve ever paused mid-session and heard yourself say something like “I just want to honor what’s present” , only to realize your client is looking at you like you just summoned a crystal ball… this blog post is for you. Welcome to the beautiful, bizarre world of coach-speak. You know, that high-vibe , ultra-earnest, occasionally mystical language many of us inherited from our training programs. While it's well-intended and deeply rooted in some gorgeous philosophies, sometimes our words float so far above the clouds that our clients need a spiritual ladder just to reach us. Does that resonate? (😉) Here are 20 of those delightfully cryptic and overused classics from coach-world—offered with lots of love and a dose of plain English for keeping it grounded and client-friendly. 🔮 The Coach-Speak Greatest Hits

Coaching is sonar work — your words ripple out, and what comes back reveals where the client is ready to dive deeper. If you’re new to coaching — or exploring ICF certification — you’ve probably heard the terms ACC , PCC , and MCC  thrown around. But what do they actually mean? These are the three professional credential levels recognized by the International Coaching Federation (ICF)  — and while they’re based on demonstrated coaching skill, the real difference between them isn’t just about more hours or fancier language. It’s about depth, range, and presence . Think of coaching like sonar . Your questions and observations are pings. The client’s responses — their words, silence, energy, even resistance — echo back with data. At ACC (Associate Certified Coach) , your sonar scans the surface. Coaching here is solid, structured, and action-focused. You’re picking up clear signals: goals, obstacles, next steps. At PCC (Professional Certified Coach) , your sonar reaches deeper. Coaching here is more nuanced, with deeper listening, emotional resonance, and partnership. You begin detecting undercurrents and recurring patterns. At MCC (Master Certified Coach) , your sonar drops to the ocean floor. Coaching here is spacious and transformational, often less doing and more being. You’re attuned to subtle shifts in meaning, silence, and identity-level truths. And the best part? You’re not locked into one frequency.  Masterful coaches develop the range to shift between levels — scanning the surface when clarity is needed, and listening deeper when transformation is calling. How to Choose the Right Coaching Level

Why every coach—credentialed, new, or quietly evolving—needs this kind of space. There’s a moment in every coach’s journey when the learning curve flattens and the calendar fills. You’re serving clients, signing contracts, maybe even collecting glowing testimonials. On paper, you’ve “made it.” But quietly, in the background, a question starts to hum: “Am I still growing, or just going through the motions?” That’s where mentor coaching comes in. And no— it’s not just for early-career coaches or the credentialing process. It’s for anyone committed to depth , presence , and lasting impact —plus technical skill development. And yet, mentor coaching is often misunderstood. It’s treated like a means to an end: a requirement to meet, a hoop to jump through, a step to complete on the way to a credential. But the truth? It’s so much more than that. It’s not a test. It’s not a performance review. And it’s certainly not a system designed to mold you into someone else’s idea of a “good coach.” 🎨 Think of mentor coaching as an art studio —not an assembly line. Coaching is Creative Work

Coaching evokes awareness like a flashlight—revealing what was hidden and helping clients light their own way. Imagine walking into a dimly lit room, unsure of what’s inside. Your guide hands you a flashlight—not to tell you what’s there, but to help you illuminate the space for yourself. This is what great coaching does: it sparks discovery. In coaching, some of the brightest beams come from ICF Core Competency 7: Evokes Awareness . This competency isn’t about delivering answers—it’s about creating the conditions for those “aha!” moments when clients suddenly see what was hiding in plain sight. A shift in perspective . A new angle on an old problem. A fresh sense of possibility. When we evoke awareness, we’re not solving for our clients—we’re helping them solve for themselves. And in that moment, the room gets brighter. So how do you, as a coach, hand over the flashlight in a way that’s powerful and skillful? Let’s look at what this competency really means and how you can practice it in every conversation. 🔦 The 11 Indicators of Evoking Awareness

Coaching agreements are the GPS—keeping client and coach aligned and moving forward with clarity. Ever been on a road trip where no one agreed on the basics—where you’re headed, how long you’ll drive, or even who’s holding the keys? Chaos. One person’s craving the mountains, another’s aiming for the beach, and you wind up stalled at a gas station in the middle of nowhere, arguing over snacks. That’s what coaching feels like without clear agreements. ICF Competency 3— Establishes and Maintains Agreements —is the GPS of the coaching process. It keeps both coach and client aligned on the big picture and the daily details, and it provides checkpoints so the journey stays purposeful. Without these agreements in place, the coaching engagement is like a road trip without a GPS—lots of stops, detours, and maybe even running out of gas before you get anywhere meaningful. But with clear agreements? You and your client drive forward with purpose, knowing exactly where you’re headed. 🛣️🚗 The 12 ICF Agreement Indicators in 3 Lanes